The Best Quinoa Salad | Easy Packed Lunch for Meal Prep!

If you're looking for an easy make-ahead lunch, this quinoa salad is for you. It's naturally gluten-free and is tossed with crunchy veggies, fresh herbs, and a bright lemony dressing that you're going to love. And since quinoa contains all the essential amino acids your body needs, it's also a complete source of plant-based protein. To get started, you'll need to cook the quinoa. I usually cook mine in the Instant Pot by adding two cups of rinsed quinoa and two cups of water into the pot. Cook that at high pressure for one minute, then let the pressure naturally release for 15 minutes after that. If you would prefer to cook your quinoa on the stove, add two cups of quinoa to a fine mesh strainer and rinse it with water for at least 30 seconds. This will help to remove any bitterness from the outer coating. Add the quinoa to a small saucepan and cover it with three cups of water. Bring that to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat and cover the pot. Let the quinoa cook until it's tender and the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. While that's cooking, you can continue to prepare the salad. Add a quarter cup of olive oil and six tablespoons of lemon juice to the bottom of a large mixing bowl. Add in one teaspoon of salt and a half teaspoon of ground black pepper. Dice the veggies while the quinoa cooks, adding them to the bowl of dressing as you go. Start by dicing half of a red onion. When you let the onion marinate in the dressing, it will help the flavor mellow out a bit, or you can swap this for green onions or a large shallot instead. Next, you'll need to dice one large cucumber. Then remove the seeds and dice one red bell pepper, adding them to the bowl as you go. Fresh herbs are key to this salad's flavor, so next you'll chop about a half cup of fresh dill and a half cup of flat leaf parsley. I also like to add in three chopped green onions. When the quinoa is done cooking, remove the pot from the heat and fluff it with a fork. Let it cool slightly, then you can add the quinoa to the bowl of veggies and dressing. Add in an extra teaspoon of salt and stir well to mix everything together. Let the salad marinate in the fridge for at least an hour for the best flavor, or you can make this ahead and let it chill overnight in the fridge. I like to divide this into meal prep containers for an easy packed lunch. Keep in mind that the flavor will mellow when it's chilled, so you might want to brighten up the flavor with a little extra lemon juice the next day. For a Mediterranean quinoa salad, you can add in some sliced olives and a sprinkle of feta cheese, or you can leave off the cheese and add in some drained and rinsed chickpeas for a filling dairy-free and vegan salad. You can store this quinoa salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days and serve it chilled or at room temperature. I hope you'll love this quinoa salad as much as I do and be sure to check out my other videos here for more fast and easy real food recipes.