Tomato Basil Quinoa Salad

This Tomato Basil Quinoa Salad recipe is a quick summer salad made with quinoa, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, fresh basil, red onion, kalamata olives and Parmesan cheese all tossed in my favorite Red Wine Vinaigrette.

This salad makes a perfect side to serve with grilled chicken and fish or enjoy it on its own as a light main for lunch or dinner.

This salad packs easily to take to work, potlucks and backyard barbecues. It’s filling enough on its own, or serve it as a side with grilled chicken or fish. 

When I make this marinated tomato basil quinoa salad, I always start off by making the vinaigrette first, because we use about 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette to marinate the cherry tomatoes in. While the tomatoes are marinating, I’ll cook the quinoa. The flavors in this salad are fresh and bright and the dressing is one of my family’s favorites. It’s an easy red wine vinaigrette that has a great flavor (like the dressing at our family’s favorite Italian restaurant).  

Tomato Basil Quinoa Salad Recipe

Here’s the run-down of ingredients we’re using to build this beautiful salad with. It’s a really great combo of ingredients all tossed in an equally tasty vinaigrette

• Cooked Quinoa. We use white quinoa for this recipe. 
• Tomatoes.  We use cherry tomatoes for this recipe that are lightly marinated in some of the dressing first before we toss them in the salad. 
• Olives. We add kalamata olives to the mix.
• Onion. A little red onion adds a nice flavor. If you want a more mellow onion taste, just soak the slices of onion in a little bowl filled with water for about 15 minutes. You can do this while the quinoa cooks.
• Cheese. We toss in grated Parmesan cheese to this salad.
• Herbs. Fresh tender basil leaves add a lot of flavor to this salad.
• Vinaigrette. We toss this salad with our delicious red wine vinaigrette.

Find printable recipe with the measurements below.

Variations

• Cheese. Add in fresh mozzarella balls. 
• Different dressing. Use our Greek Salad Dressing, Lemon Mustard Vinaigrette, Italian Salad Dressing, or this Balsamic Vinaigrette instead of the Red Wine Vinaigrette we toss this salad with.
• Beans. Toss in chickpeas or cannellini beans if you want to add a little plant protein to this salad.

How To Make Tomato Basil Quinoa Salad

This is a simple salad to make and it’s a salad I make often during the warm summer months. 

1. Whisk Dressing. Add all the ingredients in a mason jar. Seal the lid and vigorously shake to blend ingredients.
2. Marinate Tomatoes. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half then put them in a medium size bowl. Drizzle about 1/4 cup of the dressing over the tomatoes. Place plastic wrap over the bowl and refrigerate the tomatoes for about 30 minutes while the quinoa cooks giving them time to absorb the vinaigrette.
3. Cook Quinoa. This is my go-to recipe for how to make quinoa. I always use 1 cup dried quinoa (rinsed) to 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then put lid on pot and reduce heat to low simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes then remove from heat. Set aside for 20 minutes for all of the liquid to evaporate before fluffing quinoa. This waiting for 15-20 minutes after cooking quinoa will give you light fluffy quinoa.
4. Prep Ingredients. Cut the olives in half, chop cucumber and slice the onions. If you want to mellow the onion flavor, just soak the sliced onions in a small bowl filled with water for about 20 minutes before tossing them in the salad. Pat them dry before adding them to the salad.
5. Toss Ingredients. Add the quinoa, marinated tomatoes, kalamata olives, cucumber, onion and Parmesan cheese in a large bowl. 
6. Dress Salad . Drizzle dressing over the salad and toss to lightly coat the ingredients. Use the vinaigrette that you marinated the tomatoes in and add a little more if you like.
7. Seasoning. Add a pinch of salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
8. Refrigerate. Refrigerate up to 1 hour before serving to allow the salad to chill and for the flavors to meld together.

Tips

• This salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It stores best if it hasn’t been tossed with the dressing already.
• The quinoa can be prepped ahead of time and kept plain until you’re ready to assemble the salad.
• The salad can also be prepped ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve the salad.

Looking For More Quinoa Salad Recipes?

• Watermelon Arugula Quinoa Salad
• Greek Quinoa Salad
• Broccoli Cheddar Quinoa Salad
• Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
• Southwest Quinoa Salad
• Beet Kale Quinoa Salad
• Mango Arugula Quinoa Salad
• Spinach Quinoa Salad

Still want more ideas? Check out these Quinoa Salad Recipes.

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Yield: 8 Servings

Tomato Basil Quinoa Salad

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

This Tomato Basil Quinoa Salad packs easily to take to work, potlucks and backyard barbecues. It’s filling enough on its own, or serve it as a side with grilled chicken or fish. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 1 large English cucumber, cut in quarters
• 1/2 cup red onion, sliced
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives, sliced in half
• 1/2 cup fresh basil
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup vinaigrette

For the Red Wine Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and grated
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 cup olive oil
• Pinch of salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Place the quinoa in a sieve and rinse under cold water for just a minute.
2. Place the quinoa in a saucepan with 2 cups water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
3. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for about 15 - 18 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and let set in the pan for about 5 minutes then fluff with a fork or spoon.
5. Transfer the quinoa to a bowl covered with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to cool.
6. Place all of the prepared ingredients and the cooled quinoa in a large bowl.
7. Add the vinaigrette to the ingredients and lightly toss .
8. Add the basil leaves and gently toss again.

For the Red Wine Vinaigrette

Place all of the ingredients in a mason jar. With the lid tightly sealed, shake until the ingredients are completely blended together.

Notes

Variations

• Cheese. Add in fresh mozzarella balls to the salad and add 3-4 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese to the vinaigrette.
• Different dressing. Use our Greek Salad Dressing, Lemon Mustard Vinaigrette, Italian Salad Dressing, or this Balsamic Vinaigrette instead of the Red Wine Vinaigrette we toss this salad with.
• Beans. Toss in chickpeas or cannellini beans if you want to add a little plant protein to this salad.

Tips

• If you make the vinaigrette ahead of time, you'll need to take it out of the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes before tossing the salad with it. The olive oil in the dressing will solidify in the refrigerator, and setting it out at room temperature will liquify the oil.
• This salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It stores best if it hasn’t been tossed with the dressing already.
• The quinoa can be prepped ahead of time and kept plain until you’re ready to assemble the salad.
• The salad can also be prepped ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve the salad.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 419Total Fat: 35gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 28gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 362mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 6g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations. See full disclaimer on About page.