Quinoa Zucchini Shrimp Salad

Quinoa salad with shrimp, vegetables, arugula, and feta cheese in bowl garnished with lemon wedge.

No ratings yet

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

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Cooling Time:15

Total Time45

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: quinoa arugula salad, quinoa salad with shrimp, quinoa salad with vinaigrette,

Servings:

Calories: 422kcal

Author: Christine Rooney

Equipment

2 Baking Sheets
Large Mixing Bowl

Ingredients

For The Salad:

1 cup quinoa uncooked
2 cups water
1 lb. shrimp peeled and deveined
1 cup zucchini chopped, yields 1 small-medium sized zucchini
1 cup summer squash chopped, yields 1 small-medium sized summer squash
1 large red bell pepper chopped
3 Tbsp. olive oil split
½ tsp. kosher salt split
½ tsp. pepper split
2-3 cups arugula may sub spinach
½ cup feta cheese crumbles
1 lemon juice only

For The Dressing:

6 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
3-4 cloves garlic grated
½ tsp. Italian seasoning
½ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For The Salad:

To make the quinoa, pour 2 cups of water into a sauce pan.
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.
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.
Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove 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 instead of one of each) and discard.
Chop the zucchini and summer squash into rounds (equals 2-3 cups of zucchini and/or summer squash).
Dice 1 large red bell pepper into chunks. Remove the seeds and membranes and discard.
Place the diced zucchini, summer squash, and bell peppers onto a baking sheet.
Drizzle 2 Tbsp. of olive oil over the veggies and sprinkle with ¼ tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper.
Toss the veggies until completely coated in the oil and seasoning.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast for 20 minutes.
Remove the baking sheet and allow veggies to cool.
If frozen, thaw 1 lb. of medium-large sized shrimp. Peel and devein the shrimp if necessary.
Place the shrimp on a separate baking sheet.
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.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast for 8 minutes, or until the shrimp are opaque.
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 if necessary.

For The Dressing:

Peel 3-4 cloves of garlic.
Mince the garlic into a small mason jar using a Microplane zester or small grater.
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.
Place the lid securely on top and shake the dressing vigorously until it emulsifies.
Shake again before adding to the salad if needed.
Place the cooled quinoa in a large mixing bowl. Add the roasted zucchini, summer squash, and shrimp to the bowl. Add 2-3 cups of arugula (or spinach) to the bowl. Carefully toss all of the components of the salad together until combined.
Pour as much or as little of the dressing over the salad as you like and carefully toss until completely combined. Add ½ cup of feta cheese crumbles over the top of the salad and toss once again until combined.
Cut a lemon in half and squeeze some of the juice over the top, careful not to get any seeds in the salad.
To Serve: Serve with a lemon wedge. Garnish with fresh herbs for extra flavor and color. Parsley, basil, cilantro, and mint are all great options (optional).

Notes

Spinach may be used in place of the arugula.

Feel free to use only zucchini or only summer squash if you prefer.

Nutrition