Quinoa Avocado Salad Recipe
A refreshing and nutrient-packed quinoa avocado salad featuring toasted quinoa combined with crisp grape tomatoes, Persian cucumbers, red onion, ripe avocados, and fresh cilantro, all tossed in a tangy olive oil and red wine vinegar dressing. Perfect as a light lunch or a healthy side dish.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Quinoa
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups water
Salad
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- 2 Persian cucumbers, chopped
- ¼ red onion, chopped
- 2 large ripe avocados, chopped
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ½ lime, juiced
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Toast Quinoa: Place the quinoa in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Toast for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the quinoa seeds start to pop, releasing a nutty aroma.
- Cook Quinoa: Add ½ teaspoon salt and 1 ½ cups water to the saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until the quinoa is tender and water is absorbed. Remove from heat and keep covered for 5 minutes.
- Cool Quinoa: Fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork to separate the grains. Transfer it to a large salad bowl and allow it to cool to room temperature.
- Make Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice, Dijon mustard, oregano, salt, and black pepper until well combined and emulsified.
- Combine Salad: Once the quinoa has cooled, add the halved grape tomatoes, chopped Persian cucumbers, chopped red onion, chopped avocados, and chopped cilantro to the quinoa bowl.
- Toss Salad: Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and gently stir to evenly coat everything without mashing the avocado.
- Serve: Serve the quinoa avocado salad at room temperature or chilled, depending on preference.
Notes
- To enhance the quinoa’s flavor, toasting before cooking is key.
- Use ripe avocados to ensure creamy texture and great taste.
- This salad can be prepared a few hours ahead and refrigerated; add avocado last to prevent browning.
- For extra protein, garnish with toasted nuts or seeds if desired.
- Adjust the seasoning and dressing ingredients to taste, especially the salt and acidity.
Keywords: Quinoa Salad, Avocado Salad, Healthy Salad, Vegetarian Salad, Mediterranean Salad
Find it online: https://yumwithmia.com/quinoa-avocado-salad-recipe/
