This past week, the boyfriend and I have been visiting his family in Arizona, where the temperatures have been akin to what Michigan experiences during the summer, but without the attendant humidity. Even though we had a mercifully moderate winter (after one winter with record-setting amounts of snow and another winter with record-setting cold), I’m already looking forward to warmer weather, and this caprese quinoa salad is a testament to that!
Quick and easy to throw together, this caprese quinoa salad feels like the epitome of summertime cuisine, yet it’s a dish we can enjoy any time of year, since it can be served at any temperature and doesn’t rely on ingredients that are only available in the summer. Made with two types of vinegar (red wine and balsamic), the sun-dried tomato vinaigrette adds an acidic element that complements the sweet tomatoes and creamy mozzarella. If you can, I recommend making the salad ahead of time, so that the quinoa can fully absorb the vinaigrette and the flavors can mingle—although it’s still quite delightful if you serve it right away! And of course, since I’m all about tons of texture, I sprinkled some pistachios on top for added crunch.
This caprese quinoa salad can act as a side dish or a light entrée; to bulk it up as an entrée, I might add some shredded chicken and/or chickpeas. Well-suited for anything from a desk lunch or afternoon snack to a baby shower or a barbecue, this dish is incredibly versatile—even if you’re cooking for people with dietary restrictions, since it’s vegetarian and gluten-free!
A word to the wise about the vinaigrette: don’t be heavy-handed with the raw garlic, since a little bit goes a long way! If you’re not a fan of raw garlic but you still want some garlic flavor, you could toast or sauté it before adding it to the vinaigrette.
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 4-6 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/4 cup pistachios
- fresh basil leaves, chopped or torn
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 clove garlic, minced
- Cook the quinoa according to the directions on the package.
- While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the sun-dried tomato vinaigrette. Place all the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
- Toss the vinaigrette with the cooked quinoa, tomatoes, and mozzarella. Garnish with pistachios and basil.
- Serves 4-6 as a side dish.
- If you are preparing the salad ahead of time, I recommend keeping the pistachios separate until you are ready to serve. If they sit in the salad for more than an hour or so, they can take on moisture and lose some of their crunchiness.
- This dish can be served warm or cold.
- Sun-dried tomato vinaigrette adapted from Vegetarian Times.
I love making quinoa salads. This one sounds so good!
Me too – the possibilities are endless! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Definitely going to try this! We have also been on a quinoa quick lately!
Let me know how it goes! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
it is always nice to get home, be with family. Hope you had a great time, the quinoa salad is Beautiful!! Great combo of ingredients!!
Thanks, Rahul! The time went quickly but it was a nice visit.
love this! and the sun-dried tomato vinaigrette sounds like it’d be good on SO many things
Thanks, Christine! And I’ll happily experiment with other vehicles for the sun-dried tomato vinaigrette 🙂
Caprese anything is just the best! And with that sun-dried tomato dressing??? Sounds awesome!!
I agree – I can never turn down fresh mozzarella! Thanks for stopping by!
Looks great, beautiful colours.
Thanks, Nadia!
Mmm… Healthy and delicious! I love anything with fresh mozzarella!
Me too! It’s dangerous for me to have too much mozzarella on hand at any given time…
Haha! I get that!
Lovely! This is such a great way to take the classic flavours of a caprese and transform it into something with a bit more heft. It sounds perfect as a salad or as a complete meal…and taking time to allow the vinaigrette to infuse into the quinoa is a good reason to be able to make this ahead and then have it ready for lunch and dinner!
Yes, exactly – what you said about transforming the flavors of caprese into something with more heft hits the nail on the head! I only wish I had expressed it so well. Thanks for hosting this week 🙂
This salad looks delicious. All of the colors and textures would made a delightful dish to eat.
Thanks, Julie! I’m all about the textures 🙂
This looks great! I am definitely looking for ways to use quinoa, and I think my whole family would enjoy this. The dressing looks especially delicious! I will definitely keep this in mind, since I just bought a box of quinoa the other day.
Thanks, Jenny! Please let me know how it goes if you give this a try 🙂
I love caprese salad. Combining it with quinoa sounds delicious. I also like all the bold flavours in your recipe -healthy and yum!
Thanks, Lily! I love caprese salads too, but sometimes I find myself still hungry afterward. Thankfully, the quinoa in this recipe adds a bit more staying power 🙂
Yes! Allowing the quinoa to fully absorb the vinaigrette is the way to go and makes all the difference! Loving the two vinaigrette combo in this recipe 🙂
I sometimes underestimate how much of a difference letting flavors marinate will make (because I’m usually impatient to EAT!), but you’re right – it really does make a big difference! Thanks for stopping by!
This healthy salad looks so delicious! I love the addition on Quinoa, looking forward to trying it 🙂 I would love for you to share it at the Sunday Fitness & Food Link-Up at: http://www.marathonsandmotivation.com
Thanks, Angela! Let me know what you think if you give it a try 🙂
Looks delicious and it’s beautiful too.
Thanks, Eileen!
Looks delicious!
Thanks, Ivette! I’m glad it caught your eye.
This looks fabulous!
Thank you! I hope you get a chance to try it.
I’m going to have to make this soon – that dressing sounds divine, btw!
Thanks, Mollie! I think adding sun-dried tomatoes to the vinaigrette is really what helps make this recipe a little different from other similar ones out there. Thanks for stopping by!