Quinoa Salad with Arugula has all the feel-good ingredients you love: fluffy, protein-rich quinoa, spicy arugula, juicy cherry tomatoes, and tangy sun-dried tomatoes. Toss it with a vibrant homemade vinaigrette, and you've got a delicious salad that's as pretty as it is nutritious.
This recipe happened quite by accident, as many great recipes do. One day, I needed to use up some arugula, which had a limited life span—only a few good days left before those peppery greens would wilt away.
So, in an attempt to save those greens, I rummaged through my fridge and pantry, looking for ingredients that would turn this lone green into a fabulous salad.
Quinoa is a pantry staple in my house and is versatile in many recipes. It's full of feel-good things like vitamins and minerals, and it's a protein-packed seed that provides 8 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber in each cup. So in it went with the arugula.
Next came the cherry and sun-dried tomatoes, and the rest is history!
This salad is especially great in the summer when you need a quick side dish or salad for those family BBQs. We enjoy it with grilled chicken or fried salmon bites, and it's great on its own as a light lunch.
Finally, if you love arugula as much as I do, I think you'll like my arugula and spinach salad with apples, pistachios, and sun-dried tomatoes-and don't forget the homemade ciabatta croutons for some crunch. Enjoy 🙂
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Gather your Ingredients
Here's what you'll need:
Cooks Notes
- Quinoa can be purchased prewashed or unwashed (which means rinsed). No matter which you buy, it's always best practice to rinse it under cool water to remove excess saponins, a bitter coating that naturally occurs on the seeds.
Find the detailed recipe below.
Substitutions & Variations
- Instead of bi-color quinoa, substitute with all-white or all-red quinoa.
- I like how the mixed-colored cherry tomatoes look in the salad; however, all red cherry tomatoes work, too.
- Sun-dried tomatoes come packed in oil or are sold dehydrated in a package (which is what I used). Either form will work.
- Use green onions instead of red onions.
How to Make Quinoa Arugula Salad
Step-by-Step Instructions
This nutritious salad comes alive thanks to the zesty vinaigrette.
Cook quinoa:
Add the quinoa and water to a medium saucepan and cook according to the package directions. Once cooked, fluff with a fork, keep warm and set aside.
Make vinaigrette:
Add the vinaigrette ingredients to a large serving bowl. Whisk until emulsified and creamy.
Add quinoa:
Add the warm quinoa to the vinaigrette and gently mix.
Add remaining ingredients:
Add the salad greens and remaining ingredients to the bowl and gently toss.
Serve:
I like to serve this salad while still warm (though chilled is fine, too), along with grilled chicken or pan-seared salmon.
Helpful Hints
- When you purchase quinoa, you may notice that some packages say prewashed, and some don't. This means that the quinoa has been rinsed to remove saponins, a bitter coating on the outside of each seed.
- Prewashed or not, it is good practice to rinse it under cool running water for a minute or so to ensure that residual saponins are removed.
Storage
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container; they are best eaten within 24 hours.
Make Ahead
- If making the salad ahead of time, add the vinaigrette to a glass jar, cook and refrigerate the quinoa, and prep your vegetables. When ready to serve, add everything together in a large bowl and enjoy.
Recipe FAQs
Saponins are natural compounds found in plants like quinoa, beans, legumes, and some herbs. They’re known for their soap-like qualities—when mixed with water, they foam up, which is where their name comes from (Latin sapo means soap).
Quinoa seeds have a coating on them called saponins. If not rinsed away, this natural compound gives the quinoa a bitter taste. Furthermore, saponins have been known to cause gastrointestinal issues for some.
📝 Recipe Card
Quinoa Salad with Arugula
Equipment
- whisk
- knife
- measuring cups and spoons
- strainer
- medium saucepan
Ingredients
Salad:
- ½ cup (uncooked) quinoa , rinsed
- 1 cup (packed) arugula, rinsed, and dried
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, rinsed and quartered
- ¼ cup (packed) fresh basil, rinsed, dried, and cut into thin ribbons
- ¼ cup (packed) sun-dried tomatoes, dehydrated or dehydrated in oil, sliced into thin ribbons
Vinaigrette:
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Cook quinoa: Add the quinoa and water to a medium saucepan and cook according to the package directions. Once cooked, fluff with a fork, keep warm and set aside.½ cup (uncooked) quinoa
- Make vinaigrette: Add the vinaigrette ingredients to a large serving bowl. Whisk until emulsified and creamy.2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon garlic, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Add quinoa: Add the warm quinoa to the vinaigrette and gently mix.
- Add remaining ingredients: Add the salad greens and remaining ingredients to the bowl and gently toss.1 cup (packed) arugula, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, ¼ cup (packed) fresh basil, ¼ cup (packed) sun-dried tomatoes
- Serve: I like to serve this salad while still warm (though chilled is fine, too), along with grilled chicken or pan-seared salmon.
Julie says
Perfect lunch salad for the week! Made this in under 30 minutes and tastes great!
Donna Poirier says
Awesome Julie! Thanks for your feedback 🙂
Darlene K. says
This was incredible. I made this for a lunch with friends and everyone wanted the recipe.
Donna Poirier says
Awesome!