This pizza quinoa salad is an easy make-ahead salad recipe that is both tasty and filling.
A healthy lunch is the goal. But salads can be tricky to make in advance on meal prep Sunday and keep from wilting while sitting in the refrigerator all week. This pizza quinoa salad recipe from my cookbook Prep-Ahead Breakfasts and Lunches is a salad that you can make-ahead and know that it will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days without wilting! Even better it is flavorful and filling, so you won't feel deprived while eating a healthy salad for lunch.
Tips for Preventing Wilted Salads
Many lettuces wilt when exposed to dressings or the juices from the other vegetables, so use firmer greens such as kale, Swiss chard, or cabbage that can better stand up to liquids.
Limit the juices from other ingredients. Use whole cherry tomatoes instead of diced tomatoes. Use vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, celery, and snap peas that don't release as much juice.
Skip the greens and use quinoa, beans, or lentils as the base and then add your sturdier vegetables to create a hearty salad that won't wilt.
Cool cooked items such as quinoa, rice, beans, lentils, and meat before adding them to your salad.
If using more fragile salad greens, Don’t add the dressing until just before serving. You can store your dressing in a separate container. You can also layer your salad, so the dressing is on the bottom and separated from the lettuces by a layer of non-absorbent ingredients such as firm vegetables, cheese, or meat. Then you can stir your salad to coat it with dressing before you eat it.
You can find a variety of easy make-ahead salad recipes in my cookbook Prep-Ahead Breakfasts and Lunches.
Batch Cooking Quinoa
I batch cook quinoa to use in a variety of recipes throughout the week. If you already have cooked quinoa on hand, this salad recipe will come together in minutes. If you don't have cooked quinoa, here are several ways to cook quinoa, so you can pick a method that works for you. My favorite method is cooking quinoa in a pressure cooker. The video below demonstrates how to cook quinoa in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot.
Pizza Quinoa Salad Recipe
Zesty Italian Dressing Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon thyme
- ¼ teaspoon basil
- ¼ teaspoon red peppers flakes
- 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Salad Ingredients:
- 3 cups cooked quinoa
- 2 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- ½ cup mild cheddar cheese
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup red onion
- 3.8 ounces can of sliced black olives, drained
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1 cup mini pepperoni slices
Directions:
- To make the Zesty Italian Dressing, combine the oil, vinegar, water, sugar, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, basil, red pepper flakes, and pepper in a small cruet or lidded container. Shake well to mix.
- To make the salad, add the quinoa, tomatoes, mozzarella, cheddar cheese, bell pepper, onion, olives, mushrooms, and pepperoni to a large bowl. Stir to combine.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad. Toss to coat.
Storing: Either cover and store the salad in the large bowl or divide the salad between 5-6 lidded containers. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Need more meal prep lunch ideas? Check out my cookbook Prep-Ahead Breakfasts and Lunches.
Pizza Quinoa Salad Video
You can see how easy it is to make this pizza quinoa salad in the below video.
Printable Recipe for Pizza Quinoa Salad
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon thyme
- ¼ teaspoon basil
- ¼ teaspoon red peppers flakes
- ⅛ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 3 cups cooked quinoa
- 2 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- ½ cup mild cheddar cheese
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- ½ cup red onion
- 3.8 ounces can of sliced black olives, drained
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1 cup mini pepperoni slices
- To make the Zesty Italian Dressing, combine the oil, vinegar, water, sugar, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, basil, red pepper flakes, and pepper in a small cruet or lidded container. Shake well to mix.
- To make the salad, add the quinoa, tomatoes, mozzarella, cheddar cheese, bell pepper, onion, olives, mushrooms, and pepperoni to a large bowl. Stir to combine.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad. Toss to coat.
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