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A bowl of avocado quinoa salad from the top view
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Quinoa Avocado Salad Recipe

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.
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 326kcal

Ingredients

For The Quinoa

  • 1 cup quinoa tricolor, white, red and black quinoa would all work
  • 2 cups water chicken stock or vegetable broth would also work
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt optional

For The Dressing:

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
  • 1 small clove of garlic minced
  • ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

For The Salad:

  • 2 cups baby spinach rinsed and drained
  • 3 cups cooked quinoa
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
  • 2 Persian cucumbers peeled and cut into small cubes
  • 3-4 colorful baby bell peppers or 1 bell pepper sliced thinly
  • ½ red onion about ½ cups, chopped or 3 stalks of scallions
  • 1 ripe avocado cut into small cubes
  • ½ cup feta cheese crumbled (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.

Nutrition

Calories: 326kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 538mg | Potassium: 764mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2428IU | Vitamin C: 49mg | Calcium: 149mg | Iron: 3mg