An easy to make Quinoa Avocado Salad that is made with tomatoes, cucumber and tossed in a lemon vinaigrette. It's a protein-packed salad that is great for lunch by itself or as a side dish for dinner.
1cupquinoatricolor, white, red and black quinoa would all work
2cupswaterchicken stock or vegetable broth would also work
1/8teaspoonkosher saltoptional
For The Dressing:
¼cupolive oil
2tablespoonslemon juicefreshly squeezed
1small clove of garlicminced
½teaspoondijon mustard
½teaspoonkosher salt
¼teaspoonblack pepper
For The Salad:
2cupsbaby spinachrinsed and drained
3cupscooked quinoa
1cupcherry tomatoescut in half
2Persian cucumberspeeled and cut into small cubes
3-4colorful baby bell peppers or 1 bell peppersliced thinly
½red onionabout ½ cups, chopped or 3 stalks of scallions
1ripe avocadocut into small cubes
½cupfeta cheesecrumbled (optional) or fresh mozzarella or crumbled queso fresco
Instructions
To cook the quinoa: Place rinsed quinoa in a saucepan with water over high heat. Cover pan, bring it to a boil, turn down the heat to low, and let it cook until all the liquid is absorbed, 12 minutes or so. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes before fluffing it with a fork.
Make the Lemon Salad Dressing: Place olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper in a jar. Put the lid on and give it a shake.
Assemble the salad: Place spinach, cooked quinoa, tomatoes, cucumbers, baby bell peppers, onion, avocado, and cheese in a large salad bowl.
Gently Toss: Drizzle the dressing over the salad. Give it a gentle toss and serve.
Video
Notes
Serve cold or warm? You can serve this quinoa salad either warm or cold. If you decide to serve it cold I recommend cooking the quinoa a day in advance of making sure to cook it before mixing it with the rest of the ingredients.
Make ahead instructions: You can indeed make this salad a day in advance and store it in your fridge. In fact, it tastes even better the next day, after the flavors of the vinaigrette have had time to meld together with the rest of the salad ingredients.
Want to make it a vegan quinoa salad? Simply omit the feta cheese.
Best Way to Store: Store your prepared salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days for best results. If you’re worried about the avocado browning, you can even store the different elements of the salad separately. Simply prepare all of the ingredients (minus the avocado) in advance and store them in individual containers in your fridge until you’re ready to use them. When it’s time to assemble it, you’ll have all of the ingredients prepped and ready to go. All you’ll need to do is add the avocado, toss the salad together, and serve.