Copycat Costco Quinoa Salad

This Copycat Costco Quinoa Salad is a healthy side or main dish that's perfect to serve at any family dinner! It's an abundant salad packed with plant-based protein, vegetables, and so much flavor!

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan, vegetarian

Keyword copycat recipe, cucumbers, dairy-free, quinoa salad, salad dressing, spring, summer

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 0

Total Time 15

Servings

Calories 278kcal

Author Sherri Hall

Ingredients

Salad

1 cup cooked and cooled brown rice (~½ cup uncooked)
1 cup cooked and cooled brown lentils (I use canned)
2 cups cooked and cooled quinoa (~⅔ cup uncooked)
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 medium tomato, diced
1 medium cucumber, diced (if using English cucumbers, use 2 or 3)
1 cup baby kale, chopped
¼ cup cilantro, chopped (or use parsley)

Dressing

¼ cup + 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
2 tablespoon lemon juice, or more to taste
1 tablespoon maple syrup
½ teaspoon sea salt, or more to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Instructions

If you haven't already, dice the vegetables, and chop the cilantro (or parsley), and the baby kale.
Add all of the ingredients for the salad into a large mixing bowl- brown rice, lentils, quinoa, red pepper, tomato, cucumber, baby kale, and fresh herbs.
To a small bowl, add all of the ingredients for the dressing- olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, maple syrup, salt, and black pepper. Mix until well combined. Taste and adjust the flavor as needed, adding more salt, black pepper, or lemon juice to taste.
If serving right away, pour the dressing over the salad and toss until everything is well coated. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate for 1-2 hours! If serving later, transfer the salad and the dressing to separate containers and refrigerate until ready to use. Combine before serving.

Notes

Prepare the rice, lentils, and quinoa ahead of time! They're the most time-consuming part of this recipe, but if you cook them ahead of time, you'll be able to make this salad in just 10 minutes!
Make sure your grains have cooled completely before assembling the salad. If you add them hot, you'll wilt the fresh veggies and the salad will become soggy.
Add the dressing right before serving! This is considered best practice when it comes to any salad. Once you add the dressing, your salad starts to wild, so add it as last-minute as possible.
Use baby kale. It's softer than other types of kale and its texture fits the rest of the ingredients better. And also, you won't have to massage it, which means less effort.

*The total time is only for preparing the salad and it doesn't include the time needed to cook and cool the brown rice, quinoa, and lentils.

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. Accuracy is not guaranteed. Information shown should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Nutrition