A quick and easy quinoa salad recipe using locally sourced vegetables from the farmer's market. It also can be customized to whatever you have on hand!
Produce galore!
Zucchini. Tomatoes. Radishes. Cabbage. Corn. Fresh herbs! They’re all fresh, all in season, and all packed into this summery farmer’s market quinoa salad.
Spending a few hours at the farmer’s market is one of my favorite summer activities. Aside from going to the beach, I think it might be at the very top of my list. I just adore walking through the aisles, seeing what each farm has, getting inspiration for my meals for the week and supporting small businesses. It’s fun, satisfying and always delicious.
When we moved from Vermont down to New York, it was the dead of winter and farmer’s markets weren’t really on my mind. But as the weather started to warm, I began realizing all the fresh, local produce I’d be missing out on.
If you ever make a trip up to Burlington, VT during the summer, you must stop at the farmer’s market. It is absolutely amazing! They have everything you could ever want – from produce to artisan bread, local crafts, wine, beer, ice cream, snacks and so much more. It’s quite the experience and I was broken-hearted to be leaving it.
I figured we’re moving to NYC, the “concrete jungle” so to speak, there was no way I’d have a farmer’s market to shop at during the summer.
Boy was I wrong! To my delight, I realized that New York has a fabulous farmer’s market network, with the largest one being in Union Square. The first time I visited it, I was astounded. It’s an amazing place with so much gorgeous food!
I also quickly realized that we have a farmer’s market right in our neighborhood! Every Sunday, the West 79th Street market fills the sidewalk up with farm stands. It’s become a weekly ritual for us – we walk Trevi in Central Park and then hit up the farmer’s market on the way home – and it’s where I picked up all the fabulous produce for this salad!
What I’m so excited about in this summer quinoa salad, aside from the fact that it’s filled to the brim with raw, seasonal veggies, is that you can make it your own! Basically, it’s just a 1:1 ratio of quinoa to vegetables with some fresh chopped herbs and a quick lemon-honey dressing.
Of course, I’ll share the exact proportions of what vegetables I used, but I encourage you to find what’s in season at your local market and make this salad from what speaks to you. Next time you swing by your farmer’s market, find four to five veggies that look exceptionally delicious and toss them with some quinoa! It’s so simple, yet SO delicious!
I did choose to keep my veggies raw in this salad – I feel like it helps give it that super summery taste. When I'm using raw veggies, I like to choose ones that have different textures and colors, to help make the salad more bright and interesting.
Inside my salad you’ll find:
Radishes
Zucchini
Sweet corn
Yellow tomatoes
Red Cabbage
Basil
Mint
Tarragon
And everything is tossed in a simple dressing made with lemon, honey, olive oil, and a little salt and pepper.
Really you guys, this salad could not be any easier to put together and it’s so perfect for this time of year. It’s light, refreshing, flavorful, colorful, simple. And you know, sometimes it really is the simplest things that taste the best!
xx Alyssa
If you make this recipe, make sure to snap a pic and share it on Instagram using #SIMPLYQUINOA – I want to see your own quinoa creations!
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More Summer Quinoa Recipes:
- Herbed Spring Quinoa Salad
- Grilled Corn Quinoa Salad
- Arugula Fig Salad with Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette
- “Caprese” Quinoa Salad
- Summer Squash + Zucchini Quinoa Salad with Toasted Pine Nuts
- Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Farmer’s Market Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked quinoa cooled
- 1/2 cup yellow sweet corn
- 1/2 cup zucchini sliced and quartered
- 1/2 cup tomato diced
- 1/4 cup radishes thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup red cabbage finely chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh herbs I used equal parts basil, mint + tarragon
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon about 2 tablespoons
- 2 - 3 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
- Salt + pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine the quinoa, veggies and herbs in a large bowl. Toss to combine.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon, honey, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat.
- Taste again and sprinkle with more salt and pepper if desired.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Nutrition
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