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Warm Pesto Quinoa Salad

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 People

Ingredients

  • 1 cup quinoa (about 2 ½ cups cooked)*
  • 1 head broccoli cut into small florets (about 3 cups)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt
  • 1 fennel bulb cored, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
  • 1 (12 oz) jar roasted red bell peppers drained, chopped
  • 2 cups loosely packed spinach
  • 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas drained and rinsed**
  • ½ cup toasted walnuts or almonds
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan (optional)

For the pesto dressing:

  • 1 cup fresh basil
  • 1 cup spinach
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup toasted walnuts (or almonds or cashews)
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp water
  • 2 tbsp mellow white miso paste
  • 2 tsp grated ginger (optional)
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • *Sub 8 oz penne or fusilli to turn it into a pasta salad
  • **Use any canned bean or other protein (grilled chicken, steak, etc…)

Items you can prep ahead (optional)

  • Toast ¾ cup walnuts or almonds
  • Cook quinoa
  • Prep veggies (broccoli, fennel, bell pepper)
  • Roast broccoli
  • Make pesto dressing

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425F convection or 450F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
  • Add broccoli to the baking sheet and toss with oil and salt. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly charred.
  • In a medium pot, add the quinoa and 1 ½ cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 12 minutes or until cooked through and water has evaporated. Fluff with a fork and set aside to cool off a bit.
  • Warm the chickpeas up in the microwave (warming up canned beans lets them absorb flavor a lot better).
  • Add all dressing ingredients to a high speed blender and blend until smooth. If too thick, thin out with additional water.
  • Toss warm quinoa with spinach and about 2 tablespoons of the pesto dressing. Top with roasted broccoli, fennel, bell peppers and chickpeas. Drizzle remaining dressing over top. Top with plenty of nuts and parmesan (if using).

Notes

Substitutions:

  • To make vegan: skip the parmesan and just add extra nuts and a final sprinkling of salt.
  • Turn it into a pasta salad! Substitute about 8 oz penne or fusilli for the quinoa.
  • Use any veggies you have on hand. If you don’t want to roast, just use fresh veggies.
  • Make the pesto your own by using any combo of herbs and nuts.
  • Use ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese instead of miso paste

Storage:

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer:
    • Quinoa/spinach mixture: up to 4 days in the fridge
    • Raw veggies: store in cold water in the fridge for up to 1 week
    • Cooked veggies: up to 4 days in the fridge
    • Pesto dressing: up to 5 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer

Leftovers + Repurposing:

  • Warm up the quinoa/spinach mixture just a bit. Warm up any cooked veggies you’re putting on top. Top with all of the veggies, plenty of sauce, crunchy nuts, and parm. 
  • Finish with a fresh squeeze of lemon and herbs if you have them.