Quinoa Salad with Avocado Green Goddess Dressing and Feta
Home » COOK » Recipes » Recipes By Course » Salads »Quinoa, a versatile and nutrient-rich grain, takes center stage in this delectable Quinoa Salad with Avocado Green Goddess Dressing, offering a delightful combination of flavors and textures.
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While you may prefer to skip to the recipe card, we suggest reading the entire blog post to avoid missing valuable tips and substitution suggestions and to ensure you have the necessary ingredients, equipment, and understanding of the steps and timings.
Quinoa Salad
Quinoa, often referred to as a superfood, is a protein-packed grain that originated in the Andean region of South America.
It has gained popularity worldwide due to its high nutritional value and versatility in various recipes, including our delicious quinoa salad.
The quinoa is cooked and tossed in this salad recipe with homemade green goddess dressing, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and Feta.
Green Goddess is a salad dressing, typically containing mayonnaise, sour cream, chervil, chives, anchovy, tarragon, lemon juice, and pepper. Wikipedia
However, our recipe has thrown most of those ingredients out of the window!
Instead, we used avocado, Greek yogurt, sour cream, parsley, basil, green onions, lemon, and honey, for a luscious dressing that would also make a fabulous dip for crudités.
Whether planning a picnic, hosting a garden party, or simply looking for a nourishing lunch option, this salad perfectly satisfies both your taste buds and your health goals.
Reasons to Love Quinoa Salad with Avocado Green Goddess Dressing
- Quinoa is a complete protein source, making this salad a nutritious and satisfying meal option.
- The combination of fluffy quinoa, vegetables, and creamy avocado green goddess dressing creates a harmonious blend of flavors, making every bite a delightful experience.
- The vibrant colors and fresh ingredients make the salad visually appealing, perfect for impressing guests at a dinner party or gathering.
- The avocado green goddess dressing adds a creamy and tangy element to the salad, taking it to the next level of deliciousness.
- This versatile and customizable salad allows you to add your favorite vegetables, herbs, or protein to suit your preferences.
- Some great additions would be pepitas (pumpkin seeds), black olives, and grilled bell peppers.
Ingredients & Equipment Used In This Recipe
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Ingredients Needed For Quinoa Salad
- Fresh Produce – Avocado, Parsley, Basil, Green Onions (Spring Onions/Scallions), Lemon, Red Onion, Cherry Tomatoes
- Dairy – Greek Yogurt (or Sour Cream), Feta
- Pantry – Sea Salt, Black Pepper
- Quinoa – a flowering plant in the amaranth family. It is a herbaceous annual plant grown as a crop primarily for its edible seeds; the seeds are rich in protein, dietary fiber, B vitamins, and dietary minerals in amounts greater than in many grains. (Wikipedia)
- Vegetable Stock/Broth
- Honey – try to buy locally-produced honey when possible.
The complete list of ingredients with measurements is on the recipe card at the end of this post.
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Equipment Needed For This Recipe
- Medium Saucepan – with lid for cooking the quinoa
- Sharp Knife
- Chopping/Cutting Board
- Blender – for making the avocado green goddess sauce
- Serving Bowl
The Purple Pumpkin Blog uses both cups and weighted measurements in its recipes, making American cups and kitchen food scales valuable tools for trying all the recipes. We provide US customary, imperial, and metric measurements. Still, it’s important to note that while you can combine cup measurements with weighted measures, never mix US customary/imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.) with metric (kilograms, grams, liters, etc.).
More Recipes Using Quinoa
One of the hero ingredients in this recipe is quinoa, so here are some more using the same:
- Veggie, Almond & Chickpea Quinoa Pilaf
- Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with Feta & Olives
- 21+ Grain Salads – Quinoa, Buckwheat, Millet + More!
How Do I Make Quinoa Salad?
The printable recipe card with the full ingredients list and instructions can be found at the end of this post.
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes
Step 1 – Cook Quinoa: Place the quinoa and vegetable stock into a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil over medium heat. Cover the pan with a lid and reduce heat to simmer.
Cook, covered for 10 to 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the quinoa sit, covered for an additional 5 minutes.
Step 2 – Make Green Goddess Dressing: Meanwhile, scoop the avocado flesh and add it to a blender with the Green yogurt, parsley, basil, green onions, lemon juice, and honey.
Blend until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 3 – Assemble Salad: Fluff the quinoa with a fork and add it to a serving bowl. Add the dressing and stir to combine.
Stir in the red onion, cherry tomatoes, and Feta.
Step 4 – Serve: The quinoa salad can be served at room temperature or chilled from the fridge. Enjoy!
More Salad Recipes
Looking for more sales to make? Check these recipes out next:
- Roasted Pear and Blue Cheese Salad With Balsamic Glaze
- Refreshing Savory Mixed Berry Salad Recipe with Raspberry Vinaigrette
- Bright and Colorful Panzanella Salad Recipe – A Tuscan Bread Salad
Storing Leftovers & Freezing
- Storing Leftovers:
- Store any leftover Quinoa Salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Store the dressing separately and toss it with the salad just before serving to maintain the freshness.
- Freezing Instructions:
- Freezing is not recommended for this salad
- With all leftovers, ensure the food looks and smells okay before consuming.
- You can always consult the Food Standards Agency in your country for the most up-to-date advice on storing and freezing foods: Food Standards Agency (UK) | Food Safety (USA).
Printable Quinoa Salad Recipe Card
To save ink, any demonstration photos on the recipe card do not print.
Quinoa Salad with Avocado Green Goddess Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 cups quinoa
- 4 cups vegetable stock or water
- 1 medium ripe avocado, cut in half, seed discarded.
- ½ cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
- ½ cup fresh parsley
- ¼ cup fresh basil (optional)
- 4 green onions (scallions/spring onions), green part only (optional)
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 medium red onion, finely diced
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 oz (50g) feta cheese, crumbled
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the quinoa and vegetable stock into a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil over medium heat. Cover the pan with a lid and reduce heat to simmer. Cook, covered for 10 to 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the quinoa sit, covered for an additional 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, scoop the avocado flesh and add it to a blender with the Green yogurt, parsley, basil, green onions, lemon juice, and honey. Blend until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Fluff the quinoa with a fork and add it to a serving bowl. Add the dressing and stir to combine. Stir in the red onion, cherry tomatoes, and Feta.
- The quinoa salad can be served at room temperature or chilled from the fridge. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 324Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 867mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 8gSugar: 9gProtein: 13g
This site uses Nutritionix to provide estimated nutrition. Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.
Dinner Party Menu Suggestions
You’ve made the salad, but what about the rest of the courses?
Here are additional recipes to create a menu for a dinner party or special meal:
- Appetizer: Greek Salad Skewers
- Soup: Chilled Cucumber Avocado Soup
- Main Dish: Sheet Pan Roasted Rosemary Lemon Chicken
- Side Dish: Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Glaze
- Beverage: Passion Tea Lemonade
- Dessert: Berry Cheesecake Parfaits
There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy – please feel free to check them out too.
