Avocado Feta Quinoa Salad is tossed in a super easy homemade feta vinaigrette and sprinkled with fresh parsley. This easy mediterranean quinoa salad is healthy, refreshing, and perfect for a hot Summer day!
The simplicity of this avocado feta quinoa salad with avocado and feta is exactly what I need right now! It’s quick, easy, and makes a fantastic Summer side dish!
Each serving is full of flavor, packed with nutrients, and is so stinkin’ good that you’ll forget anything else exists outside for a bit.
Even better? It’s totally easy to customize this sassy salad! I went with fresh tomatoes, parsley, feta cheese, and buttery avocado but you could also add olives, cucumber, or even chickpeas!
★★★★★ “I made this for my lunches this week and it was fab! I loved the feta dressing and it lasted a couple days without drying up. This and the confetti pasta are going to be on rotation for the next couple months. Thanks for the delicious recipes. Keep em comin!” – Erica
Avocado Feta Quinoa Salad
This healthy salad is amazing on a hot sunny day! Bring it to your next picnic, party, or barbecue and it’ll vanish fast!
Need to feed a crowd? This recipe is easily doubled, tripled, or quadrupled as needed!
It also can be made ahead as part of your weekly meal prep or for advance party prep. Simply add the chopped avocado and feta dressing just before diving in! The feta dressing can also be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge for a few days! WOOT!
Avocado Feta Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 1.5 cups water or veggie broth
- ¾ cup chopped plum or cherry tomatoes
- 1 avocado peeled + chopped
- 2-3 TBSP fresh chopped parsley
- 1 oz crumbled feta cheese for topping (optional)
FETA VINAIGRETTE DRESSING
- ½ cup feta cheese
- 1 clove of garlic minced into a paste
- 1 TBSP olive oil (to cook with the garlic above)
- ¼ cup olive oil or avocado oil
- 2 TBSP red wine vinegar or champagne vinegar
- 1 TBSP lemon juice
- 1 TBSP parsley or to taste
- ⅛ tsp black pepper to taste
- a pinch of salt
Instructions
- First rinse + drain your quinoa using a mesh strainer/sieve.
- Bring a medium-small saucepan to medium heat and lightly toast the quinoa to remove any excess water. Stir as it toasts for just a few minutes. This step is optional but really adds to the fluff factor of the quinoa! I rarely skip this step because I love the texture and flavor it yields.
- Next add 1 and 1/2 cups water [or broth!] and bring pot to a boil.
- Once it’s boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered with the lid slightly ajar, for 12-13 minutes.
- While the quinoa cooks, chop your veggies and set aside.
- Next microwave 1 small-medium clove of garlic in 1 TBSP olive oil and add to a food processor or blender with the rest of your dressing ingredients. Blend until smooth and emulsified, then season and adjust to taste.
- No blender/processor? No problem! You can whisk the ingredients together. For the feta in this case, you may want to smash it into a paste before whisking it into your dressing.
- Once your quinoa is done, season with a teeny bit of salt and pepper, fluff gently with a fork, and set aside to cool.
- Combine cooled quinoa with tomato and parsley.
- Stir in 1/4 cup of your dressing and then gently fold in the chopped avocado.
- Garnish with all the tomato/parsley/feta mixture you’d like!
- Add any additional dressing as desired.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
New to cooking quinoa?
If you get a chance to try this avocado feta quinoa salad, let me know!
You can leave me a comment here (LOVE checking those daily!) or tag @PEASandCRAYONS on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creations. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
crazy for quinoa?
- Roasted Chickpea Quinoa Taco Bowls
- Quinoa Black Bean Veggie Burgers
- Healthy Chicken Shawarma Quinoa Bowls
Questions & Reviews
It doesnt get any fresher looking than this healthy dish wow I love how its bursting with color and flavors!
Oh my gosh! All of my favorite ingredients in one delicious amazing bowl. Yum!
Avocado and feta are definitely up there on my list of favorite foods and I’m always up for quinoa, so this looks just perfect for me! I’d make it as a side dish and then have it for lunch the next day 🙂
All I want to do is stop what Im doing and go make this! Right now!!
You had me at avocado! YUMMMMO I love this salad!
Thanks for the recipe. I didn’t have avocado or feta, but subbed goatcheese. I also used coconut raw coconut vinegar. Been trying to switch that for others when I can. You Def got a new follower
Thanks Michael!!! I just saw the photo you posted to Facebook and am dying over how delicious it looks! The shrimp and spinach side is a perfect pairing too – tell me you saved me a plate? 😉
I made this for my lunches this week and it was fab! I loved the feta dressing and it lasted a couple days without drying up. This and the confetti pasta are going to be on rotation for the next couple months. Thanks for the delicious recipes. Keep em comin!
This is one gorgeous quinoa salad!! And I love that I’m not the only one with a chaos filled household. Not everyone knows this, but blogging can be messy!! But totally delicious at the same time 🙂 I can’t wait to try this yummy quinoa salad!
sooooooooo sooooooo messy! the dishes! the carnage! it’s nuts! 😉
Love healthier sides. This one looks amazing and delicious!
Thank you Mallory!
I just drooled a little.
Okay, a lot.
Thanks for the recipe!
Haha thanks for the drool! OMG that sounds bad! Thanks for the sweet comment Tiffany!
You need to stop blaming the chickpea for the kitchen sink messes.
If avocado prices are anything like Australia, you’d better start saving for the little one’s expensive taste. Next week it will be lobster.
This salad looks great!! We are going to have to try it!
I just reread the recipe and I have all the ingredients, making it tonight!! Just thought I would let you know!!
Bahaha, “wrapped in a layer of WTF” is great. Great because it’s true. Well said.
Love salads like this! Perfect for weekday lunches!
You’re right about the behind the scenes, and your behind the scenes sounds a lot like mine, especially the dishes part. This salad looks amazing-I’m always searching for new ways to eat quinoa. YUM.
This quinoa salad looks great, I love the addition of feta cheese, one of my faves. 🙂
I need a salad that could make me forget everything else right now. Come make it for me pretty please. Bring the toddler, I’ve got avocado on hand.
I actually made a delicious creamy tomato summer this past weekend with tomatoes I canned myself for the very first time. It tasted like a collision of winter and summer in the best possible way.
Happy today love.
Looove this <3
https://aspoonfulofnature.wordpress.com/
This salad looks so yummy! I will have to try it for lunch sometime.
I make a very similar dish just without the avocado and it reminds me of Tabouli so much! I’ll have to try out your version as well. Thanks for sharing!
That is hilarious about your daughter and the avocado!
This looks amazing!!!! We still have some avocados left from a weekend trip to the farmers market that I may be able to us for this! Like you, I have a toddler that adores avocados and if I want to use any for any purpose other than letting the little man devour it, I have to hide from him!
High-five for the avocado-hiding mamas! Hehe I’m glad I’m not the only one 🙂 And that they love those avos!
That’s awesome that your little one is loving avocados! Me too! And once again, this dish sounds excellent. Enjoy the chaos, Jenn! 🙂
Thanks Ashley!
WOW, that’s insane that she’ll eat two avocados in one day! Seriously impressed. And this salad looks yummy 🙂
It’s so stinkin’ good, thanks Liv! And she will! I have to hide them or we go broke 😉