I’m not sure if you guys remember one of my very first quinoa salads on the blog, but I do because I just so happened to have made right after I met my husband AND the recipe surprisingly went viral on Pinterest.
Since realizing how much you all seem to enjoy quinoa recipes, I now try to put out a few new quinoa salads each summer because they’re easy and great to pack for a quick, healthy lunch.
Today’s salad is a unique combination of ingredients that popped into my mind when I was brainstorming about how I wanted to use summer sweet corn in a few recipes.
Originally, I wanted to make this with forbidden black rice (my fav!) but Abra convinced me to do it with quinoa instead and it turned out to be sensationally delicious. A unique combination of flavors, textures and summer fruits and crunchy veggies.
YUM.
Ingredients in blueberry quinoa salad
This simple blueberry quinoa salad is packed with fresh ingredients and tossed with a tangy, slightly spicy cilantro lime dressing. ZIPPITY DO DA ZIPPITY DAY. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Quinoa: the base of this delicious salad is made with quinoa, which gives it a boost of protein and a slightly nutty flavor. Farro, couscous, or even your favorite pasta would also be delicious!
- Avocado: you’ll love the fresh, creamy chunks of avocado in every bite.
- Blueberries: juicy blueberries truly make this quinoa salad unique.
- Corn: I like using fresh sweet corn straight off the cob but frozen will work just as well.
- Red onion: diced red onion adds a zip that pairs deliciously with the sweet ingredients.
- Feta: tangy feta crumbles are amazing in here! Feel free to use goat cheese or omit to keep this vegan.
- Pistachios: hello crunchy, salty pistachio bites.
- Cilantro: the essential freshness in the salad and in the dressing.
- Olive oil: use a bit of olive oil or avocado oil as the base of the cilantro lime dressing.
- Lime juice: just the right amount of brightness and acidity.
- Jalapeño: add a kick of heat with some jalapeño! Feel free to omit if you’re sensitive to spice.
- Salt & pepper: to bring out all of the flavors.
How to make the best fluffy quinoa for quinoa salads:
I know how difficult it can be to make the PERFECT quinoa, but I have a tried and true method for making super fluffy. It’s perfect for quinoa salads & side dishes, and will be your new go-to method.
- First, add 2 parts water and 1 part quinoa to a medium pot and place over high heat.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to low, and cook your quinoa for exactly 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, remove pot from heat and fluff quinoa with a fork. Then cover and allow quinoa to sit in the pot off of direct heat for 10 minutes to fluff and steam for the best texture. Easy!
Tips for making this blueberry quinoa salad
- Use firm avocados as they’ll keep their shape better. Check out exactly how to cut an avocado safely here!
- Choose any nuts you’d like! The roasted pistachios add a nutty flavor and crunch to this quinoa salad, but you can always sub toasted almonds, walnuts, pecans or even candied pecans.
- Use seasonal fruits. If you don’t have any blueberries, try using strawberries, raspberries, blackberries or peaches. YUM.
- Feel free to add chickpeas or chicken for an additional boost of protein!
- If you’re making this quinoa salad ahead of time, I suggest adding the avocado and pistachios right before serving.
How to store quinoa salad
Store this blueberry quinoa salad in an airtight container in the fridge, without or without the dressing, for up to 4-5 days. The acidity from the lime juice will help the avocado stay fresh! The dressing will also stay good in a container in the fridge for up to one week as well.
What to pair this blueberry quinoa salad with:
This salad is delicious on it’s own as main dish, or it makes for a wonderful side paired with different proteins and mains. I suggest:
- Easy, delicious grilled chicken
- Seriously Good Sweet Potato Cheddar BBQ Chicken Burgers
- Vegan Turmeric Pineapple Tofu Kabobs
- Firecracker Salmon with Peach Avocado Salsa
- Ultimate Vegan Black Bean Burgers with Creamy Tahini Garlic Sauce
- Incredible Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
If you make this blueberry quinoa salad, be sure to leave a comment below and rate the recipe! You can also snap and picture and post it on Instagram using the hashtag #ambitiouskitchen. xo!
Avocado Blueberry Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- For the salad:
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 firm but still ripe avocado, sliced or diced
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 cup sweet corn (preferably fresh off the cob)
- 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
- 1/2 cup feta
- 1/2 cup chopped pistachios
- 1/2 cup diced cilantro
- Cilantro Lime Dressing:
- 1/3 cup packed cilantro leaves
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- ½ jalapeno, seeded
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- For garnishing
- Extra cilantro, pistachios, feta and red onion
Instructions
- First, make your quinoa. Add water and quinoa to a medium pot and place over high heat; bring mixture to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to low and cook for exactly 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove pot from heat and fluff quinoa with a fork. Then cover and allow quinoa to sit in the pot for 10 minutes.
- While the quinoa is cooking, make your cilantro lime dressing by adding the ingredients to a blender: cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, jalapeño half and salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Once your quinoa is done, add it to a large bowl. Add in the avocado, blueberries, corn, red onion, feta, pistachios, and cilantro.
- Pour dressing all over the quinoa salad and toss to combine. Garnish with extra cilantro, pistachios, feta and red onion if you’d like. Serve at room temp or cold. Salad with stay good for 3-5 days in the fridge. Serves 4-6. Nutrition info based on 6.
Recipe Notes
Feel free to add chicken or chickpeas for an extra boost of protein!
Store this blueberry quinoa salad in an airtight container in the fridge, without or without the dressing, for up to 4-5 days. The acidity from the lime juice will help the avocado stay fresh! The dressing will also stay good in a container in the fridge for up to one week as well.
88 comments
Are there 4 servings or 6? The nutritionials say both.
Updated! Nutrition is for 6, but the recipe can serve 4-6 🙂
That woman from facebook is going to be sad to see there is feta in the recipe hahaha! Me on the other hand, loveeeee the flavor combos you have going on here!
Haha oops! Can’t help it – love feta in here 🙂 Hope you get a chance to make this one Ema!
In your nutrition info it says serves 6. But at the end of the recipe it says serves 4…?
Hi Cindy! Thanks for the catch – I’ve updated the recipe (the nutrition is for 6 but the recipe serves 4-6!)
Looks delicious! If we’re making this to have for lunch throughout the week, is it okay to add avocado at the time of making it?
I’d recommend adding the avocado when you’re ready to serve if you’re planning to keep the salad for a few days (just to keep it nice and fresh!) It will be fine either way though 🙂
I would leave out the corn, or definitely cook it first. Humans do not digest corn well…
I always cook it first (and then cut it off the cob 🙂 ). Grilling it would be delicious, too!
Did not realize I needed to cool the corn. That was not specified.
No need to cool it, but if you meant cook it – I always do cook it (and it is likely easier to digest that way) but you can also cut it off the cob raw if you prefer.
What kind of blender do you use for the dressing?
Any blender should work just fine! I usually use my Vitamix.
Hi Monique, I wish I liked Feta but I don’t. What cheese substitute do you recommend?
Hi Leanne! Feel free to use any crumbled cheese you like or even cube up some white cheddar 🙂
there is one cheese i like Mexican Panela or fresco it’s not as dry as feta and it’s a bit saltier and pairs perfectly with corn.
Sounds delicious! Let me know if you give it a try in the salad 🙂
Can’t wait to try this!
One of my new favs — enjoy!
This is absolutely fabulous! I have made it twice so far and it is now one of my favorites! I have never made quinoa correctly until now. I followed this step by step and it’s perfect! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!
Amazing! So happy to hear that. And YES the quinoa tips are a game changer 🙂
I’m allergic to cilantro, what would you recommend for a substitute?
I would just leave it out!
Well you answered my cilantro question. How do you think it would be with some flat leaf parsley
Delicious! 🙂
This is delicious. Thank you for all the great recipes. Keep up the good work!
Thanks Emilie! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Made this for a party yesterday and everyone raved about it!! Had what little was leftover for dinner tonight and it was equally delicious on day 2…the avocado even stayed green! Yum…will be adding this to my regular recipe rotation!
Amazing! Day 2 the dressing in the salad makes it even better 🙂 Perfect for meal prep lunches, too!
Love it! Made it for my lunches this week! Thank you!
Amazing! So happy to hear that.
I am following you for a month more or less and everything I cook based on your recipes turn out sooooo delicious. Best Regarding from Portugal!
Amazing! So happy to hear that, Ana. Thanks for your note!
This was absolutely delicious! I did double the dressing and used about three quarters of it. Super combination of flavors. I’ll make this often! Perhaps the only thing I’ll play around with is the jalapeño…I like spicy.
Glad you enjoyed! I’m all about adding a little spice 🙂
This is the second time this week I’m making this salad . It’s great thank you for the recipe.
So happy to hear that, Sarah!
Tossing blueberries in with TexMex ingredients? Genius! This tasty (and easy) dish is great as a side with salmon or chicken, or to bring all by itself in your brown bag lunch to work. Yum!
Absolutely! One of my favs for lunch 🙂 glad you enjoyed!
I made this recipe last night for dinner. It was amazing!!! I love the combination of ingredients, so flavorful. I added some grilled chicken strips for my hubby, who does not believe a meal is complete without meat. For people who might want to speed up the preparation process, I used a 90 second microwaveable package of Quinoa. Tasted great! One other revision I made was to blend the cut up onion into the dressing, rather than having the raw onion bits mixed in with the salad. Try it you’ll love this recipe!!
Delicious! Sounds like the perfect dinner 🙂
This was incredible! My husband and I have been eating off of it for several days. The dressing helps the avocado from browning, and the blueberries keep getting sweeter! I used sliced almonds in place of pistachios. SO GOOD!!
Love that! One of my favs for spring & summer 🙂
This recipe has it all: fresh, fruity, acidic, nutty, spicy (I kept the jalapeno seeds). Such a delicious salad,
Absolutely! Glad you loved it 🙂
SO yummy!! The corn adds a nice sweet crunch to the salad, I will definitely be making this again!!
Absolutely! So glad you loved it 🙂
Made this salad tonight – it was a success! Both me and my husband loved it. Well balanced, tasty, healthy, and easy to make. Thank you for the recipe!
Amazing! So happy to hear that 🙂
Absolutely delicious. I am trying plant based eating and this is my 1st official meal. Can’t way to try others. My husband also raved about this and said to make sure that I saved the recipe!
Amazing! The perfect first meal 🙂
Made this for my family for Memorial Day and it was a huge hit, will definitely make again, pairs well with Barbecue!
So happy to hear that!
It is an amazing twist with the green sauce/ dressing. Thx so much 🙂 I’m inspired!
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed!
I’m making this salad tonight. So far have loved all of your recipes! Question – thoughts on shredding spinach or romaine for the base, then adding the salad ingredients on top? I feel like I need a lettuce to make this a main dish? Thank you.
So happy to hear that! I think some spinach or arugula would be delicious, too 🙂
Absolutely loved this dish
I’m so glad!
This is a delicious and beautiful salad! My dressing didn’t blend up very well in my Vitamix, so next time I’ll chop the jalapeno finely and add it to the salad, put more chopped cilantro in the salad, and whisk the other dressing inredients together. Since one of our family isn’t eating dairy or nuts, I mixed the salad without those and put the feta and pistachios on top for those that could have them. I also put the avocado on top since I forgot to mix it in. This is another keeper of a recipe!!
Perfect! Let me know how it goes with the dressing alternative 🙂
I make this for lunch every other week! It keeps so well in the fridge. I just add the avo and the dressing as I go. I even made this for a friend who lost a family member and Her family raved about it! I have made this no less than 15 times since it was posted!
Perfect! I’m so glad your friend and their family loved it, too. Such a great meal!
This is freaking amazing! Seriously, one of the best things I’ve ever eaten!!!
I’m so glad you loved it!
This salad is so delicious! My whole family loves it! Thank you for sharing this recipe!!!
I’m so glad!! 🙂
I subbed green onion for the red and doubled the dressing for added zest. Big hit with our dinner guest! I sent him home with a hefty portion and saved some for us as well.
Perfect! So glad he enjoyed!
This is amazing, delicious, and easy. I brought a double batch to a camping trip and it was a huge hit with everyone and kept well in a plastic airtight container in a cooler. I added extra blueberries and pistachios and extra lime juice both to the dressing and squeezed extra on top. Next time I might make a double batch of the dressing so I could add more to leftovers. This salad is perfect for a summer picnic or party, holds up well, and is a great combo of healthy and delicious.
So happy this held up well camping! One of my favorite summer salads 🙂 glad you loved it!
This is a great recipe if you want an easy weekday lunch that is quick to prepare in advance. It does keep great. I pour the dressing over the cut Avo and other veg and mix that first, which keeps the avocado in good shape (I usually portion it by four). Have shared this with a bunch of friends. It was great last summer and it’s been so refreshing during our home bound days of 2020. Looking forward to exploring more of your gems.
Absolutely! The perfect summer lunch 🙂
One of my New Favorite Things in Life! This is a tasty refreshing salad loved by my family and my coworkers. I used about 1/3 less quinoas and doubled the dressing. I will be making this again’
Amazing! Glad everyone enjoyed!
Such a staple in the summer time. One of the first AK recipes I tried and it did not disappoint. Soooo good
Absolutely! Glad you love it!
Didn’t quite understand the addition of blueberries but it worked. This salad is delish. Will definitely make again.
Feel free to leave them out if you don’t like them! Glad you enjoyed.
Loved this. The dressing is amazing
One of my favs for summer 🙂
Love this recipe!! All the flavors are just so delicious and pair so well rogether!! And I love using quinoa as the base now that I have gotten my husband on board with it! We added grilled chicken and it was perfect. My only issue was making the dressing. I used my Ninja blender and followed the instructions but there wasn’t enough volume in the container for the blades to do their job.. and I tried an immersion blender and had the same issue…so I went old school and used a mortar and pestle.. which worked but it definitely wasn’t as liquid-y as if the blender had worked. That was the only problem I had but everything still turned out delicious and I will be adding this to my summer meal list!!! Bring on the warm weather!
So glad you love this one! Hmmm do you have a single serve cup for your blender? That should help, or trying it on a food processor!
I can’t wait to try the blueberry quinoa recipe.
Hope you love it!
Can you use frozen blueberries in this recipe?
Sure! Just let them thaw and then drain the excess liquid 🙂