This caprese quinoa salad is my go-to no-cook lunch all summer season lengthy — quinoa, cherry tomatoes, recent mozzarella, and basil come collectively for a salad that’s as simple to throw collectively as it’s to meal prep. It’s filled with 15 grams of protein per serving, so it’s simply as satisfying as a major dish as it’s a potluck facet. I’ve made this quinoa salad recipe on repeat for years, and the tips beneath are precisely how I hold it from turning watery or bland by day two.
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Caprese Quinoa Salad
- Excessive protein, no cooking required: This salad packs 15 grams of protein per serving from quinoa and mozzarella, so it’s a genuinely macro-friendly lunch, not only a fairly facet dish. In the event you love recipes like this, try my high-protein recipes for extra concepts.
- Prepared in half-hour, principally hands-off: The quinoa wants time to chill, however my precise hands-on time right here is below 10 minutes.
- Higher the following day: In contrast to lettuce-based salads, this one really holds up for meal prep — with one small caveat I’ll cowl within the storage part beneath.
- Endlessly adaptable: Swap in chickpeas, grilled hen, or a pesto twist relying on what you’re craving — I break down all my favourite variations beneath.
Ingredient Notes
This caprese quinoa salad solely wants a handful of easy substances, however a number of small selections make a giant distinction within the last texture and taste.
- Quinoa: Any shade works right here — white, pink, or tricolor. Rinse it earlier than cooking to take away its pure bitter coating (referred to as saponin) — that is the #1 repair in case your quinoa has ever tasted “off.”
- Cherry or grape tomatoes: Use no matter’s ripest on the retailer. Halve them so each chunk will get a success of juice.
- Recent mozzarella: Ciliegine (the bite-sized balls) or a block reduce into cubes each work nice — keep away from shredded, low-moisture mozzarella, because it received’t provide the identical creamy chunk.
- Basil: Recent solely — dried basil received’t ship that basic caprese taste. Chiffonade it (skinny ribbons) proper earlier than serving so it doesn’t bruise.
- Balsamic and olive oil: Hold the dressing easy right here, or make a much bigger batch to maintain available with my BEST Balsamic French dressing Dressing.
The Secret to Fluffy (Not Mushy) Quinoa
Mushy or bitter quinoa is the primary factor that ruins an excellent quinoa salad, and it’s nearly all the time avoidable. Right here’s what really issues:
- Rinse first: Quinoa’s pure coating (saponins) is what makes raw quinoa style bitter or soapy. A fast rinse below chilly water earlier than cooking fixes this each time.
- Simmer, don’t boil: As soon as the water involves a boil, drop it right down to a naked simmer. A rolling boil the entire time blows out the grains and leaves you with mushy quinoa.
- Cool it absolutely earlier than mixing: That is the step most recipes skip. Unfold the cooked quinoa out and let it cool within the fridge for 20–half-hour earlier than including the opposite substances — heat quinoa wilts the basil and makes the tomatoes weep quicker, which is how you find yourself with a watery salad.
My favourite trick after years of constructing this salad: prepare dinner a double batch of quinoa on Sunday particularly for this recipe. It’s one of many few grain salads that really will get higher with a day within the fridge, so having quinoa already cooked and cooled makes it a five-minute meeting job later within the week. In order for you the complete approach breakdown — stovetop ratios, water-to-quinoa quantities, and doneness cues — I’ve an entire information on tips on how to prepare dinner excellent quinoa.
Variations
Nevertheless you construct your quinoa caprese salad, the bottom approach stays the identical — it’s simply the mix-ins that change. Listed here are my favourite methods to change it up:
- Additional protein: Stir in a can of drained chickpeas (about +7g protein per 1/2 cup) or leftover shredded or grilled hen for a heartier lunch. My juicy grilled hen is my go-to pairing right here.
- Burrata improve: Swap the mozzarella balls for torn burrata for a richer, creamier chunk — that is my favourite model for a cocktail party. It’s mainly an upgraded tackle my bursting cherry tomatoes and burrata appetizer.
- Pesto twist: Stir 2–3 tablespoons of basil pesto into the dressing as a substitute of, or alongside, the recent basil for a extra herbaceous model.
- Dairy-free: Skip the mozzarella and double the tomatoes, or use a plant-based mozzarella different as a replacement.
In the event you’re monitoring macros, it’s price noting roughly how a lot protein every add-in brings — that method you possibly can construct the model that really matches your day.
Serving Recommendations
I make this caprese quinoa salad each methods relying on what I want it for:
- As a facet dish: It’s excellent for BBQs and potlucks alongside a easy grilled protein.
- As a major: Double the portion or stir in a protein for a full lunch or a light-weight dinner.
Since that is served chilly, it’s a simple make-ahead decide for picnics and packed lunches all week. In the event you love an excellent chilly quinoa salad, you’ll additionally need to strive my Inexperienced Goddess Pasta Salad subsequent.
Storage & Make-Forward
- Retailer leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for 3–4 days.
- Make-ahead tip: In the event you’re prepping quite a lot of hours forward, maintain again the basil and stir it in simply earlier than serving — it bruises and blackens quick as soon as it’s reduce.
- Tomatoes launch liquid because the salad sits, so give it a fast toss and style for seasoning earlier than serving leftovers, for the reason that dressing tends to settle on the backside.
- This salad isn’t freezer-friendly — the tomatoes and mozzarella received’t maintain their texture as soon as thawed.
Troubleshooting
- My salad turned watery: This occurs when the tomatoes are salted too far forward, or the quinoa wasn’t cooled and drained earlier than mixing. Salt simply earlier than serving, and ensure your quinoa is absolutely cooled and fluffed — not clumpy or heat — earlier than you toss all the pieces collectively.
- My quinoa tastes bitter or soapy: You skipped rinsing. Quinoa’s pure coating (saponin) wants a fast rinse below chilly water earlier than cooking.
- My basil turned black: Basil oxidizes quick as soon as it’s reduce. Chiffonade it proper earlier than serving as a substitute of prepping it forward of time.
FAQs
Basic caprese salad — tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil — is believed to have originated on the Italian island of Capri, which is the place the identify comes from. This quinoa model borrows those self same recent, easy flavors and provides quinoa for protein and texture, turning a basic facet right into a heartier, extra filling salad.
Sure — it’s one of many few salads that really holds up effectively for meal prep. Retailer it in an hermetic container within the fridge for 3–4 days. For the perfect texture, maintain again the recent basil and add it simply earlier than consuming, because it bruises and blackens as soon as reduce and left to sit down.
Watery salad normally comes from two issues: tomatoes salted too early (which attracts out their liquid) or quinoa that wasn’t absolutely cooled and drained earlier than mixing. Salt proper earlier than serving and ensure your quinoa is totally cool and fluffy — not heat or clumpy — earlier than you toss all the pieces collectively.
Sure — skip the mozzarella and lean into the quinoa, tomatoes, and basil, or swap in a plant-based mozzarella different. Including a can of drained chickpeas is a good way to maintain the protein depend up as soon as the cheese is gone.
Stir in a can of drained chickpeas, leftover shredded or grilled hen, or white beans. Each provides roughly 6–8g of additional protein per serving, so you possibly can construct the model that matches your day.
It retains effectively for 3–4 days in an hermetic container. The flavour really improves after a number of hours because the dressing soaks in — simply add the basil recent proper earlier than serving so it doesn’t blacken.
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Rinse and prepare dinner the quinoa: In a fine-mesh strainer, rinse 2/3 cup quinoa below chilly water to take away its pure bitter coating. In a medium saucepan, convey the quinoa and 1⅓ cups water to a rolling boil over excessive warmth. Scale back warmth to low, cowl, and simmer for 12–quarter-hour, till all of the water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender with a slight chunk.
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Cool the quinoa: Fluff with a fork, then unfold onto a plate or shallow bowl and refrigerate, uncovered, for at the very least 30–60 minutes till absolutely cool — this retains the basil from wilting and the tomatoes from weeping as soon as combined in.
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Prep the mix-ins: Whereas the quinoa cools, halve 1.5 cups cherry tomatoes and eight oz recent mozzarella balls, and roughly chop or chiffonade ½ cup recent basil.
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Make the dressing and toss: In a big bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add the cooled quinoa, tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil, and toss till all the pieces is evenly coated. Style and regulate salt and pepper.
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Serve: Get pleasure from instantly, or retailer in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3–4 days (add basil simply earlier than serving if making forward).
Retailer leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for 3–4 days. If prepping quite a lot of hours forward, maintain again the basil and stir it in simply earlier than serving — it bruises and blackens quick as soon as reduce. Give the salad a fast toss and style for seasoning earlier than serving leftovers, for the reason that dressing settles on the backside. Not freezer-friendly, because the tomatoes and mozzarella received’t maintain their texture.
Energy: 326 kcal, Protein: 15 g, Fats: 22 g, Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 16 g
Vitamin info is robotically calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.
