Citrus Quinoa Salad

5 from 7 votes

A nutritious, fresh, and flavorful Citrus Quinoa Salad with clementine oranges, roasted pistachios, creamy avocado, and goat (or feta) cheese. This salad is drizzled with a sweet, tangy citrus vinaigrette.

Prep Time30

Quinoa Chilling Time1

Total Time1 30

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: citrus quinoa salad

Servings: servings (as a side)

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $10.89

Equipment

Small pot

Ingredients

Salad

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa I use tricolor; regular works great!
5 cups fresh spring mix baby lettuce and baby greens
3 clementine oranges 1-3/4 cup, or 1 (15-ounce) can mandarin oranges, well drained
1/3 cup coarsely chopped roasted and salted shelled pistachios
1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese or feta, optional (I like goat cheese best)
1 large ripe avocado diced
1 lemon optional

Dressing

1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard not use regular mustard
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 lemon
1 orange
2-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 tablespoons honey add slowly to desired sweetness
Salt and pepper

US - Metric

Instructions

Combine the quinoa with water and salt (I add 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt) in a small pot. Follow package directions to cook the quinoa. Cook until all the liquid is absorbed and quinoa has “popped,” about 15–25 minutes (depending on heat, pot size, etc). Remove from heat; let stand, covered, for 5–10 minutes to steam. Fluff with a fork and transfer to a bowl in the fridge to chill through. (To get it cold faster, spread it on a lined sheet pan and place in the freezer). Quinoa can be prepared 3–4 days in advance.
Juice lemon and orange to get 1 tablespoon juice each. Add all the dressing ingredients into a mason jar. Add salt and pepper to taste (I add about 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, but add to your preference). Seal the jar and shake until ingredients are combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Thoroughly drain the mandarin oranges or peel and segment clementines, shell and coarsely chop the pistachios, remove the skin and pit of the avocado, and thinly slice or chop. Drizzle the fresh lemon over the avocado.
In a large bowl, add in the spring salad mix and the cooked, completely cooled quinoa. Gently toss to combine. Add in the oranges, pistachios, goat cheese, and avocado. Remove the dressing from the fridge, shake well, and pour over the salad (see note 1). I like using all the dressing for this salad, but you may want less depending on how dressed you like your salads (add slowly and to preference). Add some fresh cracked pepper and sea salt to taste. Enjoy immediately.

Video

Notes

Note 1: If you aren’t planning to finish the salad, only dress what you’ll be eating. Also, only prep the number of avocados that you’ll be eating that day.

Storage: This salad doesn’t store well once dressed. I recommend only dressing what you will enjoy the same day. Store dressing, avocado, and salad separately.

Nutrition