This radish and snap pea quinoa salad with lemon tahini dressing comes together easily in under 30 minutes! It’s perfect for meal prep and can be enjoyed cold or at room temperature. Though this vegetarian and gluten free salad can be enjoyed year-round, I love making it in spring when radishes and sugar snap peas are in season and at their most flavorful.
A Quinoa Salad to Get Excited About
If you have an unopened bag of quinoa in your pantry because you know it’s healthy but aren’t sure what to do with it, this is the salad for you! Quinoa will be neglected no longer once you take a bite of this easy vegetarian salad packed with fresh spring veggies and herbs. It’s dressed with a tangy and nutty lemon tahini dressing that is honestly one of my favorite things EVER.
Since leftovers keep really well, and honestly, the flavor improves the longer it sits, this salad is great for meal prep or as a make-ahead meal. Leftovers can be eaten straight out of the fridge which means all you have to do is muster enough energy to spoon some into a bowl. I call that a win!
You will have some leftover radishes, snap peas, and herbs after making this quinoa salad so I highly recommend adding this spring panzanella to your menu. You’ll be able to use up the rest of the produce along with any leftover feta. Or, if you want to avoid another salad, you can pickle the remaining radishes with this recipe and pair the leftover snap peas with your favorite dip for an easy snack (I’m partial to this cheesy vegan one myself!).
Key Ingredients for the Radish and Snap Pea Quinoa Salad
In my opinion, quinoa salads can seem kinda boring if not seasoned properly! For this one, we’re cooking the quinoa in vegetable broth to add another layer of savory flavor. Once the quinoa cools, it’s tossed with beautiful spring radishes, sugar snap peas, parsley, and dill. White beans add protein while a bit of vegan or regular feta adds a salty bite.
Since radishes are roots, their leafy greens will keep pulling water from them if left attached, making them rubbery and soft. Once you get home, cut off the leafy greens then fill a container with water and put the radishes in it, making sure they are submerged. Keep them in the fridge and change the water every 1-2 days to ensure crisp, fresh, and crunchy radishes!
Why Lemon Tahini Dressing Works Perfectly with This Quinoa Salad
Since this quinoa salad relies on fresh spring flavors, it doesn’t need a complicated dressing to muddy everything. I prefer this light yogurt-based dressing flavored with nutty tahini and tangy lemon. It blends into the background without disappearing and works really well with the sweet sugar snap peas and peppery radishes. Start by adding roughly half of the dressing to the salad, then toss and taste before adding more!
Putting Everything Together
Start the quinoa first because it needs about 15 minutes to cook, then some time to cool before you add the veggies. Don’t skip the cooling step or it will wilt the veggies and herbs and lessen their fresh flavor! Want to speed up the cooling process? Spread the cooked quinoa on a small baking sheet or large plate then place it in the freezer for about 5 minutes or until cool.
While the quinoa cooks, you’ll have plenty of time for chopping. I like to keep the veggies bite-sized and finely chop the herbs. Once the quinoa cools, toss everything together in a large bowl (trust me, the bigger the bowl, the easier it is to toss!) along with some of the dressing. ALWAYS make sure to taste it so you can season if needed!
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Radish and Snap Pea Quinoa Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 3–4 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Description
This radish and snap pea quinoa salad with lemon tahini dressing comes together easily in under 30 minutes! It’s perfect for meal prep and can be enjoyed cold or at room temperature. Though this vegetarian and gluten free salad can be enjoyed year-round, I love making it in spring when radishes and sugar snap peas are in season and at their most flavorful.
Ingredients
for the quinoa salad
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 pint (2 cups) sugar snap peas, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 7–8 medium radishes, sliced
- 1 large handful flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 handful dill fronds, finely chopped
- 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 ounces crumbled vegan or regular feta
- Sea salt, as needed
for the lemon tahini dressing
- 1/4 cup plain vegan or regular yogurt
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1/2 medium lemon, juiced
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- sea salt, to taste
- cold water, as needed to thin
Instructions
Make the quinoa first. Combine the quinoa and broth in a pot and bring it to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer (medium-low), stir the quinoa, then cover it. Cook for about 15 minutes until all of the broth has been absorbed. Remove the quinoa from the heat, season it with a pinch or two of salt, then fluff it up with a fork. Allow the quinoa to cool to close to room temperature before making the salad. The quinoa can be made several days in advance and kept in the fridge if needed before making the salad.
Make the dressing by combining the yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup, and a pinch of sea salt in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth. Taste and add more salt or lemon juice to taste. Thin the dressing out with 1 to 2 tablespoons of cold water until it reaches a drizzle-able consistency. Set aside.
Add the cooled quinoa to a large bowl along with the chopped snap peas, radishes, parsley, dill, white beans, and feta. Pour over about half of the dressing, then toss to combine. Taste the salad and add more dressing or sea salt if desired. Enjoy at room temperature or chilled.
Makes 3 to 4 main dish servings or 6 to 8 side servings. Keep leftovers in the fridge and enjoy within 5 days.
Notes
- Depending on your dietary needs, you can use vegan or regular plain yogurt in the dressing. The same goes for the feta – use regular or vegan. Or, leave it out entirely if you prefer.
- Make sure to use just the leaves of the parsley and the fronds of the dill rather than the stems. The stems don’t have as much flavor and are usually more fibrous and not as pleasant to eat.
- To cool the quinoa down quickly, spread it on a small baking sheet or large plate then pop it in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes. It doesn’t have to be completely chilled but simply close to room temperature.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
Love the new banner- very cute and quirky 🙂
This salad is perfect- I can't wait for summer when I'll hopefully have radishes aplenty growing in the garden like last year.
I'm so jealous that you have a garden! For now I can only have a few pots of herbs on my balcony 🙂
Great salad! I'm growing radishes and snap peas so when they are ready, this salad would be perfect for me to make.
this sounds delish, thanks for sharing! love to try that, perfect with summer coming up!