Quinoa Avocado Salad

Quinoa Avocado Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

This is a fresh, summer salad with a base of flavorful veggies, including avocados, scallions, radishes, cilantro, and spinach.

The lime dressing goes really well with the cilantro and quinoa, giving it a light, tangy taste.

(I just realized that none of my bowls match. Oops!)

Tossing the avocados in lime juice and adding the mixture at the very end allows them to absorb the citrusy flavor, which really comes through in the finished product.

Salad Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa (yields about 1.5- 2 cups cooked)
• 1 Hass avocado or 1/2 green avocado, peeled and diced
• 1 tbsp lime juice (to toss avocado)
• 2 radishes, chopped
• 1/2 large cucumber or 1 small one, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup spinach, sliced into strips
• 1 small tomato, diced
• bit of cilantro to taste
• salt & pepper to taste
• crumbly cheese, such as Gorgonzola, goat, or blue (optional)

Vinaigrette Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 1/2 tsp vinegar
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1.   Cook the quinoa and set aside to cool while you prepare the vegetables and dressing.

2.   In a small bowl, mix in 1 tbsp lime juice with avocado and set aside.

3.   In a salad bowl, combine radishes, cucumber, scallions, spinach, and tomato.

4.   Combine the vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.

5.   Once the quinoa has cooled to room temperature, mix it into the salad bowl with the veggies.

6.   Add enough vinaigrette to your liking and season with salt and pepper to taste.

7.   Gently mix in the avocado, top with crumbly cheese (optional- I used Gorgonzola), and serve right away.

The verdict: This is one of the best salads I’ve made all summer! It’s hearty enough to eat by itself for lunch, yet light enough to serve as a side dish for dinner. I served it with garlic-lemon grilled tilapia, but it would go great with a citrus chicken or a pineapple-marinated steak. It’s also perfectly vegan if you omit the cheese, and an easy recipe to multiply and bring to a potluck. My first attempt at a cold quinoa dish was definitely a win!  I adapted this recipe from Kalyn’s Kitchen’s, with a few shortcuts and some extra ingredients.

Another win were these whole wheat chocolate chip cookies I made yesterday. I’ve been on a baking kick ever since I invested in some whole wheat flour and baking soda, and this is another one of my Franken-recipe experiments gone totally right.

Well, not totally. I may have underestimated the spacing on the cookie sheet a bit. But admit it. You’ve had some seriously delicious square cookies too.

 

I’m wondering…

 

What’s your favorite way to use quinoa?

My new favorite quinoa recipes are definitely the cold ones. I like it in salads or in pitas with hummus and veggies.