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    Home » Recipes

    Tricolor Quinoa Salad Recipe with Sesame Vinaigrette

    Published: May 13, 2023 · Amy Casey · 19 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure.
    Jump to Recipe

    This healthy Asian-inspired Tricolor Quinoa Salad recipe is flavor-packed and easy to make. Along with edamame, sweet corn, red bell peppers and green onions, the quinoa is tossed with a sesame vinaigrette. Serve this quinoa salad for lunch or dinner. It's also delicious as a dip with tortilla chips.

    recipe for tricolor quinoa salad in bowl with wooden spoon.

    what's to love about this tricolor quinoa salad recipe

    This hearty and nutritious salad is one of my favorites. It's a combination of nutty flavored tricolor quinoa and fresh vegetables with a delicious sesame, soy and Dijon mustard vinaigrette.

    Serve it with steak, fish, pork or chicken for the the perfect side dish. It's also a vegetarian entrée that doesn't skimp on flavor. Serve with tortilla chips for a hearty dip..

    I make this recipe at least once a week. It's one of my go-to recipes to meal prep for my personal chef clients.

    This protein-packed quinoa recipe is easy to make. And it stays fresh in the refrigerator for up to 4 days when packed in an airtight container. These are my favorite meal prep containers.

    quinoa, edamame, lemon, red pepper, corn on the cob, soy sauce, sesame oil.

    ingredients and substitutions for quinoa salad

    • tricolor quinoa ~ The trio of white, red and black quinoa has a nutty flavor with a fluffy and chewy texture. Regular white quinoa is an alternative.
    • reduced sodium chicken stock ~ Use water or vegetable stock to make this a vegan or vegetarian dish.
    • reduced sodium soy sauce ~ Substitute tamari to make the recipe gluten free.
    • toasted sesame oil
    • rice wine vinegar
    • Dijon mustard
    • lemon juice
    • honey ~ Use light brown sugar to make this dish vegan.
    • ground ginger
    • shelled and cooked edamame
    • cooked sweet corn ~ Corn niblets from ears of corn are my first choice. But frozen or canned corn are suitable substitutes. 
    • red bell pepper ~ Green, yellow or orange peppers are delicious too. 
    • green onions ~ Also known as scallions.
    • fresh parsley ~ Cilantro or chervil are other fresh herbs to try.
    • toasted sesame seeds
    • kosher salt
    • black pepper

    Scroll down to the full recipe for quantities of the ingredients.

    cooked quinoa in a glass bowl.

    how to cook perfect quinoa

    Making a batch of tricolor quinoa is as easy as making a pot of fluffy white rice.

    1. In a small pot with a tight fitting lid, add the the quinoa and your liquid of choice (water, chicken, vegetable or beef broth or stock) in a ratio of quinoa to liquid of 1 to 2. To make 4 servings, put 1 cup of quinoa and 2 cups of water (or stock or broth) in the pot.
    2. Bring the liquid to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer for a cooking time of 12-15 minutes. The liquid should be absorbed, the quinoa will look fluffy, and small spirals (the germ) separates from the seeds.
    3. Turn the heat off and let the cooked quinoa sit covered for 5 to 10 minutes. This allows the any remaining moisture to be absorbed so the cooked quinoa will be fluffier.
    4. After 10 minutes, fluff the quinoa with a fork and its ready to eat.

    step by step recipe directions

    Step 1. Cook the quinoa. Then place it in a large bowl and fluff with a fork.

    Step 2. Mix the vinaigrette ingredients of reduced sodium soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, honey and ginger powder in a small bowl.

    making sesame vinaigrette.
    adding edamame to cooked quinoa.

    Step 3. Combine the quinoa salad ingredients. To the bowl with cooked quinoa, add the cooked edamame and corn, red bell pepper, green onions, fresh parsley and toasted sesame seeds.

    adding green onions to quinoa salad.
    tricolor quinoa salad before mixing.

    Step 4. Add the vinaigrette. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to coat. 

    Step 5. Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper.

    recipe tips and suggestions

    • For extra flavorful quinoa, cook it in chicken broth. Beef or vegetable broth are options too.
    • For the best results and to avoid clumpy and mushy quinoa, let the quinoa sit covered for 5 to 10 minutes after it finishes cooking. This allows the any remaining moisture to be absorbed so the cooked quinoa will be fluffier.
    • To make this a vegan quinoa salad, substitute light brown sugar for the honey.
    • This is great to make with leftover quinoa. Just toss it with the vinaigrette and vegetables and serve.

    tricolor quinoa salad recipe ~ FAQs

    what is tricolor quinoa?

    Tricolor quinoa is a technically a seed, but is classified as a whole grain.  It's a blend of white, red and black quinoa and a complete protein. The texture is slightly chewier and it's nutty flavor is more pronounced than just white quinoa.

    is tricolor quinoa gluten free?

    Yes! It's gluten free.

    is tricolor quinoa a good option for vegans and vegetarians?

    Definitely! Quinoa is a great way to add a plant based source of protein to your diet. It's packed with all nine essential amino acids and is a good source of fiber and iron.

    do you need to rinse tricolor quinoa before cooking it?

    It's all up to your personal preference. There's no harm in cooking quinoa without rinsing it in water. Most packaged quinoa is pre-rinsed. Some people find that it can have a slightly bitter taste. Rinsing several times in cold water can remove coating which can be bitter.

    tricolor quinoa recipe salad.

    serving suggestions

    This tricolor quinoa recipe is tasty served warm, at room temperature or chilled. It's perfect as a dip with tortillas chips at your summer barbecues, a light lunch or a side dish along with baked chicken, a stir fry, or grilled steak or fish.

    I love to serve this as a vegetarian entrée. It's hearty and delicious on its own.

    Or serve it as a big tossed salad. Toss the tricolor quinoa salad with shredded cole slaw blend, chopped lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and your favorite dressing or vinaigrette.

    For meat lovers, toss in some cooked shrimp or chicken for a hearty main dish.

    quinoa salad with lemon.

    more favorite quinoa recipes you'll love

    Savory Egg, Sausage, and Spinach Quinoa Breakfast Bowls

    Quinoa Egg Muffins

    Mediterranean Quinoa Bowls with Maple Tahini Dressing

    Spiced Pumpkin Breakfast Quinoa Bowl

    Fruit Quinoa Salad with Grapes, Blueberries and Pine Nuts

    just one more thing

    Did you make this tricolor quinoa recipe? I’d love hearing from you if you did! Be sure to leave a comment. Or give this recipe a rating. I do my best to reply to all your comments. And snap a photo to post to Instagram. I’ll add the photos to my Insta stories. I love seeing all your creations.

    Also check out my Facebook and Pinterest pages for lots of fabulous foodie stories, videos, cooking tips, and recipes. Sign up for my newsletter and never miss one of my new recipes.

    tricolor quinoa salad recipe with sesame vinaigrette.
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    recipe

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    bowl of quinoa salad with wooden spoon.

    Tricolor Quinoa Salad with Sesame Vinaigrette


    5 from 9 reviews

    • Author: amycaseycooks
    • Total Time: 30 minutes
    • Yield: 8 servings 1x
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    This healthy and Asian-inspired Tricolor Quinoa Salad recipe is flavor-packed and easy to make. Along with edamame, sweet corn, red bell peppers and green onions, the quinoa is tossed with a sesame vinaigrette. Serve this quinoa salad for lunch or dinner.


    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • 1 cup tricolor quinoa
    • 2 cups reduced sodium chicken stock
    • 5 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
    • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
    • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
    • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
    • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
    • 2 teaspoons honey
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
    • 2 cups cooked edamame
    • 2 cups cooked sweet corn
    • 1 cup diced red bell pepper
    • 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
    • 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
    • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
    • kosher salt
    • black pepper

    Instructions

    1. In a small pot over medium high heat add the quinoa and chicken stock. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and cover the pot with a tight fitting lid. Simmer for 12 to 15 minutes or until the stock is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy. Let stand for 5 minutes with the lid on the pot. Then place the quinoa in a large bowl.
    2. In a small bowl make the vinaigrette. Combine and stir the reduced sodium soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, rice vinegar, honey and ground ginger. Set aside.
    3. To the large bowl with the quinoa, add the edamame, corn, red bell pepper, green onions, parsley and sesame seeds. Add the vinaigrette and toss the ingredients to combine. Season to taste with kosher salt an black pepper.
    4. Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled.

    Notes

    For extra flavorful quinoa, cook it in chicken broth. Beef or vegetable broth are options too.

    For the best results and to avoid clumpy and mushy quinoa, let the quinoa sit covered for 5 to 10 minutes after it finishes cooking. This allows the any remaining moisture to be absorbed so the cooked quinoa will be fluffier.

    To make this a vegan quinoa salad, substitute light brown sugar for the honey.

    This is great to make with leftover quinoa. Just toss it with the vinaigrette and vegetables and serve.

    • Prep Time: 15 minutes
    • Cook Time: 15 minutes
    • Category: side dish
    • Method: cook on stove top
    • Cuisine: American

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 cup
    • Calories: 210
    • Sugar: 4.3 g
    • Sodium: 557 mg
    • Fat: 9.3 g
    • Saturated Fat: 1.1 g
    • Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
    • Trans Fat: 0 g
    • Carbohydrates: 23.3 g
    • Fiber: 4.9 g
    • Protein: 11.5 g
    • Cholesterol: 0 mg

    Keywords: tricolor quinoa recipe, quinoa salad, Asian quinoa salad

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @amycaseycooks on Instagram and hashtag it #amycaseycooks

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    1. Gloria

      May 15, 2023 at 9:45 am

      Quinoa is one of my favourite ingredients to put in recipes. Easy to find, and easy to work with. Not to mention the nutritional value too.






      Reply
      • Amy Casey

        May 15, 2023 at 8:48 pm

        I totally agree! And it's so delicious.

        Reply
    2. Colleen

      May 18, 2023 at 10:52 pm

      This quinoa salad is perfect for meal prep, Super delicious and so healthy. Thank you!






      Reply
      • Amy Casey

        May 20, 2023 at 8:55 am

        You're so welcome Colleen. I love having a bowl of this salad in the fridge for easy meals.

        Reply
    3. Carrie Robinson

      May 21, 2023 at 7:56 am

      I love, love, love quinoa salads! And that sesame dressing sounds absolutely amazing. Making this one for sure this coming week. 🙂






      Reply
    4. Enri Lemoine

      May 21, 2023 at 5:46 pm

      My kind of salad. I loved the addition of edamame. I skipped the chicken broth but my salad turned out to be espectacular1






      Reply
      • Amy Casey

        May 29, 2023 at 2:23 pm

        Thanks Enri! I love adding edamame to salads, side dishes and entrees.

        Reply
    5. Debbie Wright

      May 21, 2023 at 9:01 pm

      This tri color quinoa is so good. There was the perfect balance of veggies and that vinaigrette is what pulled this all together . I will be making this over and over.






      Reply
      • Amy Casey

        May 29, 2023 at 2:23 pm

        I love to hear that Debbie!

        Reply
    6. Katie Crenshaw

      May 21, 2023 at 10:22 pm

      Wow! I loved the vegetable combination in this quinoa salad. The dressing added so much flavor. The salad came out colorful and delicious. I will be making this all summer.






      Reply
      • Amy Casey

        May 29, 2023 at 2:24 pm

        Thanks Katie! This is a go-to recipe for my personal chef clients. They just love it.

        Reply
    7. Hayley Dhanecha

      May 22, 2023 at 4:05 am

      Loved the recipe of tricolor quinoa, so easy, delicious and packed with health benefits. Taking some with me today for my lunch too 🙂






      Reply
      • Amy Casey

        May 29, 2023 at 2:24 pm

        It's one of my favorite make ahead lunch recipes. It travels so well.

        Reply
    8. Moop Brown

      May 22, 2023 at 8:48 am

      This salad looks incredibly tasty and colorful. Seems like a great way to get extra veggies in as well.

      Reply
      • Amy Casey

        May 29, 2023 at 2:25 pm

        I love the idea of using extra veggies in the salad. Thanks for sharing Moop.

        Reply
    9. Linda

      May 22, 2023 at 11:06 am

      This version of quinoa salad is awesome! The vibrant color and the flavor are all so good! Can't say no to a good salad like this, especially when it's healthy






      Reply
      • Amy Casey

        May 29, 2023 at 2:25 pm

        Thanks so much Linda. I just love hearty salads like this one. Especially with the delicious sesame vinaigrette.

        Reply
    10. Dee

      May 22, 2023 at 5:56 pm

      I love me some quinoa. And that sesame dressing sounds so yummy.






      Reply
      • Amy Casey

        May 29, 2023 at 2:21 pm

        Thanks! The dressing is delicious on a salad too.

        Reply

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