Quinoa salads are basic. Wait, not like that. The formula for a successful quinoa salad is basic, meaning it’s actually pretty simple to pull off. You just need to know a few must-includes and hell-no-leave-that-stuff-at-homes.
The same fundamental formula for every grain salad also applies to basically (heh) every leafy salad too. Whether your base is a green or grain, you can’t go wrong if you include a fruit, crunchy vegetable, nut, and aged cheese. These are the base-level building blocks that turn a humble pot of quinoa into a delicious (and impressive) salad.
The Nut
Toasted nuts add both satisfying texture and earthy depth—just a smattering throughout lends a salad so much more complexity. The word "toasted" is important here, since raw nuts tend to have a funny, almost squeaky texture; fortunately, toasting nuts is a cinch. Hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts, and almonds are our favorites for salad since they're tasty, tender, and easy to chop. When you do chop them, do it with a knife, so you get a nice mix of really small bits and some larger pieces. The juxtaposition of size is nice, but really, it’s about getting those small bits to mingle with every other ingredient in the salad. That’s how you get lots of nutty flavor in the background. (We also love all manner of toasted seeds like sunflower, pumpkin, and sesame, which—bonus!—don't even need to be chopped.)
The Cheese
A bit of fat and funk is what we’re after. But not all cheeses fit the bill—it's important to consider how a given cheese will hold up in the salad, both in the initial tossing and as the dish sits. Something like a soft goat cheese (say, chèvre) will end up breaking down in the dressing, disintegrating to the point where you won’t be able to get the concentrated hits of cheesy flavor you're after. Hard cheese holds up in the salad, so going for aged versions of cheddar, gouda, Asiago, or Parmesan will make you look like a professional. A nice firm feta wouldn't be bad, either, just make sure not to crumble it too finely.
The Fruit
Dried fruit brings sweetness and chewiness to the table, which is a textural counterpoint to the crunchiness of the nuts and veggies. A naturally sweet/tart balance is key when picking your fruit; it can’t be one dimensional. Cherries, apricots, currants, and cranberries all accomplish this perfectly. Just make sure to cut up any larger pieces—you don't want a bite with a whole apricot in it—and to go easy on how much you add to your salad so that things don't get too sweet.
The Vegetable
Sure, you toss cheese, nuts, and fruit with quinoa and call it a day. But if we really want your quinoa salad to feel like a salad, we have to get a sturdy, crunchy vegetable or two in the mix too. Broccoli is great, as is kohlrabi, radish, or thinly sliced raw beets. Stay away from cucumbers, which release a lot of water, and tender leafy stuff like spinach or arugula, which turn slimy almost instantly. Ask yourself, will this vegetable improve as it marinates in the dressing, over time? If so, it's a go.
Harmony is what a successful salad comes down to. Once you have these building blocks it’s about getting the ratio and size just right. You don’t want any one ingredient to dominate too much, whether that’s in taste or physical presence. In every bite, you should get a hit of every ingredient and a look of pure satisfaction from whoever you’re serving it to.
