Quinoa, Tomato and Avocado Salad
A fresh, simple, and versatile summer salad. A perfect side dish for whatever you’re grilling up this summer.
Driving home from our vacation at Zion National Park I was reading my new Cooking Light. They had an article on quinoa, how great it is for you and fun ways to change it up. We were constantly eating on vacation, so something light and healthy was just what I was craving.
The combo that jumped out at me was the one they featured in the article with tomatoes and avocados drizzled with a little olive oil. I didn’t have any fresh cilantro, so I subbed parsley and globe basil from my garden. I also threw in some matchstick carrots. I served it with grilled chicken.
Other combos in the article that I hope to try are the Rise and Shine verison with fresh blueberries, nuts and a little brown sugar and cinnamon. Or the Strawberry Fields with sliced strawberries, hazelnuts, arugula, and crumbled goat cheese.
I didn’t know how well this salad would go over with my non-avocado loving twins, but we all liked it. Matt even had three servings. I cooked a double batch of quinoa and had it for breakfast with raspberries, brown sugar and almond milk. It’s a great grain. If you haven’t tried it yet, give it a try.
Quinoa, Tomato and Avocado Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
- 1/2 cup matchstick carrots, steamed for 45 seconds in the microwave
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, havled
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, minced
- 1 large California avocado, diced
- 1 - 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Cook quinoa according to package directions and chill. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and add salt and pepper to taste.
More great salads you might like:
Chicken Apple Salad with Candied Walnuts, Barbara Bakes
Perfect Pasta Salad, Barbara Bakes
Roasted Tomato Caprese Panzanella, How Sweet It Is
Southwestern Quinoa Salad, Kalyn’s Kitchen
Greek Quinoa Salad, Two Peas and Their Pod
Join Dine & Dish and Cookin’ Canuck for the California Avocado 4th of July Blast, sponsored by the California Avocado Commission.”
This was my first try at quinoa. We LOVED this recipe! My 2 year old asked for seconds. The only thing i changed was i tossed the avocado in lemon juice to keep it from browning. Thank you for the delicious recipe!
Thanks Nicole! How fun that your 2 year old loved it too. Tossing the avocado in lemon juice is a great addition to the recipe.
lovely salad will try it
Zion park is somewhere I’ve always wanted to visit.
Quinoa always makes me feel good. Loving this salad!
Lovely salad, I have only just started playing with Quinoa.
a fabulous dish, perfect for summer. Daniela.
NICE!! We don’t get quinoa here and the imported lot costs an arm and a leg! I love the explosion of flavours. Would love to sit at your table GF!
This meal looks perfect for summer! I’m a big fan of quinoa and I’m sure the addition of avocado is delicious!
If I have quinoa in the cupboard I know I can always whip up a healthy meal that everybody will enjoy. I’ve never added avocado before and it sounds delicious.
Love light and simple sides. That chicken looks heavenly too. I have everything but the darn quinoa!! Wish this was my dinner tonight!
love that you used quiona and avocado together. The two sound like they would pair so nicely together with the slight crunch and creaminess. Beautiful salad indeed
what a bright and beautiful salad, i love it!
I love cooking with quinoa! This looks like a wonderful summer dish! 🙂
Your salad looks delicious! I love your ingredients combination.