Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad

It can be served warm, at room temperature, or chilled, and keeps well in the refrigerator for a few days. You can prepare the quinoa and vegetables ahead of time and assemble the salad when you're ready to serve it, or make and pack it up the night before for an easy lunch.

Why You'll Love This Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad

Good for making ahead. The quinoa and roasted vegetables can be prepared ahead of time and combined with the remaining ingredients when you're ready to serve. Or, assemble the whole salad and pack it for an easy lunch.

It's easy to adapt. Use goat cheese instead of feta, swap the basil for mint or oregano, or add another vegetable such as cauliflower or sweet potato. You can change the ingredients without changing the basic method.

It can be the meal or part of one. Serve it on its own for lunch, alongside a main dish at dinner, or bring it to a picnic or potluck.

Ingredients for Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad

Quinoa — Use either white or tri-colored quinoa.

Chickpeas — Use canned chickpeas for ease. Drain and rinse them well before adding them to the salad.

Zucchini — Cut into bite-sized pieces and roasted until tender and lightly browned.

Eggplant — Cut into bite-sized pieces and roasted alongside the zucchini.

Jarred roasted red peppers — A convenient shortcut that adds roasted red pepper flavor without having to roast whole peppers, remove their skins, and chop them yourself. Drain and chop before adding to the salad.

Fresh basil — Chopped and added to the salad.

Fresh flat-leaf parsley — Adds a fresh note alongside the basil.

Feta cheese — Crumbled or cubed over the salad for a salty, creamy element. Goat cheese can be substituted.

Lemon-garlic vinaigrette — Fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and garlic make a simple dressing that brings everything together.

Salt and freshly ground black pepper — To season the vegetables, quinoa, and vinaigrette.

How to Make Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad

1. Roast the Vegetables

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Cut the zucchini and eggplant into bite-sized pieces and arrange them on a large baking sheet. Toss with olive oil, salt, and garlic, then spread them out in an even layer.

Roast until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned.

2. Cook the Quinoa

While the vegetables roast, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.

Rinse the quinoa, then add it to the boiling water and cook until tender.

Drain the quinoa well, return it to the pot, cover, and let it sit for 10–15 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

3. Make the Vinaigrette

Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

4. Assemble the Salad

Transfer the cooked quinoa to a large bowl. Add the chickpeas, roasted zucchini and eggplant, roasted red peppers, basil, and parsley.

Pour over the lemon-garlic vinaigrette and toss gently to combine.

Add the feta and toss again, or crumble it over the top before serving.

5. Serve

Serve the salad warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

How to Cook Quinoa for Salad

I use a slightly different method for cooking quinoa.

Instead of measuring a specific amount of water for the quinoa, I cook it in a large pot of boiling water, like pasta. Once the quinoa is tender, drain it well, return it to the pot, cover, and let it sit for 10–15 minutes.

The resting time allows the quinoa to finish steaming and gives it a light, fluffy texture. It also means you don't have to worry about getting the water-to-quinoa ratio exactly right.

How to Serve Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad

Serve the salad on its own for lunch or dinner, or alongside other vegetable dishes as part of a larger meal. It's also a good option for picnics and potlucks because it can be made ahead and doesn't need to be served hot.