This fresh and crunchy Asian quinoa salad is an easy light lunch or wholesome vegan side dish that's also great for meal prep! Make it in 10 minutes with creamy, dairy-free ginger miso dressing, colorful veggies, edamame beans, and spicy kimchi.
When it comes to making salads, I always say the more color, the better. So today, we're loading up on color (and flavor!) with this crunchy, veggie-packed Asian quinoa salad. It's one of my favorite quinoa salad recipes, and I call this a “power salad” as it's full of wholesome, satisfying ingredients. You can find the ingredients pretty much all year round. And the best part is, it couldn't be easier to make!
Reasons to Love This Asian Quinoa Salad
- Ready in 10 minutes. With pre-cooked quinoa, this salad is quick to make in minutes. Load up your grains and veggies in a bowl, whisk together the creamy ginger miso dressing, toss everything together, and enjoy.
- Great for meal prep. This Asian quinoa salad is gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and meal prep-friendly. I love to make a big batch of this salad at the beginning of the week and then enjoy it for lunches (or dinners) all week long.
- Adaptable. You can adapt this salad recipe with any vegetables you have in the fridge or freezer. The ginger miso dressing goes well with literally any veggies! You can also bulk up this quinoa salad with tofu, chickpeas, or another protein, like chicken, if you're not making it vegan.
Ingredients You'll Need
The base of this Asian salad, of course, is quinoa. As for the add-ins, I've included the ones I use below, along with some quick notes. Scroll down to the recipe card after the post for the printable ingredients list with the full recipe details.
- Edamame Beans ā I use frozen edamame, but you can use fresh if it's available where you are. If you can't find edamame, you can always substitute it with crispy chickpeas, green beans, black beans, pinto beans, or any cooked beans you'd like (see my easy guide on how to cook beans in the Instant Pot).
- Red cabbage ā Freshly shredded. You can substitute green cabbage if you'd like.
- Carrots ā Thinly sliced, or you can shred the carrots with the cabbage for more of a slaw.
- Green Onions ā You could also use diced or sliced red onion, shallot, or chives.
- Cilantro ā Freshly chopped. If you're not a cilantro fan, feel free to skip it!
- Kimchi ā Spicy, tangy kimchi is a Korean dish consisting of salted, fermented cabbage and other vegetables. I love adding homemade kimchi to this Asian quinoa salad for extra flavor. You can use your favorite store-bought kimchi, too.
- Dressing ā Last but not least, I link the recipe for my ginger miso dressing below and in the recipe card. It's made with a base of tahini. You can swap out the dressing for any homemade or store-bought dressing you prefer.
Easy Asian Ginger Miso Dressing
You guys know I love tahini, but my ginger miso dressing might be one of my fave tahini dressing variations yet! This dressing combines tahini with miso, fresh ginger, sriracha sauce, some lime juice, and a bit of water. Just mix until smooth, drizzle it over your salad, toss to combine, and DONE.
What is Miso?
Miso is a fermented soybean paste that's packed with umami. It's a great way to add flavor to everything from salad dressings to roasted vegetables and curries. I always have it in the fridge! If you can't eat soy, chickpea miso is also available.
How to Make an Asian Quinoa Salad
Assemble this easy Asian quinoa salad in two steps with 10 ingredients, 10 minutes, and one bowl. You'll find the printable instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Combine the ingredients. Add your quinoa to a bowl and layer over the other ingredients.
- Add the dressing. Next, whisk together your miso dressing and pour it generously over the salad. Toss to combine.
- Serve! Enjoy this salad as-is, or turn it into a meal with vegan rice paper dumplings on the side.
What Else Can I Add to This Salad?
If you wanted to bulk this Asian quinoa salad up even more, there are plenty of options. You can add your choice of protein and change up the ingredients any way you'd like. These are a few easy salad variations I'd recommend:
- More veggies. Add sliced or diced bell peppers, avocado, sweet corn, and greens like spinach or massaged kale.
- Seafood. Top the salad with air fryer salmon bites, cured salmon, or shrimp.
- Chicken. Add any cooked chicken you have on hand. This honey sriracha chicken would taste delicious in this salad!
- Beef. Add slices of steak or steak bites.
- Tofu. Add crispy baked tofu or borrow the peanut baked tofu from my Asian quinoa bowls.
Storing Leftovers
Store any leftover quinoa salad in a sealed container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. It tastes great even when it's already dressed!
More Quinoa Salad Recipes
Asian Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked quinoa from 1 cup uncooked
- 1 cup frozen edamame thawed
- 1 cup thinly sliced carrots
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage or finely chopped kale
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
- 1/2 cup chopped kimchi optional
- 1/3 cup cilantro
- 1 batch Ginger-Miso Dressing
Instructions
- Add all the salad ingredients to a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Serve immediately.
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