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 over 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 because I knew I wanted a hearty, yet super fresh salad for summer lunches, or side dishes for a BBQ.
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Ingredients in blueberry quinoa salad
This simple 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, of course, made with quinoa, which gives it a boost of protein and a slightly nutty flavor. Feel free to use white or tri-color quinoa.
- Veggies & herbs: this salad is packed with fresh sweet corn, zippy red onion, and freshness from cilantro. I love adding corn straight off the cob (no need to cook it!), but feel free to use grilled corn, or even thawed, frozen corn if you’d like.
- Fruits: there are, of course, juicy, fresh blueberries, plus creamy avocado.
- Feta: tangy feta crumbles are amazing in here!
- 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.
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, couscous, or even your favorite short pasta.
- For the fruit: I love the little bursts of blueberries in every bite, but strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries would also be delicious.
- For the pistachios: toasted, sliced almonds, walnuts, pecans, or even candied pecans would also be delicious in here.
- For the feta: a little crumbled goat cheese or shaved manchego would be the perfect swap.
Can I make it dairy-free or vegan?
Absolutely! Simply omit the feta cheese (or use your fav vegan cheese), and the salad will be completely vegan and dairy-free.
Looking to add a boost of protein?
This salad packs 10g of protein per serving, but would also be delicious with:
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 it 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!
Storing tips
Store this blueberry quinoa salad in an airtight container in the fridge, with or without the dressing, for up to 4-5 days. The acidity from the lime juice will help the avocado stay fresh, but for extra freshness, feel free to add it once you’re ready to serve the salad.
The dressing will also stay good in a container in the fridge for up to one week as well.
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:
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If you make this blueberry quinoa salad, be sure to leave a comment below and rate the recipe!
The
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Avocado Blueberry Quinoa Salad
by
Beautiful avocado blueberry quinoa salad loaded with fresh produce, tangy feta, chopped pistachios, and tossed in a flavorful cilantro lime dressing. This delicious quinoa salad is packed with plant-based protein and is perfect for summer lunches, parties, and picnics.
Ingredients
- 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)
- ½ cup finely diced red onion
- ½ cup feta cheese
- ½ cup chopped pistachios
- ½ cup diced cilantro
- Cilantro Lime Dressing:
- ⅓ cup packed cilantro leaves
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- ½ jalapeño, seeded
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- To garnish
- Extra cilantro, pistachios, feta, and red onion
Instructions
Cook the 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.
Make the dressing: 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 will stay good for 3-5 days in the fridge. Serves 4-6.
Recipe Notes
Store this blueberry quinoa salad in an airtight container in the fridge, with 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.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (based on 6)Calories: 375calCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 10gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 5gFiber: 6gSugar: 6g
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on June 7th, 2019, republished on June 3rd, 2022, updated with new photos on June 5th, 2026, and republished on June 8th, 2026.
