Citrus Quinoa Salad

This citrus quinoa salad is light and hearty– filled with quinoa, spinach, chicken, pepper, onion, fresh cilantro, oranges, and creamy avocado. Bursting with flavor from the refreshing citrus vinaigrette, this quinoa salad is a warmer weather staple!

All the textures. All the flavors. All the colors. Let me just say this: it's been a while since I loved a salad this much.

This is salad recipe for those of us who like a lot of stuff in our salads– the kind where a spoon is better than fork. We're talking minimal green and maximum goods: nutty quinoa, crunchy bell pepper and red onion, fresh spinach, garbanzo beans, juicy oranges, hearty chicken, and avocado to butter things up. Tossed in a citrus vinaigrette to add next-level flavor and brightness. You know, the type of salads where a spoon is better than a fork.

Reasons Why You'll Love This Citrus Quinoa Salad

• Quick & easy!
• Made with real, good-for-you, fresh ingredients
• Bursting with flavor– thanks to the citrus vinaigrette
• Makes an excellent light main dish, lunch or side dish
• Wonderful make-ahead recipe
• One of those salads with "a lot of stuff" in it
• The best way to enjoy the warmer weather produce

Grab These Ingredients

• Quinoa: You can use any type of quinoa you like, I typically grab RiceSelect or Whole Foods. Make sure, no matter the brand, it's rinsed (or pre-rinsed) prior to cooking it. Cooking quinoa doesn't take much work at all— you can learn how in this post.
• Chicken: Adding chopped or shredded chicken gives this salad more substance. I typically omit if serving this as a side dish or simply leave it out to keep this vegetarian.
• Onion: Grab what you have on hand. I always have red onion in my kitchen as I love the stronger bite that it gives.
• Garbanzo Beans: Tossing in garbanzo beans (chickpeas) makes this salad hearty. You can easily substitute with any type of bean, I've used pinto beans and great northern beans.
• Spinach: Grab baby spinach for this recipe and give it a rough chop. If you're not a fan of spinach, you can toss in kale or even arugula, or leave it out.
• Oranges: Adding fresh oranges gives this salad brightness (along with the citrus vinaigrette.) Make sure you peel and segment them first, then give them a rough chop into bite size pieces.
• Bell Pepper: Any type/color bell pepper works just fine for this recipe– use what you have on it.
• Avocado: Avocado adds a bit of creaminess to this quinoa salad recipe. Though, I recommend adding it right before serving it to prevent the avocado from browning.

How To Make This Quinoa Salad Recipe

1. Toss Together Quinoa & Spinach: Give the base ingredients, quinoa and spinach (or your favorite greens) a good stir in a large bowl.
2. Stir in the Add-Ins: Pile in the rest of the add-ins, except the avocado. We want to add that in at the last minute to prevent the avocado from browning.
3. Make & Pour in Vinaigrette: Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients together in a small bowl and pour over the quinoa salad. Give a few good stirs, making sure everything is combined.

Overview: Refreshing Citrus Vinaigrette Ingredients

• Citrus: We're using a mixture of oranges, lime and lemon, both the juice and zest giving this vinaigrette so much brightness.
• Honey: The honey helps balance out that citrus. You can also use maple syrup or agave instead.
• Olive Oil: The go-to vinaigrette base.
• Cilantro: LOTS of cilantro in this, a packed ⅓ cup. SO GOOD. If you're not a fan, use parsley, or even a combination of parsley and mint!
• Spices: Nothing fancy here, the usual staples like salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Success Tips

• Use Warm Quinoa: If you're like me, you likely have quinoa sitting in the refrigerator. Pop it in the microwave prior to starting. Not only will it help slightly wilt down the spinach but warm quinoa does a better job at soaking up the vinaigrette giving you more flavor in every bite!
• Hold on the Avocado: Add the avocado in right before serving to not only prevent the avocado from browning but also breaking down too much when tossing the salad together.

More Recipes To Try Next!

• Kale and Quinoa Salad
• Easy Mexican Quinoa Salad
• Crispy Quinoa Patties

Citrus Quinoa Salad

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This citrus quinoa salad is light and hearty– filled with quinoa, spinach, chicken, pepper, onion, fresh cilantro, oranges, and creamy avocado. Bursting with flavor from the refreshing citrus vinaigrette, this quinoa salad is a warmer weather staple!

• Author: Christina
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings
• Category: Lunch
• Method: No Bake

Ingredients

Units USM

Quinoa Salad

• 2 ¼ cups cooked quinoa
• 1 cup chopped baby spinach
• 1 ½ cups chopped or shredded chicken breast
• ⅓ cup finely diced red onion
• 1 cup chopped bell pepper, about 1 medium-sized pepper
• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 navel oranges, peeled, segmented and chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
• 2 avocados, cubed

Citrus Vinaigrette

• 2 Tablespoons lime juice, about 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon lime zest, about 1 lime
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, about 1 lemon
• ⅓ cup orange juice, about 2-3 oranges
• 1 Tablespoon orange zest, about 1 orange
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

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Instructions

1. Add the warm quinoa and spinach in a large bowl. Give it a few big stirs– this helps wilt down the spinach slightly. Add in the remaining ingredients except the avocado and stir together until combined.
2. For the vinaigrette: Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to coat everything evenly.
3. If serving immediately, add in the avocado and lightly toss together to prevent the avocado from breaking apart too much.
4. Serve at room temperature or cold. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator stored in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.

Notes

1. Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the vinaigrette up to 1 week in advance and store in the refrigerator. You have 2 options to make this ahead of time: 1) up to 3-4 days in advance without adding the vinaigrette or 2) up to 1-2 days in advance with the vinaigrette. Though, if for a crowd, I recommend making ahead without the vinaigrette or just 1 day in advance as the salad begins to break down each day it sits in the refrigerator.
2. Chicken: Nothing fancy here– use what you have on hand from the week or grab a rotisserie chicken.
3. Quinoa: If you've never made quinoa, you can follow this recipe. If you have quinoa sitting in the refrigerator, pop it in the microwave prior to starting to warm it up– not only will it help slightly wilt down the spinach but warm quinoa does a better job at soaking up the vinaigrette giving you more flavor in every bite!
4. Beans: Any type of beans work in this recipe– just make sure they are drained and rinsed prior. For a creamier texture you can use northern beans. 
5. Spinach: Using spinach is my go-to but you can also use kale or arugula or combine them!