Name: Quinoa Salad with Carrots and Sugar Snap Peas
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1.5 tablespoons Dijon mustard; 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar; 1 tablespoon honey; .25 teaspoon black pepper; 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt, divided; 8 tablespoons olive oil, divided; 8 ounces multicolored carrots (about 4), cut diagonally into ¼-inch-thick slices (about 1 ¼ cups); .5 teaspoon ground coriander; 6 ounces fresh sugar snap peas, cut in half; 4 cups cooked tricolor quinoa; 2 cups baby arugula; 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)

Perfect for dinner or lunch, this recipes comes together in 20 minutes.

Marianne Williams

Published on March 15, 2021

Quinoa Salad with Carrots and Sugar Snap Peas — Photo: Johnny Autry; Food and Prop Styling: Charlotte L. Autry

Active Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

20 mins

Servings:

With this simple recipe, dinner is ready in 20 minutes—and you don't even have to preheat the oven. A light, fresh meal that will fuel you for the day or night to come, our Quinoa Salad with Carrots and Sugar Snap Peas will become a weekly staple in your home. This is a super easy recipe to execute for a healthy weeknight dinner or make ahead and pack for a quick weekday lunch.

Carrots and fresh sugar snap peas are the star of the show in this springtime salad. The carrots—lightly cooked on the stovetop—achieve a mild, lemony flavor from ground coriander, which works nicely with the char from the skillet. The quinoa rests on a bed of baby arugula, which brings a pepperiness and a dose of brightness to this spring salad. Skip the bottled stuff: Making your own salad dressing is a game-changer, and this version strikes a perfect balance between floral honey and briny mustard. Apple cider vinegar and olive oil add a nice fruitiness to the dressing. The final touch? Crumbled goat cheese, which really ups the flavor of this easy dish.

This quinoa salad could easily transition from lunch to dinner. Once you nail down the formula for this salad, the possibilities are endless. Swap for another grain, like farro or rice, change out goat cheese for feta or Parmesan, or add nuts or dried fruit.

Ingredients

1 ½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
8 tablespoons olive oil, divided
8 ounces multicolored carrots (about 4), cut diagonally into ¼-inch-thick slices (about 1 ¼ cups)
½ teaspoon ground coriander
6 ounces fresh sugar snap peas, cut in half
4 cups cooked tricolor quinoa
2 cups baby arugula
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)

Directions

Whisk together mustard, vinegar, honey, pepper, and ¾ teaspoon of the salt in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in 6 tablespoons of the oil; set aside.
Toss together carrots, coriander, and remaining ¾ teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons oil in a large bowl. Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add carrot mixture. Cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown and tender, about 8 minutes, adding snap peas to mixture after 4 minutes cook time. Remove from heat.
Transfer carrot mixture to a large bowl. Add quinoa, baby arugula, crumbled goat cheese, and ¼ cup mustard dressing; gently toss until combined. Divide among 4 bowls, and top with remaining dressing.