This arugula quinoa salad recipe is easy to make and bursts with delicious tangy flavors from olives and hearts of palm. It’s a filling salad that’s great to make-ahead for the week, and is also perfect as a side dish for a get-together. And the best part? This vibrant salad is ready in less than 30 minutes!
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Why I love this Arugula quinoa salad
Oi Gente!
This arugula quinoa salad is one to love. It’s fresh, filling, and packed full of amazing ingredients. Carrots and red onions add beautiful color and crunch. Green olives and hearts of palm add a tang we just love! And the arugula adds fresh spicy flavor and that leafy pop of green every salad needs.
This pretty salad is also packed with vegetable protein from the quinoa and black beans, making it super nutritious and filling. It’s a great make-ahead meatless recipe to make on a Sunday, to have days worth of easy lunches during the week.
And the vinaigrette truly makes this salad even better! It’s a simple vinaigrette, with red wine vinegar and olive oil, but we also add some herbs and a touch of cumin to add just enough earthy, and nutty flavors to the mix. You’ll love it so much you’ll want to use it to dress everything!
I hope you love it as much as I do!
Bom Apetite!!
More recipes with quinoa you’ll love: Roasted Acorn Salad
Some notes on what you’ll need to make this arugula quinoa salad
Quinoa. Any type of quinoa will do – tricolor, red or white!
Black beans. I tend to use 1.5 cups of my vegan black beans, but drained can beans work great as well.
Red onion. It adds such a great flavor (and color) to the dish! Shallots work as well.
Grated carrots. I prefer freshly grated carrots because they absorb more of the dressing, but, if you want to use pre-shredded carrots it’s OK, too.
Pitted green olives. Adds texture and a great tangy and salty flavor to this salad.
Hearts of palm. That little ooompf every salad needs! If you haven’t tried it, this is your chance! You can find hearts of palm canned or jarred in most grocery stores. If you can’t find it, artichoke hearts will work, or just omit it completely (although, you’d be missing out!).
Arugula. While you could choose any salad green, arugula has a lightly spicy flavor that goes so well with everything in this dish. Plus, it’s my absolute favorite!
Tips for making arugula quinoa salad
Make the dressing first. Or while the quinoa cooks. Then…
Dress the quinoa while it’s still warm. This will ensure the quinoa sucks in all the dressing, infusing it with flavor!
Make ahead. This is a great recipe for making on Sunday to use for lunches throughout the week! Just mix all the ingredients, except for the arugula. Then, keep the dressed quinoa mixture in a Tupperware in the refrigerator and mix in the arugula just before serving. This will keep the leaves from wilting and keep your salad fresh.
How Long Does Quinoa Salad Last in the fridge?
This one will last you about a week. Just make sure that, if you’re making this salad for the week ahead, you mix all the ingredients, except for the arugula. Then, keep the dressed quinoa mixture in a Tupperware in the refrigerator, and only mix in the arugula when it’s time to serve. This will keep your arugula nice and fresh!
Other salads you’ll love
Salpicao de Frango – Brazilian Chicken Salad
Pear Salad Recipe with Port wine dressing
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Arugula Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 3 cups cooked quinoa (from 1 cup of uncooked) Any type of quinoa works, tricolor, red, or white!
- 1.5 cups vegan black beans or a 15oz can, drained
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 1.5 cups of grated carrots about 2 carrots
- 1/2 cup pitted green olives, minced
- 1 14oz can of hearts of palm sliced
- 3-5 oz Arugula* see make ahead note below
For the Dressing:
- 1 tsp of Brazilian sofrito or 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 3 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp of red wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp of dried oregano
- a pinch of cumin about 1/8 of a tsp
- 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- salt and black pepper to taste Please note that some brands of canned beans, hearts of palm and olives are already salted. Make sure to taste as you go to avoid adding too much salt.
Instructions
Make the dressing:
- In a small mason jar, combine the garlic, the olive oil, the vinegar, the parsley, spices and salt and pepper. Cover and shake vigorously for about 30 seconds. Set aside.
Make the salad:
- In a large bowl, mix in the quinoa (even better if it's still warm!), the black beans, the diced red onion, the shaved carrots, and the minced olives, and stir to combine.
- Add in the dressing, and the hearts of palm, and toss gently to combine.
- Finally toss in the arugula and serve immediately! *See make ahead/meal prep note in the notes section below.
Great post! So delicious. Especially love the dressing, but the salad combination is wonderful as well. Way to go!
Oh hey, Jim!! Nice to see you here!! Glad you liked the salad!