Census-Verified Veggie & Quinoa Salad

By AislePrompt Test Kitchen · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-05 · Updated 2026-04-05

A nutrient-packed salad featuring rainbow vegetables and quinoa, celebrating America's growing diversity with a zesty lemon-tahini dressing. This mediterranean-inspired salads (vegan) ready in about 35 minutes pairs quinoa, water, halved cherry tomatoes into a side that holds its own next to almost any main — bright, balanced, and quick enough to slot into a weeknight plate. Each serving lands at about 380 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly next to roasted proteins, grain bowls, or weeknight mains. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup, halved cherry tomatoes
• 1 medium, diced cucumber
• 1/4 cup, finely sliced red onion
• 1/2 cup, pitted kalamata olives
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 1 clove, minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Step 1: Rinse 1 cup quinoa under cold water. In a saucepan, combine quinoa with 2 cups water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and let cool completely.
2. Step 2: While quinoa cooks, whisk together 2 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp tahini, 1 tsp maple syrup, 1 minced garlic clove, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp black pepper to make dressing.
3. Step 3: In a large bowl, combine cooled quinoa, 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes, 1 diced medium cucumber, 1/4 cup finely sliced red onion, and 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives.
4. Step 4: Pour dressing over salad and toss gently until all ingredients are evenly coated and the salad is well-moistened.