If you've ever grabbed the Costco quinoa salad and wondered if it's actually worth the price, you're not alone.
It's one of Costco's most popular ready-to-eat salads, especially for quick lunches, potlucks, and easy weeknight sides. We tested it at home and broke down how it tastes, how much you get, nutrition details, and whether it's something we'd buy again.
Quick Verdict: Is Costco Quinoa Salad Worth It?
- Overall rating: 8/10
- Taste: Fresh, lemony, hearty
- Texture: Firm grains, not mushy
- Value: Excellent for the size
- Best for: Lunches, potlucks, easy sides
- Skip if: You prefer bold or heavily seasoned salads
Costco Quinoa Salad Review
I'm continuing my Costco meal reviews, and today I'm sharing a closer look at the Costco quinoa salad. If you've never tried it before, this review covers what it tastes like, how much you get, and whether it's worth the price.
The quinoa salad comes in a large rectangular plastic container. I picked this up in Canada, so the packaging or size may vary slightly depending on your location.
Out of all the Costco pre-packaged meals, this one immediately stood out because of its fresh, colorful presentation. It reminded me a lot of my homemade quinoa salad, but without any chopping or prep. Considering the number of ingredients, the price felt reasonable enough that I wanted to try it.
This salad feels generous in size and offers good value for the price. You'd likely pay the same amount for a much smaller portion at a café or health food store.
Overall, it makes two large servings or three medium servings, and works especially well as a fresh side dish for weeknight dinners or summer meals.
If you're deciding between Costco salads, this one feels lighter and fresher than the Costco Caesar Salad, which is more filling and dressing-heavy.
What Does Costco Quinoa Salad Taste Like?
Fresh, lemony, and hearty. This salad has a light, refreshing flavor that doesn't feel heavy or overdressed.
Here's what stood out:
- Firm quinoa and bulgur, not mushy
- Lots of chopped vegetables, including cucumber, bell pepper, tomatoes, and onion
- Light lemon dressing that keeps it fresh and summery
The flavor is mild and clean. If you love bold, heavily seasoned salads, you may want to add extra dressing or toppings. If you prefer lighter flavors, this one hits the mark.
Where Can I Find It In The Store?
You can find this kirkland signature food item in the pre-made meal section that's near the refrigerated meat and cheese section of your local Costco warehouse.
Costco Quinoa Salad Price
I bought this quinoa salad at a Costco in Canada for $12.09 (Canadian dollars). Pricing is based on the weight. This would convert to about $8.86 USD. The price will vary on the location and may even be cheaper in the USA because things are usually more expensive in Canada (which is unfortunate for us).
However, I still thought this was a great price because of all the fresh vegetables, and salads like this one tend to go for $20 at health food stores for half the amount! This could make about 2 large servings or 4 small servings if you pair it with something else like chicken, steak or burgers.
How Many Servings Are in Costco Quinoa Salad?
This container is more filling than it looks.
- 2 large servings as a main lunch
- 3-4 smaller servings as a side dish
- Great for meal prep when paired with protein
This makes it easy to mentally plan meals.
We often pair this salad with heartier grab-and-bake meals like the Costco Chicken Pot Pie or Costco Stuffed Bell Peppers to balance comfort food with something fresh.
Costco Quinoa Salad Ingredients
Wondering what's inside the Costco quinoa salad? Most of the ingredients are fresh and simple as you can see in the image above. I've also listed them out nicely for you here as they can be hard to read from the photo.
Important to know: This salad contains bulgur, so it is not gluten-free. If you need a gluten-free option, my homemade quinoa salad without bulgur is a better choice.
- Quinoa, Mung beans, Cucumbers, Bulghur, Tomatoes, Vegetable oil, Bell peppers, Parsley, Lentils, Concentrated lemon juice, Vinegar, Chives, Water, Salt, Potassium chloride, Sugar, and Spices.
The ingredients may vary from location to location so it's always important to read the package of the one you purchase personally, especially if you have food allergies!
Costco Quinoa Salad Directions
This salad is ready to eat! You can serve it straight from the container or add it to a salad bowl to serve.
- Open the plastic lid and give the salad a quick stir to freshen up.
- Serve straight from the container or scoop into a salad bowl for a prettier presentation.
Helpful Tip: You can make a large bowl of it with cooked chicken breasts, marinated tofu or grilled shrimp for added protein then divide it up into smaller portions for weekday lunches.
How To Store Leftovers
The quinoa salad will have a best-before date on the label of the package and can be stored in the fridge until that date. Here's how to store it:
- Refrigerator: Store tightly sealed in the original container until the best-before date
- Do not freeze: Freezing softens the vegetables and changes the texture
- Before serving leftovers: Stir well and add a squeeze of fresh lemon or a drizzle of dressing to refresh
For easy lunches and low-effort dinners, we rotate this with other Costco favorites like the Costco Chicken Salad or serve it as a side on pizza nights with Costco Pepperoni Pizza.
Nutrition Facts
You can always request any nutritional facts through customer service at your local Costco. Here's the nutrition info for the Costco caesar salad:
There are 280 calories per cup. With 9g fat, 39g carbohydrates, and 12g protein.
Topping Ideas
We really liked this salad and didn't feel like it needed much for toppings or variations. However, it would be so easy to customize and build a bigger salad. Here are a few ideas of what you could add for more flavor:
- CHEESE - Add cubes of your favorite cheese including cheddar cheese, Monterey jack, or crumbled feta cheese.
- PROTEIN - This would be so easy to add cooked chicken, crispy tofu, shrimp or steak bites for more protein.
- CROUTONS - Add 1 cup of croutons for a nice crunch.
What Can You Serve Costco Quinoa Salad With?
This is an easy recipe to serve as a side dish with your main meal. Here are a few ideas of what to serve it with:
- CHICKEN - Cook up some marinated chicken in the oven or on the grill, buy a rotisserie chicken from Costco to pair with it, or serve with chicken wings.
- BEEF - This would be a great summer salad to serve at a barbecue with grilled steak.
- PORK - Our marinated pork chops would be delicious with this salad.
- BURGERS - Serve with burgers or black bean burgers.
- MASON JAR SALADS - Add this to the base of mason jars and top with protein, cheese and croutons for mason jar salads throughout the week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! This quinoa salad is definitely healthy as almost all the ingredients are fresh grains or vegetables.
There are 280 calories per cup.
You can find this item in the pre-made meal section that's near the deli and refrigerated meat section of your local Costco warehouse.
No, it is not due to the bulgur that's included. It says it "contains wheat" right on the label. This is unfortunate as I think the salad would taste equally as great without the bulgur and more people could enjoy it.
Our Review
Rating: 8/10
This is one of our favorite Costco pre-made salads. It's fresh, filling, and packed with vegetables and grains, without tasting heavy.
We love that it saves prep time and works for lunches, dinners, and gatherings. While the flavor is mild, it's easy to customize and pairs well with many meals.
We would absolutely buy this again.
Costco Quinoa Salad vs Other Costco Salads
If you're deciding between Costco salads:
- This one is lighter and fresher than the Caesar salad
- Less creamy, less heavy
- More vegetables and grains
- Better suited for lunches and potlucks
Have you tried the Costco quinoa salad? What did you think of it? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
Costco Quinoa Salad
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Ingredients
- 1 Costco quinoa salad container
- any desired toppings - see notes
Instructions
- Open the plastic lid and give the salad a quick stir to freshen up.
- Serve straight from the container or scoop into a salad bowl for a prettier presentation.
Notes
-
- REFRIGERATE - Leftovers can be kept in the container that it was purchased in. Be sure to seal tightly to ensure maximum freshness. This will keep until the expiry date on the package label.
- Can You Freeze It? No, I wouldn't recommend it. The vegetables will soften and change in consistency. The salad just won't taste the same.
- Tips For Serving Leftovers - Give the salad a quick stir before you plan to serve. You can also drizzle freshly squeezed lemon juice or add your favorite dressing.
- CHEESE - Add cubes of your favorite cheese including cheddar cheese, Monterey jack, or crumbled feta cheese.
- PROTEIN - This would be so easy to add cooked chicken, crispy tofu, shrimp or steak bites for more protein.
- CROUTONS - Add 1 cup of croutons for a nice crunch.
Nutrition info is auto-calculated and meant to be an approximation only.
Bev says
Love the freshness and great price of this salad. I love a drizzle of balsami glaze and tiny bit of feta.
I am the only person eating this (and dur to the short expiration date) I'll freeze half of the container in a zip lock. Tastes great to me after thawing.
Kevin Starr says
This has become my go to salad at Costco! This salad is so versatile. I pair it with so many different things or have it on its own. From a nice salad on the side of a burger (of any type) to pairing it with some Chana Masala, to a tuna wrap, or just tossing it with some chicken, it all seems to work well. Often I find the dressing isn’t even necessary depending on the pairing.
Kathy says
I wish I had the exact recipe for this salad
Especially the spices they've used
Jane says
Fresh taste and consistency. Pleasant flavor.
bridgett hard says
what is the nutrition information without the vinagrette?
Andi says
I don't have that information. Perhaps if you ask your local Costco they'll have it.