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One of the best vegan summer quinoa salads ever! With roasted zucchini, apricots, fresh herbs, and a drizzle of dairy-free yogurt!
This vegan quinoa salad is one of my all-time favorite summer salads and a real crowd pleaser! A slightly different kind of quinoa salad with the most beautiful flavors.
Granted, the ingredient list is a bit long, but it’s undeniably worth taking the time to prepare this recipe. Might it become your new favorite summer salad too?
You can serve it along with grilled veggies at your next barbecue party, as a starter, side dish, take it along for a picnic in the park, or enjoy it as a healthy stand-alone summer meal!
Zucchini & Apricots
Most of the flavor comes from roasted zucchinis and dried apricots. A sweet and salty pairing that harmonizes wonderfully together. Marinade the zucchinis in olive oil, balsamic, vinegar, and herbs before roasting them in a skillet. This way, they become super soft and end up with a beautiful flavor.
More flavor? Sure! Add toasted almonds and a handful of chopped fresh mint and cilantro. Last but not least, one of my favorite ingredients of this recipe: maple syrup sweeteners dairy-free yogurt. Oh boy, does this change the whole taste turning this salad into the best quinoa salad, promised!
I absolutely love to spice up any quinoa, couscous, or bulgur salad with drizzled maple syrup sweetened yogurt. If you are not following a vegan diet, you can opt in for sweetened Greek yogurt. It might sound a little unusual, but please give it a try!
Raise your hands if you want to make this incredibly delicious healthy, and vegan quinoa salad right now? Alright, let’s jump to the recipe!
How To Make This Quinoa Salad Recipe
Read through this visual step-by-step guide with lots of extra tips! The exact quantities and everything else you need to know for the recipe can be found in the recipe card below.
- Zucchini: Slice zucchini and toss it with all the other ingredients in a bowl. Heat a skillet with a bit of extra oil and cook each side of the zucchini for 5 minutes over medium heat until soft and slightly brown. → There is usually some marinade left in the bowl. Add the cooked zucchini back into the bowl and toss! Warm zucchini soak up the leftover marinade beautifully = enhanced flavor!
- Cook quinoa according to the package instructions. Set aside to cool. The way I cook quinoa: Place quinoa with double the amount of water (1 ½ cup) and a pinch of salt in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until most of the water is soaked up. Take the pot from the heat, pop on a lid, and let it sit for another 15 minutes.)
- Apricots: Soak them for 5-10 minutes in boiling water to soften. Then slice finely.
- Yogurt Topping: Stir dairy-free yogurt with maple syrup in a small bowl.
- Quinoa Salad: Place quinoa with apricots, almonds, ginger, scallion, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and cooked zucchini in a large bowl and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top it with chopped herbs and drizzle with the yogurt topping!
Recipe FAQ & Tips
How long does it stay fresh? Leftovers can be stored for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Can I prepare this salad in advance? Sure! But I would arrange the fresh herbs and yogurt on the salad just before serving.
Quinoa can be substituted with bulgur or couscous.
Apricots: I love to soak dried apricots for 5-10 minutes in boiling water. However, if your apricots are super soft, no need to soak them prior to finely slicing them!
More Sumer Salad Recipes You’ll Love:
- Grilled Peach Quinoa Salad
- Greek Quinoa Salad
- Greek Pasta Salad
- Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Vegan Potato Salad
- Italian Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Summer Quinoa Salad
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Ingredients
Quinoa Salad
- ¾ cup (150 g) uncooked quinoa
- 6 dried apricots soaked for 5-10 min in boiling water (to soften) & thinly sliced
- ¼ cup (40 g) almonds chopped & toasted
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1 scallion finely sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 bunch cilantro chopped
- 1 bunch mint chopped
Zucchini
- 1 medium zucchini
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning or a blend of dried thyme, sage, basil, rosemary, sage (simply use what's in your spice rack)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
Yogurt Topping
- ½ cup (130 g) dairy-free plain yogurt unsweetened
- 2 tsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Cook quinoa according to the package instructions. Set aside to cool. The way I cook quinoa: Place quinoa with double the amount of water (1 ½ cup) and a pinch of salt in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until most of the water is soaked up. Take the pot from the heat, pop on a lid, and let it sit for another 15 minutes.)
- Zucchini: Slice zucchini and toss it with all the other ingredients in a bowl. Heat a skillet with a little extra oil and cook each side of the zucchini for 5 minutes over medium heat until soft and slightly brown.
- Yogurt Topping: Stir dairy-free yogurt with maple sirup in a small bowl.
- Quinoa Salad: Place quinoa with apricots, almonds, ginger, scallion, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and cooked zucchini in a large bowl and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top it with chopped herbs and drizzle with the yogurt topping!
Notes
- Keeps fresh for 3 days. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Makes an outstanding fresh, healthy, and light summer main dish for two!
- Quinoa can be substituted with bulgur or couscous.
- Zucchini: There is usually some marinade left in the bowl. Add the cooked zucchini back into the bowl and toss! Warm zucchini soak up the leftover marinade beautifully = enhanced flavor!
- Apricots: I love to soak dried apricots for 5-10 minutes in boiling water. However, if your apricots are super soft, no need to soak them prior to finely slicing them!
- The ingredient list is a bit long, but this recipe is absolutely worth its time! It’s one of the best quinoa salads ever with the most beautiful flavors!
