This wholesome easy quinoa salad is quick, easy and really versatile! I absolutely love making it as a cookout side or light dinner, and it’s also really fabulous for meal prep. Just store your salad in a little airtight container for the perfect grab-and-go lunch.
I love making this quinoa salad recipe with Air Fryer Sausage because it cooks so quickly and perfectly in the air fryer, giving it a crispy, flavorful finish. While the sausage cooks, I can prep the salad, making it a super fast and convenient meal.
This is packed with vibrant veggies and protein-rich quinoa. Whether you’re meal prepping for the week or need a last-minute side dish, this salad is a winner!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Italian sausages — I use Italian sausages for their rich, savory flavor. They add a great depth to the dish. You can choose mild or spicy sausages depending on your preference. I’ve found that using a good-quality sausage really enhances the overall flavor.
- Quinoa — I generally use white quinoa, but you can use any color. Cooking quinoa is pretty simple, but if you want some extra tips check out my guide: How To Make Fluffy Quinoa!
- Black beans — They pair perfectly with quinoa and complement the sausages well. Plus, they help make the dish more filling and satisfying.
- Veggies — I use red onion, red bell pepper, and cucumber because they add a nice balance of sweetness, crunch, and freshness to the dish.
- Dressing ingredients — I use fresh lemon juice (lime juice works too), extra virgin olive oil, salt and black pepper.
- Garnish — I love finishing this easy quinoa salad with a sprinkle of fresh herbs or a few extra veggies on top for a pop of color and added texture.
Instructions to make Quinoa Salad
Air fry sausages:
- If your air fryer requires preheating, do that before anything else! Set it to 375°F (190°C).
- Use a paper towel and pat sausages down to soak up excess moisture. Then pierce each one a few times with a fork so steam can escape while they cook.
- Air fry for about 15 minutes and flip halfway through! Sausages are done once they reach an internal temperature of 160°F or 71°C.
Cook quinoa
- Add 2 cups of water to a medium saucepan, place on the stovetop and turn heat to high. While you wait for water to boil, rinse quinoa well using a mesh strainer.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in rinsed quinoa. Cover with a lid and simmer 10-15 minutes. (*Tip: multitask and use simmer time to dice up salad veggies if you haven’t already)!
- Remove saucepan from heat and grab a fork. Fluff cooked quinoa and then be sure to let it cool for at least 5 minutes.
Prepare dressing:
- Add all lemon dressing ingredients to a mason jar. Secure the lid atop your jar and shake until ingredients are combined!
Assemble and serve:
- In a large salad bowl, add cooked quinoa, diced veggies, and black beans. Stir well, drizzle with dressing and toss again.
- Slice up your sausages and place them on top of the quinoa salad. Garnish with parsley, if desired, and enjoy!
Optional:
- This easy quinoa salad is very flexible. Feel free to swap another variety of beans like chickpeas. You can also add in some different vegetables such as spinach, kale, cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes and kalamata olives.
- Also you can garnish it with slices of avocado and feta cheese, if you desire.
What pairs well with quinoa salad?
Roasted Vegetables: Roasted vegetables like roasted asparagus, roasted potatoes, roasted green beans, roasted sweet potato or roasted brussels sprouts can enhance the flavors and textures in your easy quinoa salad.
Change the protein to delicious baked salmon, cod recipe, baked chicken thighs or garlic butter shrimp.
More Quinoa Salad Recipes
Quinoa Salad Recipe with Sausage
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Primavera Kitchen.
Video
Ingredients
For the salad
- 4 medium Italian sausages
- 1 cup quinoa rinsed
- 1 cup cooked black beans
- ½ cup red onions chopped
- 1 cup red pepper chopped
- 1 cup cucumber chopped
- Fresh parsley for garnish
For the dressing
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Sausage
- Preheat the air fryer to 375°F (190°C) for 5 minutes. Pat the sausages dry with a paper towel and pierce each a few times with a fork to allow steam to escape.
- Place the sausages in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook the sausages for 12-15 minutes, flipping them halfway through cooking time. They're cooked when it reaches the internal temperature of 160°F (71°C).
For the quinoa salad
- In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and add rinsed quinoa. Cover the saucepan with a lid and let it cook for 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, uncover, fluff with a fork, and set aside to cool for at least 5 minutes.
- In a mason jar or small bowl, pour the freshly squeezed lemon juice and olive oil. Add salt and pepper and whisk everything.
- In a large bowl, add cooked quinoa, red onions, cucumber, red bell pepper and black beans. Stir really well.
- Pour the homemade vinaigrette dressing over the quinoa salad and stir to combine. Garnish with parsley before serving.
Meal Prep/Storage:
- Place an even amount of quinoa salad and sausage into 4 glass containers. Cover with a lid, and place in the fridge for up 4 days. You can also store your salad in one, large container if desired.
Tips
- A meat thermometer is handy for this recipe so you know exactly when sausages are done.
- Make ahead tips: Make your dressing and quinoa a day or two ahead of time. You can also chop up your veggies in advance!
- To store: Refrigerate in airtight containers for up to 4 days.
- To freeze: This salad also freezes pretty well for up to 3 months. Veggies won’t be as crisp once thawed but everything else should be stable.
- To reheat: You can simply just bring the salad to room temperature or enjoy it chilled.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
JANAINA SOARES says
Estava por aqui justamente tentando encontrar uma forma interessante de preparar quinoa! Encontrei!
Olivia Ribas says
Que legal que gostou! Essa é uma salad muito boa e tenho certeza que você vai amar!