Summer Fruit Quinoa Salad

This easy Summer Quinoa Salad features stone fruit, berries, and fresh peppers coated in vibrant lemon-mint dressing. A 30-minute vegan salad ideal for lunch or a side dish on a warm summer day.

Quinoa salad with avocado and fruit on tan platter with wood spoons.

Every summer, I make the mistake of buying way too much fresh fruit. Does this ever happen to you? Between all of the peaches, nectarines, blueberries, and strawberries, I think it's easy to get a little bit carried away.

Luckily, there are so many tasty ways to use fresh produce this time of year, so you don't have to worry about any of it going to waste.

If your fruit still has a little freshness and vibrancy to it, a salad is the way to go! Fresh and easy and colorful for a weekday lunch or enticing side dish to go with whatever's on the BBQ.

If your fruit is past its best days, chop and freeze for smoothies. (This Berry Dragon Fruit recipe is one of my favorites!)

Summer Quinoa Salad on tan platter with wooden serving spoons.

Summer Quinoa Salad Ingredients

Quinoa Salad:

  • Quinoa
  • Peach (or nectarine)
  • Strawberries
  • Blueberries
  • Red bell pepper (or any color)
  • Jalapeño pepper (optional)
  • Scallions (both the green and white parts)
  • Avocado

Lemon Dressing:

  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Lemon
  • Fresh mint leaves
  • Salt and pepper
Quinoa and fruit salad in mixing bowl.

How to Make a Summer Quinoa Salad

First, cook the quinoa:

Rinse the dry quinoa in a collander and then transfer it to a saucepan. Turn the heat on to medium and toast the quinoa for a few minutes. Once toasted, the quinoa will darken in color and begin to smell nutty.

After you toast the quinoa, pour in a half-cup of water, cover the pot, and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and cook the quinoa for about 15 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is soft and translucent. Remove the saucepan from the heat and fluff the quinoa with a fork.

Horizontal image of fruit salad with quinoa and lemon dressing in glass measuring cup.

While the quinoa cooks, prep the produce and salad dressing:

In the meantime, while the quinoa is cooking, add the peach (or nectarine), strawberries, blueberries, red bell pepper, jalapeño, and scallions to a mixing bowl.

You can also make the dressing while the quinoa cooks. Whisk olive oil, lemon peel, lemon juice, and chopped fresh mint. Taste the dressing and add salt and pepper until the flavors feel right.

Horizontal image of summer fruit quinoa salad on tan platter.

Serve:

To serve, transfer the cooked quinoa to the mixing bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Pour Lemon Dressing on top and gently toss until the ingredients are evenly coated. Transfer the salad to a serving dish and top with sliced avocado.

What is quinoa and where can I find it?

Even though we eat it like a grain, quinoa is really a seed. For this reason, it's also known as a pseudo-cereal or pseudo-grain.

You can usually find quinoa near the whole grains in the grocery store. Many supermarkets stock dry quinoa in the bulk section, too. If you can't find quinoa in either of those areas, check out the gluten-free and natural foods aisles.

Wooden spoons mixing summer quinoa salad with fruit.

Can you make Summer Quinoa Salad in advance? What's the best way to store it?

I like this salad best with warm quinoa and freshly chopped fruit. If you're a meal prepper, though, this recipe can still work for you. The chopped fruit in this salad will stay fresh for up to five days. Store leftovers in an airtight container.

I recommend leaving out the avocado until just before you're ready to serve this salad if you want to prevent it from browning.

Potential Ingredient Substitutions:

  • Substitute pre-cooked quinoa if desired. ¼ cup dry quinoa yields ¾ cup cooked quinoa.
  • Instead of quinoa, substitute amaranth, millet, or farro. Or omit the grain and add chopped baby spinach.
  • Make a similar salad during the fall and winter months by substituting apples, pears, and grapes for the fruit.
  • Use your favorite store-bought salad dressing instead of making your own if desired
Closeup image of quinoa fruit salad with avocado and peach.

📖 Recipe

Summer Quinoa Salad on tan platter with wooden serving spoons.

Summer Fruit Quinoa Salad

Stephanie McKercher, RDN
This easy Summer Quinoa Salad features stone fruit, berries, and fresh peppers coated in vibrant lemon-mint dressing.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course lunch, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American, vegan, vegetarian
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • saucepan
  • Burner

Ingredients
  

Quinoa Salad:

  • ¼ cup dry quinoa, rinsed (see note)
  • 1 peach or nectarine, sliced into wedges
  • 4 strawberries, sliced
  • ½ cup blueberries
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • ½ jalapeño pepper, minced (optional)
  • ¼ cup chopped scallions, green and white parts
  • 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced

Lemon Dressing:

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

Prepare Quinoa Salad:

  • Add rinsed quinoa to a saucepan and toast over medium heat 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the quinoa begins to smell nutty. Pour in ½ cup water, cover, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and cook 15 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is soft and somewhat translucent. Remove saucepan from heat and fluff the quinoa with a fork.
  • While the quinoa is cooking, add the peach or nectarine, strawberries, blueberries, red bell pepper, jalapeño, and scallions to a mixing bowl. Set aside.

Prepare Lemon Dressing:

  • Whisk olive oil, lemon peel, lemon juice, and mint. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired. Set aside.

Serve:

  • Add the cooked quinoa to the mixing bowl with the fruits and vegetables. Pour Lemon Dressing on top and gently toss until evenly coated. Transfer to a serving dish and top with sliced avocado immediately before serving.

Notes

Substitute pre-cooked quinoa if desired. ¼ cup dry quinoa yields ¾ cup cooked quinoa.
 
Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Add avocado just before serving to prevent browning.
Keyword 30 minute meals, fruit salad, quinoa salad, vegan salad

Looking for More Vegetarian Summer Recipes?

Try these:

Tomato Mozzarella Sandwiches with Blueberry Balsamic Reduction

Watermelon Poke Bowls

Strawberry Avocado Hemp Salad

Vegan Blackberry Pesto Pizza

Heirloom Tomato Greek Salad


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Summer quinoa salad with fruit and avocado on tan serving dish with red and white text that reads, "Summer Fruit Quinoa Salad: easy, plant-based recipe"

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2 Comments

  1. Hi, I appreciate your all the recipes there really helpful. Would you please assist me with a few tips to making healthy salad to help me with weight loss.
    Best regards,

    1. Hi Anthony, one tip is to seek out balance when you're making an entree salad. Look for a source of fiber-rich carbohydrate (such as quinoa, brown rice, or sweet potato), fat (such as avocado, nuts, tahini, or olive oil), and protein (ex. beans, lentils, tofu, edamame). This will help you feel full and satisfied, and less likely to have cravings or binge on snacks/sweets later on. 🙂 You can find some more tips and healthy salad recipes in this post: https://gratefulgrazer.com/easy-vegetarian-salads/