Strawberry Avocado Quinoa Salad

This summer strawberry avocado salad has quinoa for plant-based protein, cucumber, fresh greens, crunchy pecans and a simple jalapeño lime vinaigrette.

This refreshing salad is the perfect summer side dish. It's a little sweet, a little spicy, super refreshing and packed with healthy fats and plant-based protein from quinoa.

Whether you add a grilled protein on top or serve it alongside another main dish, it's versatile and filling for any time of day. We love it alongside a perfectly grilled cauliflower steak or grilled tofu & vegetable kebabs!

For a heartier, meal prep friendly salad, you can omit the fresh greens and add more cucumber. The quinoa actually tastes better the longer it sits in the dressing. Just wait to add the avocado until just before serving so it doesn't go brown!

Strawberry Avocado Salad Ingredients

• Fresh greens: Just about any fresh green works well here. I prefer using either baby kale or arugula, but spinach, regular kale, or a lettuce mix are all great options.
• Cooked quinoa: Cook your quinoa according to package directions. About ½ cup dry quinoa is plenty for this recipe, but we've also given a few ideas below if you want to make extra for meal prep!
• Strawberries: We're pretty berry-obsessed, so we used a whole pint of fresh strawberries in this salad. Use as many or as few as you'd like. You can also sub in raspberries, blueberries or blackberries.
• Avocado: As ripe as possible!
• Cucumber: Thinly sliced mini cucumbers are my favorite in this salad.
• Pecans: Toasted or raw – it's up to you. You can even get extra fancy and make a batch of these candied nuts. They would be fantastic on this salad!
• Jalapeño Lime Vinaigrette: A simple vinaigrette with a bit of spice from fresh, minced jalapeño, freshly squeezed lime juice, lime zest, olive oil, salt and a touch of sweetener. Don't want something spicy? Try the simple balsamic vinaigrette in this recipe instead.

More uses for plain cooked quinoa

Make an extra large batch of plain quinoa and use it all week! It's our favorite grain to make for meal prep. It's easy to reheat (much more so than rice), cooks quickly and it's nutrient-dense.

It's especially great for vegans/vegetarians as quinoa contains a good amount of plant-based protein. When making this salad, double or triple the amount of cooked quinoa, then store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for a week.

Use it in these recipes for an easy dinner/lunch:

• Thai Peanut Quinoa Salad
• Quinoa Vegetable Stew
• Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad
• Mujadara (Lentils & Quinoa with Caramelized Onions and Yogurt Tahini Sauce)

More summer salad recipes you'll love:

• Summer Vegetable and Wild Rice Salad
• Watermelon, Cucumber, Strawberry & Feta Salad
• Rainbow Summer Slaw
• Berry Spinach Salad with Raspberry Dressing
• Grilled Corn, Black Bean & Avocado Salad
• Watermelon Berry Salad with Lime Mint Dressing

If you make this summer strawberry avocado quinoa salad, we’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below! We also love to see your creations on Instagram – tag us at @crowded_kitchen so we can see what you’ve been cooking.

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