Avocado Blueberry Quinoa Salad | Ambitious Kitchen

by

I’m not sure if you remember one of my very first quinoa salads on the blog. It was 2013, I had just met my husband, and the recipe surprisingly went viral on Pinterest! I can’t believe that was almost 10 years ago – time flies here at AK.

Ever since then I’ve fallen in LOVE with quinoa salads. You can actually get all of my quinoa salad recipes here! I made this beautiful avocado blueberry quinoa salad a few years back because I knew I wanted a hearty, yet super fresh salad for summer.

This amazing, summer-y quinoa salad has lots of fresh produce like corn, blueberries, avocado and herbs, plus a little crunch from pistachios and tanginess from feta. The combo is SO delicious and every bite is bursting with flavor. It’s all tied together with a homemade cilantro lime dressing that you’ll want to put on everything. The perfect seasonal lunch or side dish for your next BBQ!

Join the AK Salad Series

During the month of June, we’re bringing you tons of salad inspo, tips, a FREE challenge, and more.

Sign up above to get:

  • A FREE salad e-book with 5 of my very best summer salad recipes
  • Amazing salad-making tips and hacks, plus even more nourishing salad recipes that you can come back to time and time again
  • A month-long FREE challenge to encourage you to make & share your salad creations in June!

Be sure to follow @AmbitiousKitchen on Instagram to see fun recipe reels and behind-the-scenes salad-making content all month long!

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!
  • Veggies & herbs: this blueberry quinoa salad is packed with fresh sweet corn (I love it straight off the cob), zippy red onion, and freshness from cilantro.
  • Fruits: there are, of course, juicy, fresh blueberries, plus creamy avocado.
  • Feta: Tangy feta crumbles are amazing in here! Feel free to omit to keep this vegan.
  • Pistachios: hello crunchy, salty pistachio bites.
  • For the dressing: you’ll just need a bit of olive oil or avocado oil, lime juice, more cilantro, jalapeño, salt & pepper.

corn, blueberries, quinoa, feta, avocado, red onion, pistachios and cilantro in a bowl

Easy ingredient swaps

Out of a few ingredients for this avocado quinoa salad? Here’s what I can recommend for simple swaps:

  • For the quinoa: feel free to use another grain like farro or even couscous!
  • For the pistachios: toasted, sliced ​​almonds would also be delicious in here.
  • For the feta: a little crumbled goat cheese would be the perfect swap.

Looking to add a boost of protein?

This blueberry quinoa salad would be delicious with a can of chickpeas, chopped, grilled chicken, or grilled salmon or shrimp!

avocado blueberry quinoa salad in a bowl with a spoon on the left side of the bowl

How to make the best fluffy quinoa for 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. Get all of my tips & tricks here to make the best quinoa every time!

avocado blueberry salad in a bowl with a spoon

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.

    avocado blueberry quinoa salad in a bowl

    What to pair with this blueberry quinoa salad

    This salad is delicious on its own as a main dish, or it makes for a wonderful side paired with different proteins and mains. I suggest:

    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

    Gorgeous avocado blueberry quinoa salad loaded with fresh corn, red onion, tangy feta, chopped pistachios, and tossed in a flavorful cilantro lime dressing. This delicious vegetarian quinoa salad is perfect for summer lunches, parties, and picnics.

    • 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

  • 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.

    • 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.

    Nutrition

    Servings: 6 servings

    Serving size: 1 serving (based on 6)

    Calories: 364kcal

    Fat: 23.1g

    Saturated fat: 4.4g

    Carbohydrates: 24.5g

    Fiber: 6.8g

    Sugar: 5.5g

    Protein: 9.8g

    This post was originally published on June 7th, 2019, and republished on June 3rd, 2022.

    Leave a Comment