This healthy bowl combines quinoa with flavorful roasted vegetables and a delicious lemon garlic dressing for a refreshing meal that is both nutritious and satisfying.
Not too long ago I posted this Roasted Broccoli Quinoa Casserole, which changed my view on quinoa. I gave thanks to the creamy cheese sauce, which really made the dish.
While this quinoa salad has some parm, it's not one of the main components. I wanted to try something new and go outside of my comfort zone of covering everything in cheese.
To be completely honest with you, I wasn't expecting to like this salad that much. I thought I would try using a lemon honey dressing for a change, then go back to cheesy casseroles.
The dressing really gets absorbed by the quinoa so it has so much flavor, along with the delicious roasted vegetables and crunchy sliced almonds. I found myself reaching for seconds, then thirds...
You guys. Whether you're a quinoa skeptic or a quinoa lover, you will fall in love with this salad. Do yourself a favor and make it asap!
How to Give Quinoa Flavor
The main reason I used to dislike quinoa was because it has very little flavor on its own. Therefore, in order to make this salad super delicious, I needed to really boost the flavors.
Cook the quinoa in broth: cooking quinoa in vegetable broth really boosts the flavor of the quinoa, especially compared to water. Although I think broth is much better, if you don't have any you can use water with salt and seasonings of choice, like garlic and onion powder.
Roast the vegetables: this step is used in the quinoa casserole I mentioned earlier, and it makes such a difference. They get super crispy and flavorful.
Mix in some parm: parmesan cheese has a sharp cheesy flavor that pairs really well with the vegetables and dressing.
The dressing: This is where most of the flavor comes from! There's lemon for acidity, honey for sweetness, and olive oil!
I really hope you like this recipe! If you decide to make it, be sure to post a picture and tag me @nutritiousdelights on Instagram--I'd love to see it!
More recipes you might love:
Roasted Broccoli Quinoa Casserole
Roasted Vegetable Lemon Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
Quinoa
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa rinsed
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
Roasted Vegetables
- 1 large sweet potato
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 2 cups brussel sprouts quartered
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic herb seasoning
Dressing
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic herb seasoning
- 3 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon italian seasoning
Instructions
Roasted Vegetables
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the vegetables on a sheet tray lined with foil. Rub in the olive oil and seasonings and bake for about 20 minutes.
Quinoa
- Cook the quinoa according to package directions, with vegetable broth instead of water. Transfer to a large serving bowl. Salt to taste and add the parmesan. Mix with the roasted vegetables and sliced almonds.
Dressing
- Mix all the dressing ingredients together. Pour over the salad and mix. Enjoy!
Tani
This is amazing! Loved it so much. I didn't have broth but just added some extra salt and turned out great!
Hannah
Thank you so much Tani! I’m glad you liked it 🙂