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The answer should be anytime really! Let’s get real it’s just too perfect but summer is the season for gatherings, barbecues, and picnics. When you’re invited to a summer party, it’s essential to bring a dish that not only tastes delicious but also looks impressive! That’s where the Rainbow Quinoa Layered Salad comes in – a show-stopper at any event!
This vibrant and colorful salad not only tastes amazing, but it also has a stunning presentation that will have everyone at the party asking for the recipe. The best part? You can make it ahead of time and easily transport it in a canister, making it a convenient and hassle-free dish to bring to any summer gathering.
The quinoa gets to marinate in a delightful mix of maple syrup, rice vinegar, coconut aminos (or tamari), roasted tahini, garlic powder, ground ginger, and a touch of sriracha for some heat. The rest of the ingredients, such as shelled edamame, shredded red cabbage, chopped Persian cucumbers, grated carrots, cilantro, and sliced almonds, stay perfectly fresh and crisp, providing a delightful contrast in textures.
Just mix all the dressing ingredients and pour them into the bottom of a canister. Then, layer the remaining ingredients in the order listed, and refrigerate until serving. The dressing will infuse the quinoa with flavor, while the vibrant vegetables maintain their crunchiness.
When it’s time to serve, simply flip the canister upside down into a serving bowl, and you have a visually stunning salad that tastes as good as it looks. Your friends and family will be amazed by the colorful layers and mouthwatering flavors.
So, the next time you’re invited to a summer party, don’t hesitate to make this Rainbow Quinoa Layered Salad. It’s a true crowd-pleaser that will earn you an invitation back to any event you attend!
Author of the Clean Vegan Cookbook, Food Blogger and Recipe Developer from Des Moines, Iowa.
Jackfruitful Kitchen has proudly been featured in Forks Over Knives, Vegan Bowls, Vegan Food and Living, and DSM Magazine.
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33 Responses
Hi, I am a cilantro hater!! Thoughts on substituting arugula? Any other suggestions?
Hey Audrey, I would recommend trying parsley
I’m about to make this for an office potluck and wondering about substitutions (I know – so annoying). I have a big bag of salted pumpkin seeds from Costco- can I use that instead of buying almonds? And I don’t love edamame – anything you recommend to use instead (I will keep it if necessary). Thank you in advance! Love your content!
Hey Heather! Substitutions are always possible! You could also try mixing and matching some of my other layered salad ingredients if you’re in a pinch for time and don’t have what is on hand. You could use pumpkin seeds or any other nut or seed, the measurements might vary slightly but the results will still be amazing. Also, in some of my other layered salads I used chickpeas which you could try instead of edamame. That layer is key for protein! I hope this all helps and everyone at your office potluck loves it!
I have now made this salad twice! Bought the canister and absolutely LOVE everything about the salad, how pretty it looks before serving, and the taste! Guests commented about how pretty it looked because I didn’t toss it until I was ready to serve it so it was so fun to display!!! I am making the curried chickpea layered salad tonight and have no doubt it will be a hit as well! I just LOVE these recipes and highly recommend them!!!! I love the jackfruitful website and how friendly and helpful Jackie is!!! AND I love her cookbook as well… got it and everything we have tried so far has been wonderful!!!!
Thank you, Jackie!!!!
Thank you, Terri! I cannot wait to hear what you think of the Curry Chickpea salad… You must try the Orange Miso Palmini after that 🙂 Thank you for your kind words and mutual joy for cooking… People like you are what this is all about! Have a beautiful day!
I&1/2 cups uncooked quinoa makes almost 6 cups cooked.
Won’t that take up too much space in the canister?
How many cups cooked should be used?
Hi Sandy! 1.5 cups cooked should yield 4.5 cups cooked.
How do you suggest cooking the frozen shelled edamames?
How do you suggest cooking the frozen shelled edamames?
Also, do you toast the almonds?
Could you use pine nuts?
Hi Sandy! The frozen edamame just needs to be thawed. You can totally toast the almonds if you would like! Subbing pine nuts would be okay, but I would probably recommend cashews or sesame seeds or pumpkin seeds before pine nuts.
Thank you so much for such a quick response.
I can’t wait to bring it to my party on Saturday!
Is all Tahini roasted?
I couldn’t find any that said roasted on the label.
Thank you!
Hi Sandra! No, not all tahini is roasted. You can use raw tahini as well, but I find it to be much more bitter. My favorite roasted brands are Whole Foods 365, Soom, and Joyva.
Is the 1 1/2 cups quinoa the measurement before or after it is cooked?
Before!
HUGE HIT at a small dinner party I had a few weeks ago. So much flavor, so gorgeous, everyone wanted the recipe. The dressing is one of the best I’ve ever made, the sriracha is a game changer! So glad I found you; I printed several of the recipes from your website today. Can’t wait to make them all!
I made this dish for a family potluck and the minute I walked in the door everyone was impressed by the presentation. I made one Recipe with the Cilantro and one with Parsley and added chopped Romaine Lettuce before the Almonds! I received so many compliments on this dish-everyone LOVED IT.
This salad is a feast for the eyes and an absolute flavor bomb for the mouth! I made this salad to bring to a family get together and it was a HUGE hit! My meat and dairy loving mother-in-law said she wants to hire me to make salads for her functions! Always thankful to find a delicious win without compromising health, animals, OR family relationships!
Delicious and easy to make! My whole family enjoyed!
This salad is genius!!! I loved all the crunch and flavor that came with this recipe! The salad dressing had a good kick and I love that there is NO salt added! Everyone I served it to loved it and was asking for the recipe! The container was a perfect way to bring it over to my friend’s house and show off all the colors in this gorgeous salad!!! 😍😍😍
So glad to hear this recipe was a hit!
Made this with my daughter who is 2. The colors, the textures, she had a blast making and dumping it out! It was so satisfying and delicious. We made a double batch and are bringing some to the family reunion this weekend!
Honored to hear this salad was part of your family reunion, and so glad even the little one enjoyed!
Absolutely delicious!! And surprisingly I love salt always have to add more. Don’t know what it is must be the cilantro i didn’t use any!
Ok so the BIG takeaway for me is that i had this for dinner (a big bowl 🍲 f it yummy) and, for the FIRST time in a decade or more i woke up with NO acid reflux NO gagging!
That was a life changer for me. Thank you SO much!!!!
What a wonderful feeling to wake up feeling GREAT! Glad you enjoyed, and thank you so much for sharing.
Absolutely delicious!! And surprisingly I love salt always have to add more. Don’t know what it is must be the cilantro i didn’t use any!
Ok so the BIG takeaway for me is that i had this for dinner (a big bowl 🍲 f it yummy) and, for the FIRST time in a decade or more i woke up with NO acid reflux NO gagging!
That was a life changer for me. Thank you SO much!!!!
The Layered Rainbow Quinoa salad is delicious and looks incredible in a canister! I took it to a pool party and it was a huge hit!
So glad it was a rave success!
Perfect for a pool party! So glad you enjoyed.
Thank you so much for sharing The Layered Rainbow Quinoa salad is delicious and looks incredible in a canister! I took it to a pool party and it was a huge hit!
A delicious, crunchy and zesty salad perfect for summer! Love the zingy dressing and the leftovers.
So glad you enjoyed it Laura!