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Pesto Zucchini and Corn Quinoa Salad

[heart_this] · Oct 10, 2014 · 47 Comments

Pesto Zucchini and Corn Quinoa Salad

A light zucchini and corn quinoa salad in a bright lemon-y basil pesto dressing.

Although fall is officially here and the days are cooling, there is still plenty of zucchini around and I wanted to give summer one last hurrah with this zucchini and corn quinoa salad with a basil pesto dressing. This salad is as easy as it sounds with the quinoa, sautéed zucchini and corn, the basil pesto dressing and I like to add some chickpeas to fill it out a bit along with some green onions and toasted pine nuts as garnish. Really all you need to do is cook the quinoa, zucchini and corn and mix everything and you are done! This pesto zucchini and corn quinoa salad makes for a great side or even a light meal and it’s sure to brighten your day!

Pesto Zucchini and Corn Quinoa Salad
Pesto Zucchini and Corn Quinoa Salad

Pesto Zucchini and Corn Quinoa Salad

Pesto Zucchini and Corn Quinoa Salad

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes Servings: 6

A light zucchini and corn quinoa salad in a bright lemon-y basil pesto dressing.

ingredients
  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
  • 1 3/4 cups water or broth
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 4 cups zucchini (~2 medium sized zucchini), diced
  • 1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 (15 ounce) can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained (or 1 1/2 cups cooked beans, from 1/2 cup dry)
  • 1/4 cup green onions, sliced
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
  • 1/2 cup basil pesto (homemade or store bought)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
directions
  1. Bring the water and quinoa to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the quinoa is tender and has absorbed the water, about 15 minutes, remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes, covered.
  2. Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium-high heat, add the garlic, zucchini and corn and cook until tender, about 12 minutes, before removing from heat and seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Mix everything and enjoy!
Option: Garnish with grated/shredded parmesan.
Nutrition Facts: Calories 334, Fat 17.5g (Saturated 2.6g, Trans 0), Cholesterol 5mg, Sodium 142mg, Carbs 35.1g (Fiber 6.9g, Sugars 4g), Protein 11.9g

Nutrition by: Nutritional facts powered by Edamam
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More summer salads!

Food, Gluten-free, Quinoa, Recipe, Salad, Side Dish, Vegetable, Vegetarian

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jeanette says

    October 10, 2014 at 11:27 am

    I love this Kevin – was just at the farmer's market yesterday and grabbing every last bit of summer I could!

    Reply
  2. kevin says

    October 10, 2014 at 11:32 am

    Jeanette: I was doing the same!

    Reply
  3. Joanne says

    October 10, 2014 at 11:43 am

    This is my kind of salad! I'm headed to the farmer's market this weekend, and I'm sure there will still be zucchini aplenty!

    Reply
  4. Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says

    October 10, 2014 at 11:51 am

    It's still a zucchini party here in Sicily! No fall in sight. DEF trying this.

    Reply
  5. Maria says

    October 10, 2014 at 12:58 pm

    Love this salad!

    Reply
  6. marla {Family Fresh Cooking} says

    October 10, 2014 at 1:09 pm

    fabulous salad Kevin!!!

    Reply
  7. Heather Christo says

    October 10, 2014 at 1:54 pm

    This makes me happy, like there is still a hint of summer left!! YUM!

    Reply
  8. [email protected] says

    October 10, 2014 at 4:15 pm

    Kevin love to see all these fresh colors amid all things fall!! Beautiful looking salad!

    Reply
  9. Tashiana says

    October 11, 2014 at 6:45 am

    The freshness of this is incredible! Makes me nostalgic for summer too <3

    Reply
  10. Matt Vekakis says

    October 11, 2014 at 4:09 pm

    This. looks. DELICIOUS!

    Reply
  11. Jess says

    October 11, 2014 at 9:31 pm

    i LOVE pesto and this looks so deliciously healthy!

    Reply
  12. Julie @ Table for Two says

    October 12, 2014 at 4:06 pm

    Love all the colors in this dish!!

    Reply
  13. Katya | Little Broken says

    October 13, 2014 at 2:44 am

    Kevin: this looks so delicious and pretty! I feel like I haven't had zucchini in so long since east coast has been in fall mode for a while now.

    Reply
  14. Jenny says

    October 13, 2014 at 12:45 pm

    This is such a great salad! Love these flavors!

    Reply
  15. Gaby says

    October 13, 2014 at 6:29 pm

    This sounds like a wonderful fall meal!

    Reply
  16. Mimsie says

    October 14, 2014 at 3:35 am

    Can't wait to try this.

    Reply
  17. Gaby says

    October 16, 2014 at 3:29 am

    This is my kind of salad!

    Reply
  18. Sadie says

    October 16, 2014 at 4:05 am

    This was dinner tonight. Main dish. Everyone loved it. So glad I found you on Instagram!

    Reply
  19. BBMChannel C00219980 says

    October 20, 2014 at 5:19 pm

    This is a lovely recipe, I love to learn and try out new recipe too, also have a food channel, u could check out my country's recipe too, am glad I found ur site

    Reply
  20. Jeni says

    October 22, 2014 at 11:25 pm

    Lots of great flavors and colors in this salad! So excited to try it!

    Reply
  21. Jodee Weiland says

    October 26, 2014 at 3:11 pm

    This dish looks so delicious! I love the idea of corn and zucchini together with quinoa and pesto…sounds great to me. Thanks for sharing your recipe!

    Reply
  22. Marissa says

    October 26, 2014 at 4:38 pm

    This is my favorite kind of salad – where there is such a variety of flavor and texture that every bite tastes slightly different (but equally delicious).

    Reply
  23. Carrie says

    December 11, 2014 at 1:31 pm

    This looks delicious and healthy at the same time! I'll try cooking it in the weekend. Wish me luck

    Reply
  24. Erica Padmore says

    October 20, 2015 at 11:28 am

    Hi Kevin, the salad look perfect! It is hard for me to prepare the same, but my family is in love with this recipe. Every time when I have a short vacation, I am preparing similar to your salad. Well done!

    Reply
  25. Unknown says

    June 17, 2016 at 9:34 pm

    Do you serve this hot or cold?

    Reply
  26. Jeannine Davaz says

    July 15, 2016 at 6:32 pm

    Chickpeas taste so much better if they are cooked. Cool if using in a cold salad. You'll love the flavor! I can't wait to make this salad!

    Reply
    • alyssa says

      April 6, 2021 at 10:59 am

      Are u eating raw chickpeas?

      Reply
  27. Cleone says

    April 13, 2017 at 3:37 am

    I made this meal tonight and it was fantastic!
    Thank you so much!

    Reply
  28. Kristen Berry says

    August 8, 2017 at 8:32 pm

    Hi Kevin! Do you saute the garlic with the zucchini and corn or add it to the quinoa while it cooks?

    Thank you!

    Reply
  29. kevin says

    August 9, 2017 at 7:33 pm

    Kristen Berry: Yes, you saute the garlic with the zucchini and corn. I have updated the recipe. Thanks!

    Reply
  30. Kristen Berry says

    August 10, 2017 at 12:47 am

    Thank you! I made this tonight and it was delicious!

    Reply
  31. kevin says

    August 10, 2017 at 10:39 pm

    Kristen Berry: I'm glad you enjoyed it!

    Reply
  32. Kate says

    August 18, 2017 at 2:00 pm

    It appears you eat this warm after making it? For leftovers do you tend to re-heat it or eat it cold? (the "salad" title is throwing me off!) It looks delicious and we are in prime zucchini and corn season here!

    Reply
  33. kevin says

    August 22, 2017 at 4:33 pm

    Kate: I enjoy this salad, warm, chilled or at room temperature!

    Reply
  34. Jill Roberts @ Wellnessgeeky says

    January 8, 2018 at 11:50 am

    The colors are so vibrant- your photography is fantastic! This is absolutely magnificent, scrumptious, delicious, super yummy pesto zucchini and corn quinoa salad. I love healthy food. It would be perfect breakfast! Thx for sharing!

    Reply
  35. Jenae says

    April 24, 2018 at 1:55 am

    So delicious! We loved this!

    Reply
  36. Bella Hardy says

    May 22, 2018 at 1:03 pm

    I finding this pesto zucchini and corn quinoa salad recipe for a long time. This dish is also gluten-free, paleo friendly, low-carb and I love it! Thx for sharing!

    Reply
  37. Debbie says

    July 23, 2018 at 9:21 pm

    Made this tonight after getting the recipe in my e-mail…. ALL of Kevins recipes RoCk!! This one is Awesome!!

    Reply
    • kevin says

      July 26, 2018 at 11:24 am

      I’m glad you like it!

      Reply
  38. Christina Moore says

    October 15, 2018 at 6:58 am

    This is a great salad, I have always wanted to try something similar, but hadn’t figured everything out just yet. Zucchini based salads have always been amazing for me, and so was this corn quinoa blend. Great recipe! The recipe is very easy to follow too.

    Reply
    • Jane E Kelly says

      August 16, 2019 at 3:06 pm

      I’m going to make this today. Looks great and I have pesto on hand. The picture looks like there is shredded Parmesan cheese on top of the salad, but I don’t see it listed in the ingredients.

      Reply
      • kevin says

        August 17, 2019 at 9:47 am

        A parmesan garnish is nice!

        Reply
  39. Rhishikesh Gaikwad says

    April 1, 2021 at 8:30 am

    Wow superr!! thanks for sharing.. 😊

    Reply

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Kevin: I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.
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