This Spring Vegetable Quinoa Salad is packed with asparagus, peas, radishes, pistachios and tons of fresh herbs in a bright lemon dressing. Vibrant and delicious, it’s perfect to make-ahead for a Spring potluck or holiday gathering!
If you’re looking for a big bright salad that’s full of veggies, has a simple lemony dressing, works well at room temperature, and can impress everyone at your next Spring gathering, this is it!
I’ve never enjoyed so many Spring vegetables at one time! While this salad is great for gatherings, it can also function well as a make-ahead lunch or afternoon snack, if you’ve got leftovers after serving. It would pair well with some crumbled feta and sliced chicken breast for a complete lunch.
What vegetables are in season in Spring?
Growing seasons and temperatures vary by region, of course, but Spring produce is generally considered to be the crops that become ripe or start to produce early in the growing season, just after Winter and before Summer.
This can include plants that overwinter and are finally ready in the Spring (like asparagus), or plants that need only a short time to mature for an early harvest (like radishes and peas!).
The most common Spring vegetables include: asparagus, peas, carrots, radishes, greens like spinach, kale and chard, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. In this salad, you’ll find asparagus, snap peas, sweet peas, green onions, and radishes!
Recipe Overview
Total Time: 45 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Method: Stovetop
Prep: Make-Ahead Friendly
What are the ingredients in this Spring Vegetable Quinoa Salad?
This salad is full of delicious veggies, fresh herbs, a lemony dressing, and some cooked quinoa. All of these ingredients should be easy to find at your local grocery store or Farmer’s Market, if that’s an option for you!
Here are all the ingredients used in this recipe and a little more information on each:
- quinoa – This is the grain base for the spring veggie salad. Quinoa is great at taking on flavors of other ingredients and holding up well in the fridge, which is why it’s perfect for a make-ahead friendly salad like this.
- lemons – All of the fresh veggies, herbs and quinoa are stirred together in a bright lemony olive oil dressing, made with the juice and zest of two lemons.
- extra virgin olive oil – Along with lemon, the olive oil is the base of the dressing for this salad, keeping everything moist and bringing a mild but delicious flavor.
- asparagus – I used one bunch of asparagus for this salad. In this recipe, you thinly slice and then marinate the asparagus, which helps soften the asparagus flavors in the final dish.
- sweet peas & snap peas – Adding some fresh or frozen sweet peas brings a subtle hint of sweetness to the salad. In contrast to the sweet peas, sliced snap peas lend a nice crunchy texture to the salad. Both bring something unique, don’t skip either one!
- radishes – Look for larger radishes if possible! This makes it easier to cut them into matchsticks. I love the dots of color the radishes bring to the salad.
- pistachios – I used roasted and salted pistachios, such a delicious flavor that compliments all the veggies really well.
- green onions – Use both the white and green parts, thinly sliced for a mild onion kick to the salad.
- fresh dill and mint – Honestly, the fresh herbs are what elevate this salad most! I promise it doesn’t taste minty, or strongly of dill. Both of these herbs together bring a delicious and fresh vibe to the salad that’s absolutely perfect.
- fresh ground black pepper & kosher salt – I added a couple teaspoons of salt and about 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper total. Add as much or as little as you’d like!
How do you make this Spring Vegetable Quinoa Salad?
There are only a couple main steps necessary to bring this spring veggie salad together. You can easily prepare this salad a few hours ahead of time or up to one full day before serving.
The first step is to cook the quinoa. Feel free to follow the box directions or cook in your preferred method, such as the Instant Pot. To cook 1 1/3 cups of dry quinoa on the stovetop, I used 2 2/3 cups of water.
You’ll need 4 cups of cooked quinoa total. You can prep the quinoa ahead of time to save time later when preparing the full recipe, if you want. I like to get the quinoa cooking and then prep all the veggies and other ingredients while it cooks and cools. Once the quinoa is done, set it aside to cool.
Grab a large mixing bowl and add the dressing ingredients: lemon zest, some of the lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and some salt. Whisk these ingredients together to make the dressing base for the salad.
Next, add the thinly sliced asparagus to the bowl and stir to coat it in the lemon dressing. Let the asparagus sit in the dressing for 10 minutes to marinate and absorb all the lemony goodness while you finish prepping the rest of the ingredients and chop the pistachios.
After the 10 minutes is up, add the rest of the veggies and the pistachios to the bowl, mixing them all together, and then add the cooked quinoa, mixing that in as well. Remember, if you’re planning to serve this longer than 3 hours from now, wait to stir in the nuts and herbs!
Finally, to finish off the salad, add 2 more tablespoons of lemon juice followed by all those fresh herbs. Add a little more kosher salt and fresh ground pepper at this point, then give it a final stir. Take a little taste to see if it needs more lemon juice, salt or pepper. And that’s it!
Can I use a different nut instead of pistachios?
Yes – toasted hazelnuts or almond slivers would both make good substitutions for the pistachios; pine nuts too but they’ll soften quickly so they’re only a good option if you’re planning on serving this salad straight away.
Best tips for making this Spring Vegetable Quinoa Salad:
Here are my best tips for you to remember while making this Spring Vegetable Quinoa Salad:
- If making this salad ahead of time, toss in the nuts and herbs right before serving. The nuts will soften and the flavor of the herbs will become less pronounced after 24 hours, but the salad will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- You can cook the quinoa ahead of time – you’ll need 4 cups of cooked quinoa total.
- Be sure to use a sharp knife – this will make your veggie prep both easier and safer!
More quinoa recipes…
What should you serve with this Spring Vegetable Quinoa Salad?
This Spring Vegetable Quinoa Salad is perfect for serving as a room temperature side dish at a potluck, BBQ, or holiday gathering.
As a bright and lemony side dish full of veggies, I think it would go well with all types of main dish meals such as my Whole Roast Chicken, Air Fryer Chicken Thighs, or Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Salmon.
How do you meal prep this recipe?
This recipe is the kind of dish I would make-ahead at home and then bring to a family gathering or dinner with friends! You can even leave it out at room temperature for a couple hours without worry, so you don’t need to think about fridge space.
However, this recipe would also make a delicious and travel friendly lunch or afternoon snack. If you’ve got leftovers, store them in the fridge and enjoy over the next 3 days.
Prepare components of the recipe, like the cooking the quinoa or chopping vegetables, in advance to save time when preparing the final recipe. You’ll find specific instructions for prepping up to 3 hours ahead and up to 24 hours ahead in the recipe card below.
Is this recipe freezer-friendly?
I would not recommend freezing this salad due to all the fresh veggies and herbs – the texture would change and some vegetables may turn out mushy.
How to store Spring Vegetable Quinoa Salad:
Store leftover Spring Vegetable Quinoa Salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freshen up before serving by tossing with additional fresh herbs and chopped pistachios.
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Spring Vegetable Quinoa Salad
Vibrant and delicious, this Spring Vegetable Quinoa Salad is perfect to make-ahead for a Spring potluck or holiday gathering!
- Total Time45 minutes
- Yield8 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups dry quinoa
- 2 lemons, zested and juiced
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt, to taste
- 2 cups fresh asparagus, woody stems removed and thinly sliced (approx. 12 spears)
- 2 cups fresh English peas or frozen sweet peas, thawed and drained
- 2 cups fresh snap peas, sliced (approx. 4 oz)
- 2 cups radishes, cut into matchsticks (approx. 9 oz)
- 1 cup shelled roasted pistachios
- 4 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 1 cup chopped mixed fresh dill and mint
- fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
To make up to 3 hours ahead:
- Cook the quinoa: Cook the quinoa as per box directions. Make sure it is completely cooked and as much of any remaining cooking liquid as possible has drained away.
- Make the dressing: In the bottom of a large mixing bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, the olive oil and a generous pinch of salt.
- Add the vegetables: Stir in the sliced asparagus and allow to marinate for about 10 minutes while you prep the rest of the vegetables, and roughly chop the pistachios. Stir the peas, snap peas, radishes, chopped pistachios and green onions into the asparagus slices, followed by the cooked quinoa.
- Add the herbs: Stir in 2 tablespoons more of the lemon juice before adding the herbs and seasoning to taste with salt, pepper, and a little more lemon juice if you think it needs it.
- Chill & serve: Chill, covered in the fridge for up to 3 hours and bring to room temperature before serving.
To make up to 24 hours ahead:
- Cook the quinoa: Cook the quinoa as per box directions. Make sure it is completely cooked and as much of any remaining cooking liquid as possible has drained away.
- Make the dressing: In the bottom of a large mixing bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, the olive oil and a generous pinch of salt.
- Add the vegetables: Stir in the sliced asparagus and allow to marinate for about 10 minutes while you prep the rest of the vegetables. Roughly chop the pistachios and set aside. Stir the peas, snap peas, radishes, and green onions into the asparagus slices, followed by the cooked quinoa.
- Season & chill: Stir in 2 tablespoons more of the lemon juice before seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Chill, covered in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
- Finish & serve: To serve, bring the salad up to room temperature and stir in the chopped pistachios and fresh herbs. Check the seasoning again and add a little more salt, pepper and lemon juice if needed.
Equipment
Greener Chef XL Bamboo Cutting Board
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8-Piece Pyrex Sculptured Mixing Bowl Set
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Notes
Make-ahead: It’s best to add the herbs and nuts soon before serving if you’re making this for guests; however, this salad will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days. The flavors of the herbs will become a little less pronounced over time and the pistachios will soften as they sit in the dressing. It will still make a delicious lunch, though, possibly bulked up with some crumbled feta.
Quinoa: This recipe requires 4 cups of cooked quinoa if you want to prep that up to 4 days before serving.
Nuts: Toasted hazelnuts or almond slivers would make good substitutions for the pistachios; pine nuts too but they will soften quickly so they’re only a good option if you’re planning on serving this salad straight away.
Nutrition information estimated with My Fitness Pal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Sides
- Method: Stovetop
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 288
- Fat: 15g
- Carbohydrates: 31g
- Fiber: 8g
- Protein: 11g
Did You Make This?
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Recipe developed by Rachel Phipps.
