15 High-Protein Quinoa Salads and Bowls – One Green Planet

When you need a lunch or dinner that packs a punch of protein, is totally delicious, and can be made a variety of ways with different combinations so you never get bored, a quinoa bowl or salad is the way to go! This nutritious meal might be your new best friend. Check out these 15 high-protein quinoa salad and bowl recipes from our Food Monster App to get you started!

Before getting into the recipes, here are some suggested plant-based protein products:

Now, let’s move on to these high-protein quinoa recipes that make it so easy to be plant-based!

1. Protein-Packed Breakfast Quinoa Bowl

Image Source: Protein-Packed Breakfast Quinoa Bowl

It may seem weird to eat quinoa in the morning but it actually makes a great breakfast. This Protein-Packed Breakfast Quinoa Bowl from Jesse Lane Lee is a filling vegan and gluten free breakfast that will keep you feeling full for hours. It is topped with protein packed seeds and nuts for extra staying power.

2. Crunchy Fresh Broccoli Quinoa Salad

Image Source: Crunchy Fresh Broccoli Salad

This Crunchy Fresh Broccoli Salad from Christin McKamey is the perfect lunch! It’s also versatile, to meet all of your mealtime needs! It can be rolled up in a soft flour tortilla or sandwiched between rustic bread for a quick and portable lunch that’s light and delicious.

3. Lemony Butternut Squash and Quinoa Salad

Image Source: Lemony Butternut Squash and Quinoa Salad

Soft, roasted butternut squash, tangy onions, and fresh herbs make this Lemony Butternut Squash and Quinoa Salad from Jasmine Briones light and flavorful! This recipe keeps well in the fridge, meaning it’s the perfect take-along for weekday work lunches!

4. Quinoa Salad with Roasted Carrot Fries and Smoked Paprika

Image Source: Quinoa Salad with Roasted Carrot Fries and Smoked Paprika

This Quinoa Salad with Roasted Carrot Fries and Smoked Paprika from Julie Van den Kerchove tastes amazing any time of the year, no matter how cold or hot it may be. Take it to a summer picnic or barbecue, serve it as a side dish during the holidays, or enjoy it as a light lunch.

5. El Fresco Quinoa Bowl

Image Source: El Fresco Quinoa Bowl

This El Fresco Quinoa Bowl from Maria and Alyssa Tosoni is a really well rounded, balanced dish that is packed with variety in both texture and flavor. It’s full of fresh vegetables like carrots, broccoli, and zucchini, as well as protein powerhouses like black beans and fluffy quinoa! Balance out all the freshness with some mildly spicy salsa or fresh-sliced avocado and enjoy!

6. Roasted Brussels Sprouts Quinoa Salad with Pistachio Gremolata

Image Source: Roasted Brussels Sprouts Quinoa Salad With Pistachio Gremolata

This Roasted Brussels Sprouts Quinoa Salad With Pistachio Gremolata from Medha Swaminathan is a perfect side or appetizer. Celebrating winter produce, this grain salad combines caramelized brussels sprouts and red onions with quinoa and is topped with a seedy pistachio gremolata! It’s unusual, delicious, and super easy to throw together. Enjoy!

7. Thai Peanut Quinoa Salad

Image Source: Thai Peanut Quinoa Salad

In this Thai Peanut Quinoa Salad from Alyssa Rimmer, the blend of vegetables gives the salad the perfect mixture of flavors and textures. The carrots and bell peppers bring a hint of sweetness, while the broccoli and spinach add their brilliant earthy flavors, which is all balanced out with the brightness from the green onions. And then there’s the quinoa which makes the whole salad feel fluffy and light, and the peanuts for some added crunch. But, what makes this salad distinctly Thai-inspired is the wonderful peanut-y dressing.

8. Warm Butternut, Red Cabbage, Quinoa and Almond Salad

Image Source: Warm Butternut, Red Cabbage, Quinoa and Almond Salad

This Warm Butternut, Red Cabbage, Quinoa and Almond Salad from Rachel Hanawalt combines filling and colorful vegetables to create a meal that will satisfy and restore your natural glow!

9. Overnight Blueberry Quinoa Bowl

Image Source: Overnight Blueberry Quinoa Bowl

Protein is so important especially in the morning for energy and even more so after a workout for recovery! This Overnight Blueberry Quinoa Bowl from Alison Marras has all the protein you’ll need to keep going all day.

10. Simple Green Quinoa Salad with Roast Pumpkin

Image Source: Simple Green Quinoa Salad with Roast Pumpkin

This Simple Green Quinoa Salad with Roast Pumpkin recipe from Tiana Haines is full of goodness and nutrients. This salad is also great for work/ school lunches. You can store in a container in the fridge and you know you have got a nutritious lunch waiting for you to enjoy!

11. Veggie Quinoa Salad

Image Source: Veggie Quinoa Salad

Quinoa is a seed that has been around for centuries and is very high in protein, iron, magnesium, and fiber making it a healthy pantry staple. This super grain is easy to cook with and has a yummy nutty flavor that leaves you feeling satisfied. Use it to make this Veggie Quinoa Salad from Tiana Haines!

12. Grilled Zucchini and Corn Quinoa Salad With Toasted Pepitas and Lemon Mint Dressing

Image Source: Grilled Zucchini and Corn Quinoa Salad With Toasted Pepitas and Lemon Mint Dressing

This Grilled Zucchini and Corn Quinoa Salad With Toasted Pepitas and Lemon Mint Dressing from Viktoria Radichkova is loaded with grilled zucchini, corn and onions, bursts with sweet and citrus flavors, and fresh mint aroma. The roasting intensifies the sweetness of the onions and corn, which complement each other, and the slight charred flavors they get from the grill. The freshness of the lemon and mint cuts through, and brightens the overall flavors. And for substance there is cooked quinoa and salty, crunchy, toasted pepitas. It’s not only quite delicious, but filling and satisfying too. It keeps well in the fridge, and you can just freshen it up with more lemon juice and mint the next day.

13. 5-Ingredient Protein Quinoa Bowl

Image Source: 5-Ingredient Protein Quinoa Bowl

This 5-Ingredient Protein Quinoa Bowl from Michele Elizabeth is super easy, packed full of nutrition, vegan, gluten free, healthy! Clean eating and great for meal prep! This protein packed bowl is also very filling!

14. Southwest Quinoa Salad

Image Source: Southwest Quinoa Salad

This fresh tasting, light Southwest Quinoa Salad from Rebecca Blackwell is packed with fresh vegetables, black beans, corn, fresh lime, and cilantro. Serve with a crumble of tortilla chips for a little crunch.

15. Quinoa Salad with Turmeric Tahini Dressing

Image Source: Quinoa Salad With Turmeric Tahini Dressing

Quinoa in salad is such a great and satisfying mixture! You can add in any vegetables that you have on hand, so it’s a great recipe to help clean out your fridge! Enjoy this Quinoa Salad With Turmeric Tahini Dressing from Spice Spice Baby by Kanchan Koya PhD

Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home

Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental well-being, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, and prostate cancer, and has many side effects.

For those of you interested in eating more plant-based we highly recommend grabbing our favorite plant-based cookbooks and downloading the Food Monster App — with over 20,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals, and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Here are some great resources to get you started:

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