This easy-to-make quinoa salad topped with grilled vegetables and drizzled with tahini is the yummiest salad to serve with any meal. In fact, it’s a meal in itself. If you’re looking for a healthy dinner, side dish or salad, this is a staple around here! Drizzle over tahini dressing that ties all the flavors together perfectly.

Quinoa is packed with health benefits—but I’ll spare you the nutrition lecture since I’m definitely not a health blogger! What I do know is that it’s high in protein, naturally gluten-free, and a great option for vegans or anyone watching their diet. But honestly? I make it all the time for my family and kids, who have no dietary restrictions, and they absolutely love it! It’s perfect for an easy dinner, a salad for your BBQ or for a fun get-together.

One smart hack I tried was instead of seasoning the quinoa after boiling, I added the spices beforehand, and it turned out PERFECT—the flavors were evenly distributed! I used salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika for a delicious, well-balanced taste.

For the vegetables, I used red onions, zucchini and sweet potatoes, but you can use whatever you have in your pantry. That being said, sweet potatoes pair really well with quinoa salad, because the sweet flavor balances out the bitterness in quinoa.

These are the details

Salad Ingredients

Quinoa
Sweet Potatoes
Zuchinni
Red Onion

Tahini Dressing Ingredients:

Tahina Paste
Garlic
Lemon Juice
Salt

Tools

Nothing special, just a cutting board, pot, and a salad bowl!

Steps

Step 1: Cut the vegetables

I used a crinkle cutter for the zucchini to give it a fun, ridged shape. Spread the vegetables out on a baking sheet, ensuring they don’t overlap so they cook evenly. Then, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and your favorite spices, and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

Step 2: Prepare the quinoa

Start by rinsing it thoroughly for a minute or two to remove any bitterness. Use the same water-to-quinoa ratio as rice—1 cup of quinoa to 2 cups of water. I used 2 cups of quinoa with 4 cups of water. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer until the water is absorbed.

Step 3: Make the dressing

Mix the tahini dressing together until it’s nice and creamy.

Step 4: Layer the salad

Once the quinoa and vegetables are ready, toss them together in a bowl. Top with your grilled vegetables and drizzle with tahini for a rich, creamy finish, so delicious, you won’t be able to get enough of it!

Grilled Vegetable Quinoa Salad With Tahini Dressing

Sarah

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Course Salad, Side Dish

Servings 4 People

Ingredients

Grilled Vegetables

2 Sweet Potatoes
3 Zuchinnis
1 Red Onion
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
A dash of salt and pepper

Quinoa

2 Cups Quinoa
4 Cups Water
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Paprika

Tahini

1/2 Cup Tahini Paste
4 Cloves Minced Garlic
1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
7 Tbsp Water
1/2 tsp Salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425° F. Cut the vegetables into semicircles and lay them on a baking tray, evenly spread out.
Toss together the cut vegetables, salt and pepper, with olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes, until crispy.
Rinse the quinoa thoroughly to remove the bitterness.
Add the quinoa, water, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika and black pepper to a pot and boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer until there's no more water.
Add the tahini paste, water, lemon juice, salt and garlic to a bowl and mix until smooth and creamy. You can also blend it for quicker results. Once done, sprinkle paprika on top.
Assemble the salad. Start with the quinoa, layer on top the vegetables. Serve with the creamy tahini on top.