Recipe for: Quinoa salad with spring vegetables - photo 1
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Recipe for: Quinoa salad with spring vegetables

Salads May Day 50 min Medium 8 wyświetleń ~30.40 PLN * - (0)
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Description

A light, colorful salad with quinoa and spring vegetables, perfect for a May Day celebration or picnic. Quinoa provides complete protein, while green asparagus, peas, radishes, and cherry tomatoes add crunch and freshness. The dressing made from olive oil, lemon juice, and mustard gives the salad a distinct flavor; optional strawberries and goat cheese introduce a sweet and sour twist that pairs wonderfully with grilled meats or serves as a standalone dish outdoors. The dish looks impressive thanks to the contrast of colors — green, red, and white accents on the plate — and holds up well in a cool picnic bag for several hours after chilling. The recipe is beginner-friendly, with detailed instructions for preparing quinoa, blanching vegetables, and composing the dressing.

Ingredients Used

Ingredients (16)

Servings:
4
  • Quinoa 180 g
  • Asparagus 250 g
  • Green peas 150 g
  • Cucumber 0.7 szt. (~200 g)
  • Radish 100 g
  • Cherry tomato 200 g
  • Red onion 80 g
  • Lemon 0.8 szt. (~60 g)
  • Olive oil 45 ml
  • Mustard 15 g
  • 🌿 Przyprawy
  • Parsley 1 pęczek (~30 g)
  • Salt 1 g
  • Black pepper 4 szczypty (~2 g)
  • ✨ Opcjonalne
  • Honey 20 ml
  • Strawberry 150 g
  • Ser kozi 100 g
💰 Szacowany koszt dania: ~30.40 PLN (7.60 PLN/porcję)
* Brak cen dla niektórych składników

💡 Kliknij na składnik aby oznaczyć jako użyty

Preparation steps

Quinoa

1

Weigh 180 g of dried quinoa. Place it in a fine sieve and rinse under cold running water for 30–60 seconds, shaking the sieve vigorously — this removes the bitter saponin coating. Transfer the rinsed quinoa to a medium pot.

Ingredients: Quinoa
Use a fine-mesh strainer and cold tap water. Thorough rinsing will enhance the flavor of the quinoa (do not skip this step).
2

Pour 360 ml of water into the pot with quinoa (ratio 1:2), add 1 gram of salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the water starts to boil, reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and cook for 12–15 minutes, until the grains absorb the water. After cooking, remove the lid and let it sit for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork — the quinoa should be fluffy, with visible 'spiral tails'.

Ingredients: Quinoa, Salt
Use a pot with a matching lid. Do not stir the quinoa while cooking — just fluff it at the end. If the water is not absorbed after 15 minutes, remove the lid and cook for another 1–2 minutes.

Vegetables

3

Prepare the asparagus: snap off the woody ends (hold the asparagus in your hands and break it at its natural point — the broken part will indicate where to cut). If the stalks are thick, peel the lower half with a vegetable peeler. Cut into pieces about 3–4 cm long.

Ingredients: asparagus
Use a cutting board and a sharp knife. Discard or set aside the broken ends for vegetable broth.
4

Blanch the asparagus and peas: bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 teaspoon of salt, add the asparagus and cook for 2–3 minutes — they should become bright green and tender-crisp. If using fresh peas, add them in the last 1 minute; if using frozen, pour boiling water over them for 60 seconds. Immediately transfer the vegetables to a bowl of ice-cold water (ice bath) for 2 minutes to stop the cooking process and preserve the color. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.

Ingredients: asparagus, Green peas, Salt
For blanching, use a large pot and a strainer. An ice bath is important — without it, the vegetables will continue to soften and lose their color.
5

Prepare the remaining vegetables: wash the cucumber, peel if necessary, and slice it into half-moons; slice the radish into thin rounds; cut the cherry tomatoes in half; slice the red onion very thinly into half-moons and soak in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain (this will mellow the sharpness). Chop the parsley finely.

Ingredients: Cucumber, Radish, cherry tomato, Red onion, Parsley
Use a sharp knife and a flat cutting board. A mandoline helps with thinly slicing onions — be careful with your fingers.

Dressing

6

Prepare the dressing: in a small bowl, squeeze the juice from one lemon (about 60 g of lemon), add 45 g of olive oil (3 tablespoons), 15 g of mustard (1 tablespoon), and optionally 20 g of honey. Whisk with a whisk or vigorously with a fork until emulsified. Season with 1 g of salt and 2 g of black pepper, taste, and adjust the proportions if necessary.

Ingredients: Lemon, Olive oil, Mustard, Honey, Salt, Black pepper
Use a small bowl and a whisk or a jar with a lid (you can shake it vigorously to emulsify the dressing). If you want a vegan version, skip the honey and add a teaspoon of maple syrup.

Assembly

7

In a large bowl, transfer the fluffed and slightly cooled quinoa, add the dried asparagus and peas, chopped cucumber, radish, tomatoes, and drained onion. Add the chopped parsley. Pour in the prepared dressing (save 1–2 tablespoons if you want to season before serving) and gently mix with a wooden spoon so that the ingredients combine but the tomatoes do not break.

Ingredients: Quinoa, asparagus, Green peas, Cucumber, Radish, cherry tomato, Red onion, Parsley, Olive oil, Lemon, Mustard
Use a large bowl (minimum diameter 26 cm) and a wooden or silicone spoon. Stir gently to maintain the structure of the vegetables and quinoa. If the salad seems dry, add the remaining dressing.

Additions and serving

8

Before serving, add sliced strawberries (optional) and crumbled goat cheese (optional). Gently mix one last time. Transfer the salad to a platter or salad bowl and garnish with a few sprigs of parsley. Serve chilled 15–30 minutes after preparation to allow the flavors to meld.

Ingredients: Strawberry, Ser kozi
Additionally, you can add a strawberry and goat cheese to enhance the flavor and texture. If you're taking the salad to a picnic, store the dressing separately and mix just before serving to keep the vegetables crisp.

Serving and storing

9

Serve the salad on a large platter or in individual bowls. If serving with grilled meat, arrange the salad as a light side dish. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours; the dressing is best stored separately for up to 24 hours.

Ingredients: Quinoa, Olive oil, Salt
Use an airtight container made of plastic or glass. Do not freeze the salad (the vegetables will lose their texture).

Fun Fact

💡

Quinoa comes from the Andes and has been cultivated by the indigenous people of South America for thousands of years as a source of complete protein — in Poland, it is often used as an alternative to grains.

Best for

majówka piknik grill

Tips

🍽️ Serving

Serve the salad slightly chilled. If you're taking it to a picnic, keep the dressing separate and mix just before serving. For a dinner version, add grilled chicken breast or smoked duck breast.

🥡 Storage

Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 48 hours. Keep the dressing separate for up to 24 hours. Do not freeze. Before serving, mix again, as the quinoa may slightly absorb the dressing.

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