The cherry tomatoes are roasted until blistered and burst in your mouth, they are such a delicious flavour addition. The combination of these blistered cherry tomatoes and perfectly roasted zucchini is really so delicious! It makes for the perfect end-of-summer salad. And if you love a roasted vegetable and quinoa salad then you need to try my Winter Quinoa Salad or this Roasted Butternut Squash and Quinoa Salad.
What You Need to Make This Salad
I’m a big fan of recipes that are made using simple ingredients that are easy to find and this zucchini and quinoa salad is just that. I was able to find everything at my local grocery store. Here is everything you will need as well as any possible substitutions and ingredient notes. The full list of ingredient quantities are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- zucchini – zucchini is the main ingredient in this recipe but if you can swap it for yellow squash or a combination of zucchini and yellow squash.
- cherry tomatoes – the cherry tomatoes are roasted until they are blistered and add beautiful pops of flavour to this salad.
- red onion – if you don’t love red onion or you are on a low FODMAP diet then swap for sliced red peppers.
- extra virgin olive oil – I will always recommend using extra virgin olive oil over regular olive oil as it is much richer in nutrients and antioxidants.
- sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper
- quinoa – I have used white quinoa in this recipe but you can use tri colour quinoa or red quinoa if you prefer, they’re all very similar nutritionally. Quinoa is my favourite grain to use in salads as it adds protein, fibre and complex carbohydrates. It has a nutty, earthy flavour and absorbs salad dressings really well.
- chicken broth powder – you can use either 2 cups of chicken broth or 2 cups of water and add a few tablespoons of chicken broth powder. This is also optional, I like to add it in for extra flavour and a nutritional boost.
- arugula – also known as rocket. You can swap arugula for another salad green like baby spinach or mixed lettuce leaves.
- fresh parsley – I love parsley in this salad because it goes so well with the other flavours but also adds a bunch of vitamin C and antioxidants. If you don’t have parsley on hand you can use other fresh herbs like chives, fresh dill or basil. All are delicious!
- pepitas – also known as pumpkin seeds. I like to toast the pepitas to deepen that flavour. They add a beautiful crunch to the salad.
- creamy goat cheese – also known as chèvre. You can swap for feta cheese or even some fried halloumi.
Salad Dressing Ingredients
- olive oil – other oils you could use in this salad dressing include avocado oil or flaxseed oil.
- lemon juice – you can swap lemon juice for apple cider vinegar or even balsamic vinegar.
- Dijon mustard – I absolutely adore Dijon mustard in salad dressings, it adds so much flavour and makes the dressing smooth and creamy.
- honey – to make this dressing vegan, swap the honey for pure maple syrup.
Protein Boost
This salad makes for a great side dish to your favourite protein, like steak, salmon or chicken. If you are meal prepping this salad for work lunches then feel free to add one of these proteins or a vegetarian protein like chickpeas or lentils.
How to Make Roasted Zucchini Quinoa Salad
This is such a simple salad to make and all comes together in under 40 minutes, with only around 10 minutes of hands on prep time. Let’s dig in!
First, preheat your oven to 180°C/356°F (fan forced). Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
Would you like to save this?
We’ll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Add the zucchini slices, cherry tomatoes and red onion wedges to the baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Spread the vegetables out into a single layer and place into the oven to roast for 30 minutes.
While the veggies roast, cook the quinoa. Add the quinoa to a large saucepan and top with water. Let it soak for around 5 minutes before straining through a fine mesh sieve. Rinse the quinoa under running water until the water runs clear. This is to remove the saponins from the quinoa. Return the rinsed quinoa to the pan and add the 2 cups of broth or 2 cups of water with broth powder. Place the pan onto the stove and bring to a boil. Boil until most of the liquid has been absorbed, reduce the heat to a simmer and place the lid on the pot. Once there is no more liquid bubbling up through the quinoa, turn off the heat and leave to steam with the lid on.
Next, make the dressing. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, dijon mustard and honey to a small bowl. Whisk to combine until smooth. Season to taste with sea salt flakes.
Let the roast veggies and cooked quinoa cool to room temperature before assembling the salad. To assemble, add the roasted vegetables, cooked quinoa, roughly chopped parsley, toasted pepitas and arugula to a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Serve topped with crumbled goats cheese.
Storage
Store the salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. This salad stores well even with the dressing on.
Roasted Zucchini Quinoa Salad
Equipment
- Chopping Board
- Sharp knife
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchinis, cut into rounds
- 1 red onion, cut into thin wedges
- 200 grams cherry tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups chicken broth, or 2 cups water with 2 tablespoons chicken broth powder
- small bunch flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 60 grams arugula
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds, toasted (pepitas)
- 100 grams goat’s cheese
Lemon Dijon dressing
- 40 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 40 ml lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey
- Sea salt flakes to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/356°F (fan forced). Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add the quinoa to a large saucepan and top with water. Swish the quinoa around to rinse and then strain through a fine mesh sieve. Return the quinoa to the pan and repeat this step another 2 times to remove excess saponins. After returning the quinoa to the pan for a final time, top with the chicken stock and a good pinch of sea salt flakes. Place onto the stovetop and bring to a boil. Boil until most of the water has been absorbed. Turn the heat to low and place the lid on the saucepan. Once any liquid has stopped bubbling up through the quinoa, turn off the heat and leave the lid on, allowing the quinoa to steam for 10 minutes. Once the quinoa has steamed, use a lid to fluff up the quinoa and set aside.
- Add the zucchini rounds, red onion wedges and cherry tomatoes to the tray. Drizzle with olive oil and season liberally with salt and cracked black pepper. Toss to coat all of the vegetables in oil and seasoning and then spread out into a single layer. Place the tray into the oven to roast for 25 minutes.
- To make the dressing, add the olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and honey to a small bowl. Whisk until well combined and smooth.
- To assemble the salad, add the quinoa, roasted zucchini, tomato and onion and the chopped parsley to a large salad bowl. Drizzle with the salad dressing and then toss to combine. Top with crumbled feta and toasted pepitas and serve.
Like this recipe? Leave a comment!