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§03 · Dinner · grain-salad

Revised Aug 2026 · 2 revisions

Lemon Quinoa Salad

Bright, herby quinoa with chickpeas, corn, and peas in a punchy lemon dressing it soaks up as it sits. Made to be packed cold and eaten straight from the fridge.

Illustration of Lemon Quinoa Salad
Hands-on 15 min Total 25 min+ 10 min rest, better after an hour chilled Serves4 Ingredients13 Cost / Serv.$1.44 Calories461
Servings
4 servings
×1

Ingredients

Everything here is already in your pantry.

Ran low on something?

What swaps in
Quinoa
Red quinoa holds its shape; chewier, less fluffy hotBlack quinoa earthiest and firmest; a few minutes longerTri-color quinoa a blend of all three, so it cooks unevenlyMillet milder, similar timingBulgur faster, and contains gluten
Chickpeas
Dried, cooked ¾ cup dried ≈ one 15 oz can drained
Frozen Corn
Canned corn, drained softer, often saltedFresh corn off the cob about 1 cup per ear
Frozen Bell Pepper Strips
Fresh bell peppers 1:1, and they'll actually crispFrozen pepper-and-onion blend pull back the onion accordingly
Frozen Peas
Fresh shelled peas seasonal and pricier; frozen are usually sweeter
Bottled Lemon Juice
Fresh lemons 1 lemon ≈ 3 tbsp; brighter, but keeps days rather than months
Apple Cider Vinegar
White wine vinegar 1:1, cleaner and less fruityDistilled white vinegar sharper; use slightly less
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Butter 1:1 for cooking; browns at a lower temperature, and it sets solid once coldRefined olive oil higher smoke point, less flavorAvocado oil neutral, very high smoke point
Red Onion
Yellow onion milder cooked, none of the anthocyaninsWhite onion sharper raw, none of the anthocyaninsShallots sweeter and finer; about 3 small per onion
Garlic
Fresh cloves 1 tsp jarred = 1 clove
Dried Oregano
Fresh oregano 3× the amountDried marjoram milder, 1:1
Pepitas
Sunflower seeds 1:1
Sea Salt
Kosher salt coarser, so more by volume; the ratio depends on the brandTable salt finer and denser; use about ¾ by volume

What you'll need

Method

  1. Bring 2 cups water to a gentle simmer with the 1 cup170 g quinoa, rinsed, and cook until it drinks up the water and looks fluffy, about 15 minutes. Off the heat, cover and let it steam 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork and leave it to cool to just-warm.
  2. Whisk the 4 tbsp60 g lemon juice, 1 tbsp15 g apple cider vinegar, 3 tbsp41 g olive oil, 2 tsp10 g garlic, 1 tsp1 g dried oregano, and salt, to taste, into a dressing, then stir in the ¼ cup40 g onion, finely diced, and let it sit while the quinoa cools — the acid softens its raw bite.
  3. Toss the still-warm quinoa with the dressing so it soaks it in, then fold in the 1 can (15 oz)253 g chickpeas, drained and rinsed, 1 cup145 g corn, thawed, 1 cup149 g bell pepper, thawed, and 1 cup145 g peas, thawed. Let it rest at least 10 minutes (better after an hour chilled), then scatter the ¼ cup32 g pepitas on just before serving.

Kids: set aside a scoop of plain quinoa with the corn and peas before you dress it — the raw onion and lemon are the hard sell, not the grains.

Dietary

  • Gluten free
  • Tree nut free
  • Peanut free
  • Soy free
  • Sesame free

Nutrition

Per serving · makes 4
Calories461Protein17gCarbs59gFiber12gSugars9.2gFat19gSaturated Fat2.7gSodium172mg
Vitamins & minerals
Iron4.4mgCalcium77mgPotassium696mgMagnesium181mgZinc3.1mgFolate173µgVitamin C69mgVitamin B120.0µgOmega-3 (ALA)0.01g
Estimated from pantry data, excluding Sea Salt (to taste).
Change log · 2 revisions
  1. 12 Aug 2026

    FoundQuinoa comes coated in saponin, which tastes soapy and faintly bitter if it goes into the pot unrinsed — and in a salad where the grain is the whole body, there's nothing to hide it behind.

    ChangedThe quinoa goes in rinsed. A fine-mesh strainer joins the equipment, because quinoa is small enough to wash straight through a colander.

  2. 14 Jul 2026

    FoundThe favorite quinoa salad dresses the grains while still warm so they drink up the lemon and softens raw onion in the acid; ours dressed cold quinoa and promised an onion it never listed.

    ChangedDressed the quinoa warm and let it marinate, added onion softened in the dressing and a punchier lemon-garlic ratio, and stirred in peas for protein and color.

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