Arugula Quinoa Salad with Lemon Dressing

A large lunch serving of arugula quinoa salad on a plate.

Arugula Quinoa Salad with Lemon Dressing

This arugula quinoa salad combines fluffy quinoa, peppery arugula, crisp green beans, dried cranberries, and roasted almonds with a bright lemon dressing. It’s an easy gluten-free and dairy-free side for holidays, potlucks, or meal prep.

Course Side Dish, Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword arugula quinoa salad, quinoa arugula salad, quinoa salad with arugula, arugula salad with quinoa, quinoa salad with lemon dressing

Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Servings

Calories 323kcal

Author Jamie Monkkonen

Ingredients

2 cups cooked and cooled quinoa
½ pound green beans , ends trimmed and chopped into 1 inch pieces
¼ large red onion , sliced very thinly
½ cup dried sweetened cranberries or fresh chopped strawberries
1 cup whole roasted almonds , roughly chopped
4 cups fresh arugula plus more as desired

Dressing

1 medium lemon , zested and juiced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon brown mustard
¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Make the lemon dressing: Add the lemon juice, zest, olive oil, honey or maple syrup, mustard, salt, and pepper to a jar. Cover and shake until combined.
Assemble the salad: Add the cooked quinoa, arugula, green beans, red onion, cranberries, and almonds to a large bowl.
Dress and toss: Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss until evenly coated. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately.

Notes

Quinoa: Use cooked quinoa that has cooled completely. Warm quinoa can wilt the arugula. Leftover quinoa works especially well.

Starting with dry quinoa: About ⅔ cup dry quinoa will yield roughly 2 cups cooked. Cook according to the package directions and cool completely before using.

Vegan option: Use maple syrup instead of honey.

Gluten-free: Quinoa is naturally gluten-free, but if you cook it in broth instead of water, make sure the broth is gluten-free.

Storage: The fully assembled salad is best within 1–2 days. For meal prep, refrigerate the quinoa, vegetables, and dressing separately and add the arugula and dressing shortly before serving.

Nutrition