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Italian quinoa salad with arugula, tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese.
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5 from 1 vote

Italian Quinoa Salad with Arugula

This Italian Quinoa Salad is a fresh and healthy summer side dish! It's tossed with arugula, tomatoes, hazelnuts, and a balsamic vinaigrette.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Cooling Time:15 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Keyword: summer quinoa salad, arugula quinoa salad, balsamic quinoa salad
Servings: 6
Calories: 368kcal

Ingredients

For The Salad:

  • 1 cup quinoa uncooked
  • 1 pint grape tomatoes
  • 2 packed cups arugula or hearty greens of choice
  • 1 cup hazelnuts raw, unsalted
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese can use Asiago or Pecorino Romano
  • 1 lemon zest only
  • ¼ cup basil or fresh herbs of choice

For The Dressing:

Instructions

For The Salad:

  • Prepare 1 cup of dried quinoa (any color) according to package instructions.
  • Once the quinoa has finished cooking, pour it into a bowl and allow it to cool for at least 15 minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients.
  • Roughly chop 1 cup of raw, unsalted hazelnuts (or nuts of choice) (this step is not necessary if the nuts are pre-chopped).
  • Place the nuts in a small skillet and place on the stove top. Heat the skillet to medium-low and toast the hazelnuts for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent them from burning.
    Once the nuts are toasted, remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
  • Chop 1 pint of grape or cherry tomatoes into halves or quarters, depending on what size you prefer. Alternately, you can skip this step and leave them whole.
  • Grate ½ cup of Parmesan, Asiago, Pecorino Romano, or salty cheese of choice.

For The Dressing:

  • Mince 2 cloves of garlic and 1 shallot.
  • Combine ¼ cup olive oil, 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar, 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, ¼ tsp. each Italian seasoning, kosher salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Add the minced garlic and shallots.
  • Stir all of these ingredients until completely combined using a fork or a small whisk. The dressing will emulsify as it's combined, giving it a nice flavor and consistency.
  • Add the chopped tomatoes, toasted nuts, 2 packed cups of arugula (or hearty greens of choice), and ½ cup grated cheese to the cooled quinoa in a large mixing bowl.
  • Toss all of the ingredients until combined. Add the dressing a bit at a time to the salad and toss until combined. Continue until the salad is completely coated in the dressing.
  • To Serve: Zest 1 lemon over the top of the quinoa salad (optional). Garnish with freshly torn basil leaves, or fresh herbs of choice. Grate some extra cheese over the top.

Notes

Any hearty greens may be used in place of arugula.
Feel free to swap out the hazelnuts for any raw, unsalted nuts of choice.
Asiago, Pecorino Romano, or any salty cheese may be substituted for Parmesan.

Nutrition

Serving: 2cups | Calories: 368kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 248mg | Potassium: 528mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 798IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 157mg | Iron: 3mg