Citrus Avocado Quinoa Salad with Honey Walnuts

I really honestly never thought I’d feel this way about a quinoa salad. But oh-my-dear Citrus Avocado Quinoa Salad with Honey Walnuts, will you marry me? I think you are beautiful and colorful. You are sweet and bright and rich. You’re crisp and creamy and juicy. You are simplistically complex in a nearly impossible way. You are a dish that I have only ever met in my dreams and yet, here you are.

And I’m just a girl, standing in front of a salad, asking it to love her.

That last bit was from Notting Hill, but the rest was all genuine.

The great thing is… you will love this salad and this salad will love you back. Let’s talk about why.

5 Reasons to Love Your Citrus Avocado Quinoa Salad:

1. The salad doesn’t require a lot of TLC. Quick knife cuts. One bowl and toss.
2. She’s done in 30 minutes.
3. The flavors only get better with age, which makes for seriously good leftovers.
4. She’s forgiving. Can’t find a pomegranate? Use cranberries. Out of oranges? Try a grapefruit.
5. Unconditionally, this salad with love you back.

5 Ways Your Citrus Avocado Quinoa Salad Can Love You:

1. Forget about your gluten allergy, intolerance, or aversion.
2. A touch of sweet without the added sugar. 1 tablespoon on honey. That’s it.
3. Vegetarian? For sure! Vegan? Killing it!
4. One serving (about 1 cup or so) clocks in under 350 calories. Get most of your healthy fats (oh hey, avocado-walnut combo) and almost half of your vitamin C.
5. Receiving love is the gateway to giving love. [I literally just made that up. How profound am I? Go girl, high fives.]

Still not convinced? Take 30 minutes to make it and find out for yourself. OR I invite you over to my place to test it out. Cause I’m gonna have this in my fridge from now on and for forever.

5 from 1 vote

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Citrus Avocado Quinoa Salad with Honey Walnuts

Citrus Avocado Quinoa Salad with Honey Walnuts -- a recipe that is beautiful and colorful, sweet and bright and rich, crisp and creamy and juicy. 

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 320 kcal

Author Danielle Cushing

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup walnut halves or pieces
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 cup dry quinoa
• 1/3 cup red onion diced small
• 1 orange peeled and segmented, juice reserved*
• 1 avocado chopped
• 1 pomegranate or about 1 cup pomegranate seeds, seeds only
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Reserved orange juice* about 2 tablespoons
• Juice of one lemon about 2 tablespoons
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a small bowl, gently stir the walnuts and honey until evenly coated. Line a baking sheet with parchment and spread the nuts in a single layer. Bake 10-15 minutes, tossing every five minutes to keep from burning. Remove from oven and allow to cool before using.
2. Meanwhile, Place quinoa and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cover and let simmer until all the water has been absorbed, 10-15 minutes. Cover and allow to cool or chill before using.
3. In a large bowl, combine the cooled quinoa, red onion, orange segments, avocado, pomegranate seeds, cilantro, reserved orange juice, lemon juice, and olive oil. Gently stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with walnuts and serve.

Recipe Notes

*When you remove the orange segments, you should have a ton of juice left over in the orange peel. Make sure you add this to your salad!