This pea and bacon quinoa salad makes a delicious lunch or a tasty side dish! This recipe is easy to make, and gluten free, too! A delicious lemony dressing is the perfect finishing touch.
Who loves quinoa? We do over here! It’s easy and quick to cook, and it can be used in different ways. We even make a breakfast quinoa cereal sometimes!
Quinoa is great for those who are gluten free, because it works very well in recipes that call for couscous, due to the similar texture and size.
This salad is very nice for the summer weather. It’s light and refreshing, and it doesn’t take long at all to put together. The lemon dressing is a nice contrast to the peas and the bacon, and this would make a nice side dish or a light lunch.
Ingredient Notes
- Quinoa – I used white quinoa, but you could use a mix of white and red quinoa. Make sure you rinse the quinoa well before cooking.
- Peas – Frozen peas work well in this salad. Thaw and drain them before adding them to the bowl.
- Bacon – To save time, cook the bacon ahead of time, or use pre-cooked bacon. If you can’t have bacon, just leave it out.
- Lemon – Fresh lemon juice is best, but you can use bottled lemon juice if that’s what you have on hand. Lime juice would also be okay if that’s what you have available.
Step by Step Instructions
- Rinse the quinoa and cook according to package directions.
- Once the quinoa has cooled somewhat, place it in a large bowl. Add the onions, peppers, peas, and bacon.
- Put the dressing ingredients in a small glass jar and whisk together.
- Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and stir well. Enjoy!
Storage
Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container. They should stay fresh for about 3 days. If your salad gets too dry, you might need to make more dressing – quinoa tends to really absorb liquid.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Recipe
Pea and Bacon Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- ¼ cup sweet onion chopped
- 1 red pepper chopped
- 1 cup frozen peas thawed and drained
- 8 slices cooked bacon crumbled
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa according to the package directions. Set aside to cool.
- Put the quinoa in a large bowl, and add the chopped onion, diced red peppers, bacon, and peas.
- Mix the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small glass jar.
- Pour the dressing over the ingredients, and stir well. Season with more salt and pepper if needed. Enjoy!
Darryl
this is so delicious I have to make an extra portion of it just for myself the next day in addition to what I’m making for the family meal!
mia (MossyJojo)
I’ve heard of quinoa before but never tried it. Your photo makes me feel hungry :)
Dee
Looks yummy and I LOVE those bowls!
marieken
This looks really good! I’ve never made or hade quinoa, so this might be a good recipe to experiment with this recipe.
Kelly
Oh, you should try it! Quinoa is so easy to make, and it’s really healthy, too!
atasteofmadess
Ooh, this looks so good! I have only just started cooking with quinoa, and am always looking for some more recipes :)
Kelly
You’ll love the versatility of quinoa, you can add anything to it pretty much!
Kathy
Can’t wait to try this. I love quinoe and also use it for breakfast. Just the other night I cooked some up and added peeled cut up apples and dried craisens or I use dried cherries. Served it with a baked whole chicken. Going to try your recipe soon. Thanks
Consuelo @ Honey & Figs
I’m always looking for new ways to cook quinoa and this looks like a lovely idea! I’m loving the bacon and pea addition, I’m sure they make a wonderful salad which I NEED to try ;-)
Kelly
Yes, I love quinoa and am always looking for ways to use it, too! Thanks for stopping by!
theartbug
looks good! pinning for later!
Kelly
Thank you!
Kim @ 2justByou
This looks really good. My boys would love it. They love anything with bacon!
Kelly
Yes, my son does, too!