This Refreshing Quinoa Cucumber Salad is the perfect example of how simple ingredients can create an incredibly vibrant and delicious dish! It combines fluffy cooked quinoa with crisp diced cucumber, juicy tomatoes, sharp red onion, and fresh cilantro, all tossed in a bright and zesty lemon-olive oil dressing. I absolutely love making this Quinoa Cucumber Salad, especially during the beautiful spring days like we have right now on April 24th. It’s light, packed with nutrients, naturally gluten-free and vegan, and comes together in just minutes once the quinoa is cooked. It’s a fantastic side dish or light lunch!
Why You’ll Love This Quinoa Cucumber Salad
- Fresh and Vibrant: Loaded with crisp cucumber, juicy tomatoes, and fresh cilantro.
- Healthy and Nutritious: Packed with plant-based protein from quinoa, fiber, and vitamins.
- Incredibly Easy: Simple chopping and mixing are all that’s required.
- Light and Refreshing: Perfect for warmer weather, light lunches, or as a side dish.
- Versatile: Great base recipe that’s easily customizable.
Ingredients for Quinoa Cucumber Salad
Here’s what you’ll need to make this simple and refreshing salad. The full list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Salad Base
- Cooked quinoa, chilled (Grain)
- Cucumber, diced (Vegetable)
- Medium tomatoes, diced (Vegetable)
- Red onion, thinly diced (Vegetable)
- Chopped cilantro (Herb)
Dressing
- Extra virgin olive oil (Oil)
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice (Acid)
- Salt (or to taste) (Seasoning)
- Fresh cracked black pepper (or to taste) (Spice)
(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card below.)
Variations
I love the classic simplicity of this Quinoa Cucumber Salad, but it’s a fantastic base for variations:
- Add Feta or Goat Cheese: Crumble in some tangy feta or creamy goat cheese for a salty kick (omit for vegan).
- Include Beans: Mix in a can of rinsed and drained chickpeas or black beans for extra protein and fiber.
- Different Herbs: Use fresh parsley, mint, or dill instead of or in addition to cilantro.
- Add More Veggies: Toss in diced bell peppers (any color), chopped spinach, or Kalamata olives.
- Make it Spicy: Add some finely minced jalapeño or a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Different Dressing: Try a red wine vinaigrette or add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard to the lemon dressing.
How to Make Quinoa Cucumber Salad
Let me show you how incredibly easy it is to whip up this Quinoa Cucumber Salad:
Prep the Veggies
- First, I dice the cucumbers, onion, and tomatoes into small, uniform cubes. A little tip: If raw red onion is too sharp for you, you can soak the diced onion in cold water for about 10 minutes, then drain well. This helps mellow the flavor.
- I also finely chop the fresh cilantro.
Combine the Salad
- I add the cooked and chilled quinoa to a large salad bowl.
- I add the diced cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, and chopped cilantro on top of the quinoa.
- Next, I pour the extra virgin olive oil and the freshly squeezed lemon juice directly over the salad ingredients.
- I season generously with salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
Rest and Serve
- I gently mix everything together until all the ingredients are well combined and coated in the dressing.
- I let the Quinoa Cucumber Salad sit for about 10-15 minutes before serving. This allows the flavors to meld together beautifully.
- I serve it at room temperature or lightly chilled. Enjoy!
Tips and Tricks for the BEST Quinoa Salad
Here are my secrets for making this Quinoa Cucumber Salad truly exceptional:
- Use Chilled Quinoa: Start with completely cooled, preferably chilled, cooked quinoa. Warm quinoa can wilt the other ingredients and make the salad less refreshing.
- Rinse Quinoa Before Cooking: Rinsing quinoa removes its natural coating (saponin), which can sometimes taste bitter.
- Dice Ingredients Small & Uniform: Cutting the cucumber, tomato, and onion into a small, even dice ensures a balanced bite every time.
- Fresh Lemon Juice & Cilantro: These fresh ingredients are key to the salad’s vibrant flavor.
- Let it Rest: Allowing the salad to sit for 10-15 minutes after mixing really helps the flavors marry.
How to Serve
This Quinoa Cucumber Salad is incredibly versatile! Serve it:
- As a Side Dish: Perfect alongside grilled chicken, fish, lamb skewers, or kebabs. A fantastic addition to a BBQ or potluck spread.
- As a Light Lunch: Enjoy a larger portion on its own for a healthy and satisfying vegetarian/vegan lunch.
- In Lettuce Cups: Scoop into crisp lettuce cups (like butter lettuce or romaine) for a fun, low-carb presentation.
- Stuffed in Pita Bread: Fill warm pita bread along with some hummus or feta.
- As a Base for Bowls: Use it as a base and top with grilled protein, avocado, or roasted vegetables.
Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Make Ahead and Storage
This salad is great for making ahead!
- Make Ahead: You can cook the quinoa and chop the vegetables (cucumber, onion) up to a day in advance. Store them separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. Make the dressing ahead too.
- Assembly: Combine the quinoa, veggies, herbs, and dressing a few hours before serving, or up to a day ahead. The flavors will meld nicely. Add tomatoes closer to serving if you prefer them firmer.
- Storage: Store leftover Quinoa Cucumber Salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
FAQs about Quinoa Cucumber Salad
- What type of quinoa is best?
- Any type works! White quinoa is the most common and has the mildest flavor. Red or black quinoa offer slightly chewier textures and nuttier flavors. Tri-color quinoa looks beautiful.
- Can I use different herbs?
- Yes! Fresh parsley, mint, or dill are excellent substitutes or additions to the cilantro.
- How do I cook quinoa perfectly?
- Generally, use a 1:2 ratio of quinoa to liquid (water or broth). Rinse the quinoa well. Bring the liquid to a boil, add the quinoa, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa “germ” (a little spiral) appears. Fluff with a fork.
Enjoy this fresh, healthy, flavorful, and incredibly easy Quinoa Cucumber Salad! It’s a perfect vibrant dish for spring and beyond.
Print
Quinoa Cucumber Salad
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Salad, Side Dish, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Healthy
- Cuisine: Mediterranean-Inspired, American
Description
Cucumber quinoa salad recipe with a simple lemon and olive oil dressing is a wonderful salad that’s perfect with any meal. Refreshing, healthy, and easy to make!
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups cooked quinoa, chilled
- 1 English cucumber (or regular cucumber, peeled/seeded), diced
- 2 to 3 medium ripe tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 red onion, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- Fresh cracked black pepper (or to taste)
Instructions
- Prepare Vegetables: Dice the cucumber and tomatoes into small, uniform cubes. Finely dice the red onion. Optional: If you find raw red onion too strong, soak the diced onion in cold water for 10-15 minutes, then drain well. Chop the fresh cilantro.
- Combine Ingredients: In a large salad bowl, combine the chilled cooked quinoa, diced cucumber, diced tomatoes, diced red onion, and chopped cilantro.
- Dress Salad: Pour the extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice directly over the quinoa and vegetables in the bowl. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Toss: Gently toss all the ingredients together until everything is well combined and evenly dressed.
- Rest (Optional): For best flavor, let the salad sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
- Serve: Serve the quinoa cucumber salad at room temperature or lightly chilled.
Notes
- Quinoa: Ensure the cooked quinoa is completely cooled or chilled before making the salad. Leftover quinoa works perfectly.
- Cucumber: English cucumbers have thinner skin and fewer seeds. If using regular cucumbers, you may want to peel them and scoop out the seeds before dicing.
- Tomatoes: Use ripe, flavorful tomatoes like Roma or vine-ripened. Seeding them is optional but prevents excess moisture.
- Onion: Soaking the red onion mellows its sharp bite.
- Herbs: Fresh cilantro adds brightness. Fresh parsley or mint can be substituted or added.
- Variations: Add crumbled feta cheese, chopped bell peppers, or rinsed canned chickpeas for extra flavor and protein.
- Storage: Store leftover salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. The vegetables may release some liquid over time.