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Home » Recipes » Salads

Quinoa Salad with Vegan Green Goddess Dressing

Published: Jul 20, 2021 by Lexi

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We paired a homemade vegan green goddess dressing with protein-rich quinoa and summer veggies for an easy, nutritious, and delicious meal. Best of all, it's ready in just 30 minutes and works well for meal prep!

This post is sponsored by Bob's Red Mill. All opinions are our own.

Green goddess salad in bowl. Full of quinoa, corn, and cherry tomatoes.
Super green and packed with protein-rich quinoa!

🥗 Why We Love This Recipe

  • Homemade green goddess dressing: Our green goddess dressing is super simple to make, with everything coming together in a blender, so there's no whisking required. We think our homemade version tastes incredibly fresh, tangy, and herbaceous!
  • Tons of veggies: Broccolini, corn and zucchini team up to give this quinoa salad pops of summery flavor and lots of varying textures.
  • Gluten free and vegan: Most green goddess dressings have greek yogurt, mayo, or anchovies, so ours is unique because it's totally vegan. Best of all, quinoa is naturally gluten free, so this salad is perfect for those with food allergies.

🥑 Ingredients

Here's everything you'll need to make this quinoa salad with vegan green goddess dressing:

overhead view of ingredients for green goddess quinoa salad.

📋 Ingredient Notes

  • Bob's Red Mill Organic Whole Grain Quinoa: The star of the show! We always use Bob's Red Mill quinoa and it produces consistent, delicious results every time. It's one of our most-used pantry staples, in everything from breakfast bowls, to taco "meat", to fritters.
    • We used Bob's Red Mill white quinoa in this recipe, but you could definitely sub with their tri-color quinoa if that's what you have on hand.
    • Bob's Red Mill products are available in thousands of grocery stores nationwide, but you can also easily order online! If you've been a reader for a while, you already know how much we love Bob's Red Mill products – they're the best on the market and we use everything from their granolas to their incredible range of baking products (grains, flours, legumes, etc) on a daily basis!
    • Quinoa is naturally gluten free, and Bob's Red Mill quinoa is made in a dedicated gluten free facility and is tested for gluten free integrity. We also love using it in this quinoa vegetable soup and coconut berry breakfast quinoa!
  • Broccolini: We suggest using only the tops of the broccolini (not the woody stems) to preserve this salad's easy-to-eat texture. If you can't find any broccolini at your grocery store, substitute with broccoli florets (just the tops) or chopped asparagus, which will both be just as good!
  • Arugula: feel free to sub with spinach, kale or another leafy green of choice.
  • Corn: If you don't feel like shucking your own, feel free to sub with frozen corn!

🔪 Step-by-step Instructions

(1) Cook the quinoa: Bring 2 cups of water or vegetable stock to a boil in a 2 quart pot. Add 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill quinoa and return to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium and let simmer until water is absorbed, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff, cover and set aside to cool while you are preparing the rest of the recipe.

Close up of Bob's Red Mill Quinoa package.
We used Bob's Red Mill quinoa in this recipe.

(2) Make the dressing: In a small blender or food processor, blend the avocado, jalapeño, 1 clove of garlic, ⅓ cup basil, ¼ cup parsley, lime juice from one lime, ½ teaspoon of salt, ⅓ cup of water, and 2 tablespoon avocado oil until creamy.

Overhead shot of the green goddess dressing in a food processor.
This green goddess dressing is also great on pasta!

(3) Cook the veggies: Add 2 tablespoon of avocado oil (or olive oil) to a nonstick pan over medium heat. Once the oil is heated, add the ½ cup green onions and 1 teaspoon minced garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then add the 1 cup broccolini, 1 cup corn, and 1 cup zucchini with the ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ pepper and cook, stirring a few times, for 7-8 minutes.

Step 3: cooking corn, zucchini, broccolini.

(4) Combine: Toss cooked quinoa in ¾ cup of dressing and stir well. Add cooked veggies to quinoa and stir well to combine. Add some or all of the remaining dressing. Stir in 1 cup cherry tomatoes, 1 cup arugula, and ½ a cup of dairy free parmesan and enjoy!

Final step with 3 pictures in one. Stir dressing into quinoa, add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl, then toss.
Mix some of the dressing in with the quinoa before adding the rest of the ingredients.

🎥 Recipe Video

💭 Expert Tips and FAQs

  • Cooking the quinoa in vegetable stock/broth (versus just water) can help to add some additional flavor.
  • Make sure to fluff the quinoa with a fork before bringing the salad together. This will help to create a fluffy texture and prevent any clumping.
  • Using fresh herbs will elevate the flavor and freshness of your green goddess dressing.
  • Storage: you can make this quinoa salad ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also make the vegan green goddess dressing ahead of time and add to the salad later on.
Is quinoa gluten free?

Yes, quinoa is naturally gluten free, but if your quinoa isn't manufactured in a dedicated gluten free facility, there's a risk of cross-contamination.

What does green goddess dressing taste like?

Green goddess is similar to a Caesar dressing. It's tangy and packs a punch, but it has a more herbaceous flavor profile. Our version is also extra creamy and rich thanks to avocado!

Picture of finished, dressed green goddess salad from overhead view.
This salad makes a nutrient dense, delicious, and filling lunch.

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Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or by subscribing to our newsletter.

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Green goddess salad in a bowl with a spoon. Full of quinoa and cherry tomatoes.

Quinoa Salad with Vegan Green Goddess Dressing


  • Author: Lexi
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 Servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

We paired a homemade vegan green goddess dressing with protein-rich quinoa and summer veggies for an easy, nutritious, and delicious meal. Best of all, it's ready in just 30 minutes and works well for meal prep!


Ingredients

Units Scale

Green Goddess Dressing:

  • 1 small/medium avocado, peeled and pitted
  • 1 small jalapeno, deseeded and diced
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • ⅓ cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
  • Juice from one lime
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ⅓ cup water
  • 2 tbsp avocado or olive oil

Quinoa Salad:

  • 1 cup dry Bob's Red Mill Organic Quinoa
  • 2 tbsp avocado or olive oil
  • ½ cup finely minced green onion
  • 1 tsp finely minced garlic
  • 1 cup corn kernels
  • 1 cup zucchini, diced
  • 1 cup broccolini, finely chopped
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup baby arugula
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • ½ cup grated vegan (or regular) parmesan

Instructions

  1. Cook the quinoa: Bring 2 cups of water or vegetable stock to a boil in a 2 quart pot. Add 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill quinoa and return to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium and let simmer until water is absorbed, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff, cover and set aside to cool while you are preparing the rest of the recipe.
  2. Make the dressing: In a small blender or food processor, blend the avocado, jalapeño, 1 clove of garlic, ⅓ cup basil, ¼ cup parsley, lime juice from one lime, ½ teaspoon of salt, ⅓ cup of water, and 2 tablespoon avocado oil until smooth and creamy.
  3. Cook the vegetables: Add 2 tablespoon of avocado oil (or olive oil) to a skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is heated, add the ½ cup green onions and 1 teaspoon minced garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the 1 cup broccolini, 1 cup corn, and 1 cup zucchini with the ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ pepper and cook, stirring a few times, for 7-8 minutes.
  4. Combine: Toss cooked quinoa in ¾ cup of dressing and stir well. Add cooked veggies to quinoa and stir well to combine. Add some or all of the remaining dressing. Stir in 1 cup cherry tomatoes, 1 cup arugula, and ½ a cup of dairy free parmesan and enjoy!

Notes

Storage: you can make this quinoa salad ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also make the vegan green goddess dressing ahead of time and add to the salad later on.

Cooking the quinoa in vegetable stock/broth instead of water can help to add some additional flavor.

Make sure to fluff the quinoa with a fork before bringing the salad together. This will help to create a fluffy texture and prevent any clumping.

Be sure to use fresh herbs in the dressing for maximum flavor. 

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Bowl
  • Calories: 261
  • Sugar: 4.7 g
  • Sodium: 327.8 mg
  • Fat: 15.9 g
  • Carbohydrates: 15.4 g
  • Fiber: 2.8 g
  • Protein: 4.9 g

Keywords: vegan quinoa salad

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