Ingredients Grains Quinoa 5 Ways to Dress Quinoa Salad For dressing delicate quinoa, choose light and bright over thick and creamy. By Kristin Donnelly Kristin Donnelly Kristin Donnelly is a writer with nearly two decades of experience crafting stories and recipes for editorial publications, books, and brands. She was a food editor at Food & Wine for eight years. Kristin is the author of two cookbooks and co-host of the Everything Cookbook podcast. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 29, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Since quinoa is fluffy and delicate, it tends to work best with loose vinaigrettes rather than thick dressings. Here are five approaches to try. CitrusyIf you dress quinoa with lemon juice, shallots, and olive oil, and perhaps with some chopped herbs, you’re set. To tame the bite of lemon juice, add a little honey or cut it with fresh orange juice. Or, if you’re taking your salad in a Latin or Asian direction, use lime juice instead of lemon.Soy-gingerFor a deeply savory, Asian-inspired dressing, whisk soy sauce with rice vinegar, grated ginger, and scallion. Whisk in a little sesame oil, if desired.Smoky-spicyThe adobo sauce from canned chipotles is an easy add-in for a quinoa salad that has Mexican or Southwestern ingredients, like corn and black beans. Add some agave or brown sugar to mellow the heat.Warm-spicedFor a North African-inspired salad, whisk spices like cumin, ginger, coriander, cinnamon, and turmeric into the dressing. For a little heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper.PestoFor a richer quinoa salad made with lots of sturdy vegetables, you can use pesto as the dressing. It works best if it’s a saucy rather than pasty pesto. 25 Green Salads to Serve with Any Meal Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit