Quinoa and Broccoli Spoon Salad Recipe (2024)

Although this salad sounds great (with the exception of the cheddar, which I cannot eat) raw broccoli is not appealing. I always briefly parboil chopped broccoli then plunge in ice water to stop the cooking if I plan to use it in a salad. Not only does this improve the flavor, it brightens the color to a very pretty and palatable bright green.

A note on raw broccoli: Melissa Clark notes in her recipe for garlic broccoli salad with sesame dressing that the vinegar «cooks» the raw broccoli, kind of like happens with the fish in ceviche. I’ve tried it and it’s really good; it’s not like plain raw broccoli at all. I recommend that all the skeptics try it.

"Feel free to substitute the quinoa for any grain, like brown rice, farro or buckwheat groats..." FYI, for anyone over the age of 40, what this means is, feel free to substitute any grain for quinoa. Quinoa is in the recipe as written. Other grains could be substituted for it. (When did the meaning of "substitute for" change to mean its opposite? Millennials will try to argue it's always been used this way, and for them maybe it has, but for Gen-Xers and Boomers, it used to mean the opposite.

The cheddar is what tipped the balance for me and convinced me to add this to this week's meal list! But of course it isn't 100% necessary--the recipe police won't come to your house and arrest you if you leave it out. Or maybe you could replace it with crumbled feta...that sounds pretty good too.

Followed recipe exactly and it was perfect. So glad I did not follow advice to parboil the broccoli. This is really good.

Even though I’m not a fan of raw broccoli, I gave this recipe a try. I used toasted walnuts because I didn’t have any pecans. It was absolutely delicious! I will absolutely make this again. I grated the cheddar because it’s easier than chopping. Extra sharp cheddar adds a very special taste to this dish.

Chop the broccoli finely and let it macerate in the dressing a few minutes as you prep the remaining ingredients. I was skeptical at the outset but the raw broccoli worked great and the result was delicious. I did hold back some of the quinoa because the recipe as written makes such a large quantity. This means mine was even more broccoli forward. I cooked the quinoa in the Instant Pot, which also made the whole process easier.

Delicious! Also nice to add some heat (finely chopped chili I had around) - and some herbs (a tiny bit of mint and parsley in my case).

This was delicious! Bright flavor and very satisfying. The only change I made to the recipe was to squeeze the juice from the whole lemon which probably helps soften the broccoli and adds extra tasty tang to this delightful salad.

This recipe totally delivered. I decided to try it because I had everything in the recipe already. And I was surprised that I didn't need to change anything - no tweaking necessary. Really delicious. And it wasn't like eating raw broccoli. It's such a complex mix that nothing stands out and everything blends well.

This salad would be excellent with the Unexpected Cheddar from Trader Joe’s.

This recipe is very similar to one from Bon Appetit magazine that uses almonds, dates and scallions with cheddar and it’s easy to riff on the combinations based on what you have on hand (nuts, dried fruit, cheese type.) The raw broccoli makes the salad texturally, try it before you decide to parboil. The warm quinoa and the dressing soften the broccoli and the salad keeps well, it’s delicious with a fried egg on top!

Really delicious, and certain to become a weekday lunch favorite. I was pleasantly surprised with how quickly the broccoli 'cured' in the dressing. I soaked the quinoa overnight (first time for me) and it turned out nice and fluffy with none of the bitter/soapy taste of past quinoas. I didn't have cheese and so added some green onion to bump up the savoriness of the dish.

I bet this would be fantastic with wild rice subbed for quinoa!

I made this tonight and it was delicious. Used dried blueberries because did not have cranberries and they were great. Such a bright tasty salad on a cold snowy January day.

I love this recipe. I upped the amount of nuts and somewhat the cheese. My favorite way to have this is to soft poach two eggs by cracking in a small ramekin and putting in microwave for one minute and putting on top of salad and mixing it together. So satisfying and a great breakfast.I have also mashed avacado in it and it was delish.

I made this exactly as written- unusual for me. I did grate the cheese. My daughter and I liked it. Tastes healthy and a bit different. I’d like to try it with a different heartier grain. It does make a lot of salad!

I’ve made this twice now, and its on the menu again for tomorrow. No need to blanch the broccoli—really! And Im not at all a fan of raw broccoli but the dressing takes care of that. I only use half the cheese for health reason but I make sure it is really high quality sharp cheddar. Serving with roasted chicken breasts (the ATK recipe).

BIG success for me! I enjoy the different textures and flavors of all the components. Kind of like a party in my mouth. :-) I did make a teensy change: I doubled the dressing. As several others have remarked, I’m not a super big fan of raw broccoli, and it was a lot of broccoli when all chopped up. So with the extra dressing as it sat while I prepped and mixed in the rest, the broccoli was softer. Score another one for NYT Food! Thanks!

Delicious recipe! I didn’t have apple so I substituted pear and didn’t do cheddar bc that sounded weird. Saving this for the future!

I didn't make any improvements in the recipe. It was a hit with the family. Next time I won't make any improvements either!

Even hubby likes it! Sunflower seeds was only variation. Winner!

Made for second time. I increased the nuts both times but otherwise, made as outlined. I like how you can use it as a base and add things for variation each time you eat a bowl. I added two fried egg on top for a meal (runny yoke), added mashed avocado, and another time added thick balsamic vinegar w/ fried egg for a punch up of flavor. All delicious.

I usually spend a little time on Sunday making lunches for the week and this one was great! It kept really well, was easy to eat at my desk and has both carbs and veggies. (I did leave out the cheese because I didn't have any and the apple because I thought the salad would keep better without.) I paired it with a protein and had well balanced and delicious lunches all week. I did not par boil the broccoli but it tasted mellow and cooked with the vinegar. Def in the meal prep rotation!

Followed the exact recipe and it is delicious! It’s flavorful, satisfying, and wholesome —the perfect meal. The raw broccoli was just fine for me.

This is a salad I'm actually excited to eat! It has lots of great flavor (the cheese is very important here), though peeling the broccoli can be time-consuming. However, I wouldn't consider it a whole meal. Even after eating a whole bowl, I had to supplement with something else. I may add more quinoa next time.

I loved this until I added the quinoa. Would make again and omit that entirely — the flavor of the broccoli, nuts, cheddar, cranberries and tangy dressing is very nice and the quinoa just seems to add unneeded bulk

Followed the recipe as is - letting it sit for a few hours so the dressing saturates the broccoli made it even better. I will make this agin.

This recipe gave me mushy quinoa. Will not be using again.

Delicious. Uses the Trader Joe’s Aleppo Pepper honey mustard vinaigrette and feta cheese. A , will be making again.