Avocado Quinoa Salad
Avocado Quinoa Salad is fresh and flavorful, made with cucumbers, tomato, red onion, cilantro and lime juice. A great plant-based lunch or side dish!
Avocado Quinoa Salad
This Avocado Quinoa Salad is bright, zesty, and delicious, and the ingredients remind me of what I typically put in my guacamole. I love this quinoa salad on days I want to go meatless for lunch. I’ve published quite a few quinoa salads over the years, and I love all of them, but this might be my new favorite! Some other favorites are this Mediterranean Quinoa Salad and this Southwestern Black Bean Mango Quinoa Salad.
I’ve been getting tons of requests for more vegan and vegetarian recipes, so I plan on sharing at least one new plant-based recipe per week. Quinoa, the seed of an edible plant, is rich in both fiber and protein and and is very nutritious for our body. It’s also gluten-free and perfect for adding to salads.
Avocado Quinoa Salad Ingredients
This avocado quinoa salad has just a few simple ingredients.
- Quinoa: I prefer red or tricolor quinoa.
- Avocado: If you’re meal prepping this salad, combine everything and add the avocado right before eating.
- Cucumber
- Tomatoes: I used a large beefsteak tomato, but cherry or grape tomatoes would work.
- Red onion
- Jalapeño: Leave the jalapeño’s seeds and ribs in if you want a spicy salad. If you prefer milder food, remove them.
- Fresh cilantro: Skip the cilantro if you don’t like it.
- Dressing: Olive oil, lime juice, salt
How to Cook Quinoa for a Salad
The trick to making the perfect quinoa salads is to cook the quinoa properly. No mushy quinoa for me! I prefer to use red or tricolor quinoa, and make a batch in my Instant Pot (see Perfect Instant Pot Quinoa) to use throughout the week in bowls, salads, salmon burgers, etc. If making the quinoa on the stove, I use less water than recommended. For one cup of quinoa, I use 1 3/4 cups of liquid.
What to Serve with Avocado Quinoa Salad
This healthy quinoa salad makes a great vegan lunch, but if you want to serve it for dinner as a side dish, this would serve four and be great with any protein such as Tequila Lime Shrimp, or Cilantro Lime Chicken. Double this recipe for more servings for a crowd, adding the avocado just before serving.
More Quinoa Recipes You’ll Love:
- Protein Egg and Quinoa Salad Jars
- Southwestern Black Bean, Quinoa and Mango Salad
- Spinach and Quinoa Patties
- Lemon-Chili Shrimp Quinoa Bowls
- Quinoa Fiesta Enchilada Bake
Avocado Quinoa Salad
5+Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa, red or tricolor
- 8 ounces haas avocado, from 2 small, diced
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 ripe beefsteak or heirloom tomato, diced
- 2 mini cucumbers, diced
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/3 cup chopped red onion
- 1 jalapeño, sliced thin with seeds
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl and eat right away.
- Taste for salt and lime juice, and adjust as needed.
- If meal prepping, combine all the ingredients except for the avocado, and add when ready to eat.
- Multiply the recipe for more servings.
Notes
This healthy quinoa salad makes a great vegan lunch for 2 or a side dish for 4 with any protein. Double this recipe for more servings for a crowd, adding the avocado just before serving. Makes 3 1/4 cups.
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Perfection. I’m adding to regular rotation. User red quinoa and cooked as she recommended. Huge difference!
Super refreshing salad for summer! Added grilled chicken breast to the top to make a meal. Yum!
Loved it! Husband did too.
I was a little skeptical about if I would like this, but WOW! I loved it! I think I will be making and eating this all summer long. The flavor combination is terrific, especially with the addition of the jalapenos. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Tasty, fresh, and kept well in the fridge throughout the week. Nice healthy side.
Thank you for more vegetarian and vegan content! My partner and I have cooked your recipes for years but are now primarily vegetarian. I can modify some of your recipes with fake meat but I always appreciate just straight healthy and hearty vegetarian options.
Spring in a bowl! So good, I usually monkey around with recipes to tailor them to my taste preferences. This one is perfect as is. Recently required by my doctors to go dairy-free and gluten-free…it’s a huge nuisance. Thanks for easing the burden of finding healthy *and* yummy recipes that meet those criteria ❤️
Delicious! I added spinach & arugula. This will be in the mix for summer dinner parties.
Thanks, this is a very good recipe, I added a little salt. I love avocados and my husband loves them.
Made this today. I am in love. I did sub lime tajin seasoning for salt. Thank you!!!
Any hints/tops for making the Quinoa? I have never cooked it. Stovetop, not Instapot.
Thanks.
I always follow the package directions with a little less water.
This is a great salad! I used the juice of 2 limes and added a little more salt. It is really delicious!
I saw this recipe this morning, and several hours later here I am sitting here now having it for lunch. This is delicious, light and easy. I made it exactly as written and it’s perfect. Another winner!
Very nice and light. Perfect for lunch. I added some leftover grilled chicken.