Strawberry Avocado Quinoa Salad
A refreshing Strawberry Avocado Quinoa Salad packed with flavor and topped with a sweet and salty brittle.
Equipment
- Oven
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 cup quinoa, cooled cook according to package directions
- 5 oz arugula, baby kale or spinach 1 container
- 1 cup cucumber, diced or thinly sliced
- 1 pint strawberries, quartered or sliced
- 1 ripe avocado, diced
- ½ cup toasted pecans or pecan pumpkin seed brittle recipe below
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese optional
Jalapeño Lime Vinaigrette
- ½ small jalapeño, deseeded and minced
- ⅓ cup olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- ½ tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Pumpkin-Pecan Brittle (optional)
- 1 cup raw, unsalted pecans, roughly chopped
- ½ cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Pumpkin-Pecan Brittle (optional)
- Preheat oven to 275˚F. Mix the pecans, pumpkin seeds, maple syrup, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl to coat. Spread onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 35 minutes, rotating halfway through. Allow to cool and break into small pieces.
Salad Preparation
- Cook quinoa according to package directions, fluff with a fork to release steam, and let cool.
- Whisk together all ingredients for the vinaigrette.
- Assemble salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss gently with vinaigrette. Wait to add the brittle until just before serving.
Notes
If making ahead of time, wait to toss salad with dressing until about an hour before serving to prevent sogginess. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days, but it will get soggier the longer it sits. For best results, store vinaigrette separately. Optional: cook quinoa in vegetable broth for more flavor.
Nutrition
Serving: 1BowlCalories: 496kcalCarbohydrates: 51.1gProtein: 10.5gFat: 30.8gSodium: 338.4mgFiber: 10.9gSugar: 7.9g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!