Quinoa Zucchini Shrimp Salad

This Quinoa Zucchini Shrimp Salad is full of fresh flavor! It's made with roasted shrimp and veggies, arugula, feta and red wine vinaigrette.

This Quinoa Salad makes a great lunch or light dinner during the spring and summer months. It's hearty and packed with fresh ingredients tossed in a tangy dressing.

Quinoa is one of my go-to ingredients and for good reason. It's incredibly versatile and can be used to make everything from salads to soups to casseroles. Quinoa is kind of a blank canvas and tends to absorb the flavors of whatever is added to it.

I love adding quinoa to salad because it makes the dish heartier and leaves you satisfied. This recipe is packed with Mediterranean flavors and fresh, seasonal summer ingredients.

The quinoa is paired with roasted zucchini or summer squash and bell peppers along with roasted shrimp, fresh arugula, feta cheese, and the whole thing is tossed in a garlicky red wine vinaigrette dressing.

It only takes about 30 minutes to make and is a great way to use up any late summer vegetables that you've got growing in your garden or that you've picked up from your local farmer's market.

Jump to:

• How To Add Flavor To Quinoa?
• Ingredients For Quinoa Zucchini Shrimp Salad
• What To Add To Quinoa Salad?
• How To Roast The Vegetables
• How To Roast The Shrimp
• Prepare The Quinoa
• How To Make Red Wine Vinaigrette
• How To Make Quinoa Zucchini Shrimp Salad
• How Much Dressing Should I Add?
• What To Serve With Quinoa Shrimp Arugula Salad
• How Long Does This Salad Last In The Fridge?
• Can It Be Frozen?
• Quinoa Zucchini Shrimp Salad

How To Add Flavor To Quinoa?

Quinoa doesn't have a lot of flavor on its own, but tends to absorb the flavors of whatever is added to it, making it a great salad base.

It's great paired with fresh, grilled, or roasted vegetables, fish or seafood, chicken, fresh or dried fruits, nuts, seeds, cheeses, herbs, oils and vinegars. Quinoa can be flavored with anything from chili powder to curry powder.

Quinoa adds texture and volume to a dish without weighing it down. It's the perfect addition to a salad or grain bowl.

White quinoa is the variety most commonly used and found in most grocery stores. You can find quinoa in the dried goods section of your local grocery store along with rice.

Ingredients For Quinoa Zucchini Shrimp Salad

Here's what you'll need to make it.

• 1 cup Quinoa (uncooked)
• 2 cups Water
• 1 lb. Shrimp (peeled and deveined)
• 1 cup Zucchini (chopped) (equals 1 small-medium zucchini)
• 1 cup Summer Squash (chopped) (equals 1 small-medium summer squash)
• 1 large Red Bell Pepper
• 9 Tbsp. Olive Oil (split)
• 1 tsp. Kosher Salt (split)
• 1 tsp. Pepper (split)
• 2 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar
• 2 tsp. Dijon Mustard
• 3-4 cloves Garlic (grated)
• ½ tsp. Italian Seasoning
• 2-3 cups Arugula
• ½ cup Feta Cheese Crumbles
• 1 Lemon

What To Add To Quinoa Salad?

As mentioned, any number of raw or cooked vegetables are a great addition to a quinoa salad. This recipe utilizes late summer veggies like zucchini, summer squash, and bell peppers.

The veggies in this Quinoa Zucchini Shrimp Salad are roasted, which helps to bring out their natural sweetness.

Fresh arugula provides the dish with a peppery bite and the roasted shrimp makes the whole thing a bit heartier.

This recipe calls for both zucchini and summer squash, but you can use only zucchini or only summer squash if preferred.

How To Roast The Vegetables

I love to roast vegetables because the roasting process caramelizes the sugars in the veggies and brings out their natural sweetness. Roasting the bell peppers sweetens them up and adds a natural sweetness to this salad, which balances the whole thing out.

I roast vegetables all the time to make dishes like this Roasted Vegetable Pasta Bake, Roasted Veggie Tacos, and Mediterranean Roasted Cauliflower.

It only takes about 20 minutes to roast these vegetables and adds a great depth of flavor to this salad.

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Start by removing the top and bottom portion of 1 small-medium sized zucchini and 1 small-medium sized summer squash (may use 2 zucchini or 2 summer squash) and discarding.
3. Chop the zucchini and summer squash into rounds (equals 2-3 cups of zucchini and/or summer squash).
4. Dice 1 large red bell pepper into chunks. Remove the seeds and membranes and discard.
5. Place the diced zucchini, summer squash, and bell peppers onto a baking sheet.
6. Drizzle 2 Tbsp. of olive oil over the veggies and sprinkle with ¼ tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper.
7. Toss the veggies until completely coated in the oil and seasoning.
8. Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast for 20 minutes.
9. Remove the baking sheet and allow veggies to cool.

How To Roast The Shrimp

Roasting shrimp in the oven is one of my favorite ways to prepare it. The process only takes about 8 minutes and ensures that the shrimp are cooked evenly.

This recipe calls for 1 lb. of raw peeled and deveined shrimp. All that's needed is to place them on a baking sheet and to toss them in olive oil, salt and pepper until completely coated.

I love to enjoy roasted shrimp in these Sheet Pan Shrimp Tacos.

The shrimp only take about 8 minutes to cook and may be placed in the oven after the veggies have been roasting for 12 minutes. This ensures that the shrimp and vegetables are done cooking at the same time.

1. If frozen, thaw 1 lb. of medium-large sized shrimp. Peel and devein the shrimp if necessary.
2. Place the shrimp on a separate baking sheet.
3. Drizzle 1 Tbsp. of olive oil over the shrimp and sprinkle ¼ tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper over the top. Toss until completely coated in the oil and seasoning.
4. Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast for 8 minutes, or until the shrimp are opaque.
5. Remove the baking sheet and allow the shrimp to cool.

The safe internal temperature for shrimp is 145 degrees Fahrenheit and may be checked using a food thermometer.

Prepare The Quinoa

All that's needed to make the quinoa is to prepare according to the package instructions.

It's important to cool the cooked quinoa before adding the rest of the ingredients, so it's best to allow enough time for it to cool when making this salad.

For the best results, allow the quinoa to cool for at least 15 minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients.

The quinoa may also be prepared the day ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Alternately, you can use leftover quinoa when making this Quinoa Zucchini Shrimp Salad.

1. To make the quinoa, pour 2 cups of water into a sauce pan.
2. Bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, add 1 cup of uncooked quinoa, reduce to a low boil, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes.
3. When finished cooking, remove the pan from the heat and allow the quinoa to cool for at least 15 minutes, but ideally for 30 minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients.

How To Make Red Wine Vinaigrette

A good vinaigrette dressing is a great way to add flavor to any salad. Homemade vinaigrette is super easy to prepare and well worth the effort.

All that's need to make it is a small mason jar with a lid. Once the ingredients are added to the mason jar, the lid is placed on the jar and shaken until the vinaigrette emulsifies.

It's best to grate the garlic with a Microplane or small zester instead of mincing it, so that the garlic incorporates into the dressing and the whole thing is not so pungent.

1. To make the vinaigrette, start by peeling 3-4 cloves of garlic.
2. Mince the garlic into a small mason jar using a Microplane zester or small grater.
3. Add 6 Tbsp. of olive oil, 2 Tbsp. of red wine vinegar, 2 tsp. of Dijon mustard, ½ tsp. Italian seasoning, and ½ tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper to the jar.
4. Place the lid securely on top and shake the dressing vigorously until it emulsifies.
5. Feel free to shake again right before adding to the salad.

How To Make Quinoa Zucchini Shrimp Salad

Once the components of the salad are ready, all that's needed is to combine them in a large bowl.

1. Place the cooled quinoa in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add the roasted zucchini, summer squash, and shrimp to the bowl.
3. Add 2-3 cups of arugula (or spinach) to the bowl.
4. Carefully toss all of the components of the salad together until combined.

How Much Dressing Should I Add?

When it comes to the dressing, you can add as much or as little as you like.

I recommend adding all the dressing because it gives this salad a lot of flavor, but you can add less if you prefer.

Feta cheese crumbles and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice are also added at this point for even more flavor and freshness.

1. Pour as much or as little of the dressing over the salad as you like and carefully toss until completely combined.
2. Add ½ cup of feta cheese crumbles over the top of the salad and toss once again until combined.
3. Cut a lemon in half and squeeze some of the juice over the top, careful not to get any seeds in the salad.
4. Feel free to add any fresh herbs if you like. Parsley, basil, cilantro, or mint are all great choice.
5. Serve with a lemon wedge.

What To Serve With Quinoa Shrimp Arugula Salad

This salad is great served on its own for lunch or a light dinner. You can also top it with a fried or poached egg to make it even heartier.

It's perfect served with some roasted vegetables like these garlicky green beans or garlic Parmesan roasted cauliflower.

Quinoa salad are great served with other salads like this Italian green bean salad, marinated tomato salad, fresh pea mint salad, or pickled beet salad.

It's perfect for a summer meal paired with grilled chicken, grilled vegetables, or burgers.

How Long Does This Salad Last In The Fridge?

Any leftover salad may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Make sure the salad has cooled completely before transferring it to the fridge for storage.

Can It Be Frozen?

I do not recommend freezing this salad, as it is best enjoyed fresh or within a few days.

Love quinoa? Check out these recipes!

• Quinoa Smoked Salmon Arugula Salad
• Italian Quinoa Salad
• Summer Roasted Vegetable Salad
• Quinoa Enchilada Casserole
• Mediterranean Chickpea Quinoa Bowl
• Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad

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Kale and Quinoa Power Salad

Southwestern Quinoa Salad

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