Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad

This roasted vegetable quinoa salad is the perfect salad recipe to have on your Fall/Winter rotation. It’s packed with flavor, great for meal prep and a great way to use up the veggies in your fridge!

The air may be getting colder but I’m still a big veggie girl, my body just doesn’t want cold summery salads right now (like my cucumber tomato salad). This roasted vegetable quinoa salad is the perfect cozy Fall salad when you want something warm but still want to get your veggies in.

It’s packed with tons of veggies like zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes plus protein from chickpeas and is an incredibly versatile recipe. It’s finished off with a simple olive oil lemon dressing and perfect with some of my air fryer chicken breast, lemon pepper salmon or even just some simple ground beef throw into the mix if you want more protein.

Quick tips!

• Be sure to follow my instructions for how to cook quinoa. We don’t want soggy or overcooked quinoa here. Light and fluffy quinoa will ensure this salad holds up all week in the fridge!
• I like to keep the tomatoes whole since cherry tomatoes are small and they kind of “pop” in the oven a bit and get soft and shrink. If you prefer, you can cut them in half before roasting!

How to make a roasted vegetable quinoa salad

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook the quinoa according to these instructions. Set aside.

Chop your zucchini, bell peppers and red onion (I keep the tomatoes whole) and add them all to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and add to the baking sheet.

Drizzle with the olive oil and add a few cracks or a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes or until the veggies are softened and begin to brown slightly.

In a small dish or glass, whisk together all ingredients for the dressing.

Combine the quinoa and veggies, add in the herbs and feta. Toss with half the dressing. Add more dressing as desired or keep for serving. Enjoy and try my Mediterranean lentil bowls next!

Variations

Use different veggies. Feel free to get creative here! You can add in other types of squash, brussels sprouts, cauliflower etc. You just want to stick to veggies or cut them into a size that will fully cook within 30 minutes. If you opt for squash or sweet potatoes, dice them fairly small so the inside is soft after 30 minutes!

Add pesto. For a different flavor profile, I love adding in a scoop of pesto (either store bought or my homemade vegan pesto) instead of the olive oil dressing. So good with the other flavors in here!

Add chopped nuts. I love adding in some chopped nuts like pistachios or sliced almonds for a little crunch! Walnuts or pumpkin seeds are also great here.

Serve over lettuce. For some extra fresh veg, you can serve this salad over a bed of fresh arugula, mixed greens, chopped romaine, massaged kale etc.

Serve with protein. While the salad obviously has a decent amount of protein from the chickpeas and even quinoa, feel free to spruce it up even more with grilled chicken, roasted salmon, ground beef or turkey or even some of my lemon pepper tofu.

How to store

Once prepared, this roasted vegetable quinoa salad will keep in the fridge for about 5 days. You can eat it cold right from the fridge or warm it up in a pan on the stove or in the microwave if you prefer.

Because of the heartiness of the veggies and quinoa, you can store the dressing right in with the salad. It will naturally soften things over time but the nature of this salad is pretty soft to begin with so it won’t change it too much!

Try these recipes next!

• Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
• Roasted Vegetable Soup
• Vegan Taco Salad

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