Quinoa Fruit Salad

Quinoa Fruit Salad is a quick and easy salad that is nutrition packed and so refreshing on a hot summer day.

Using seasonal fruits,  greens, sweet berries, red onion, peppers, quinoa and topping with mint, toasted pistachios and lemon dressing, this salad is full of flavor and protein.

The best part is, you can have a super healthy delicious meal that is vegan, vegetarian, gluten free and dairy free, and ready in less than 30 minutes.

Is Quinoa Healthy?

Yes!  The main reason I include quinoa in most of my dishes, is because it is gluten free.  Every recipe on this site is gluten free, and I am always looking for foods that are high in nutrition to include in my recipes.

Adding quinoa to a recipe increases the nutritional value, and also makes a salad substantial and filling.  Quinoa is a complete protein, is high in fiber, amino acids, and has a low glycemic index.  These factors make it the perfect food for any diet or dish.(source)

Ingredients In Quinoa Fruit Salad

Take a quick look to see if you have all of the ingredients for this salad:

• quinoa
• fresh spinach
• red pepper
• arugula
• blueberries
• peaches
• raspberries
• red onion
• pistachio nuts
• fresh mint
• if cooking your quinoa in the Instant Pot, you will also need almond milk and maple syrup

 

Directions For Preparing Quinoa Fruit Salad

1. I prepared the quinoa in the Instant Pot.  If you aren’t using the Instant Pot, prepare the quinoa according to the package directions.  Using quinoa will make your salad more filling and substantial.
2. Spread the fresh spinach leaves on the bottom of the salad bowl or platter.  Add fruits and vegetables.
3. After adding fruits and vegetables, add quinoa, pistachios and mint.  1 cup of uncooked quinoa will yield 2 cups of cooked quinoa.
4. In order to serve the salad and make sure that the ingredients are mixed well,  place all of the ingredients in a large salad bowl.
5. After tossing all of the ingredients in a large salad bowl, drizzle the dressing over the salad.

 

This salad is vegan, vegetarian, gluten free and dairy free.  If you are not vegan or vegetarian, you can add grilled chicken or fish to the salad for more variety.

Tips For Making Quinoa Fruit Salad

1.  When using quinoa for any meal, always rinse the quinoa to remove any residue of saponin, which can make your quinoa taste bitter.
2. If I am using quinoa, the preparation is different depending on the recipe.  For savory recipes, I will prepare quinoa using either water or vegetable broth.  For sweet recipes, like this Quinoa Fruit Salad, I will use almond milk and maple syrup to make the quinoa a little sweeter.  I use the sweet recipe when I serve quinoa as a breakfast meal as well.
3.  I chose fruits peaches, raspberries and blueberries and vegetables red onion, red pepper, spinach and arugula for this fruit salad.  You can substitute your favorite fruits or vegetables, keep a balance between 1/2 fruits and 1/2 vegetables.
4. If you are not vegan or vegetarian, you can add grilled chicken or fish to this salad for extra protein.
5. You can add your favorite dressing to this fruit salad, or use the simple lemon vinaigrette that I used.
6. Yes, this salad looks so pretty with the ingredients spread out on a large platter.  To actually eat the salad, though, it is best to toss all of the ingredients in a large salad bowl to be certain that everyone gets a mix of all of the goodness.

More recipes like Quinoa Fruit Salad:

Chipotle Pasta Bowl