Description
A refreshing and vibrant Quinoa Fruit Salad featuring tri-color quinoa combined with a medley of fresh mango, raspberries, kiwis, clementine oranges, and blueberries, all tossed in a zesty citrus dressing with hints of honey and Dijon mustard. Perfect as a light side or healthy snack, this salad offers a delightful balance of textures and flavors, making it an ideal choice for warm weather or clean eating meals.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Quinoa
- 1 cup uncooked tri-color quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (for cooking quinoa)
Fruit
- 1 large mango or 2 small honey mangoes, peeled and diced (about 1-1/3 cups)
- 1 (6-ounce) container fresh raspberries (1 heaping cup)
- 2 kiwis, peeled and chopped
- 4 to 5 clementine oranges or Cuties, peeled and segmented
- 1 heaping cup fresh blueberries
Dressing
- 2 clementine oranges or Cuties (for zest and juice)
- 1 large lemon (for zest and juice)
- 1 tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare Dressing: Combine all dressing ingredients in a mason jar. Zest and juice the clementines and lemon, aiming to get about 1 teaspoon clementine zest, 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest, 2 tablespoons clementine juice, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice; add to the jar. Seal tightly and shake vigorously to combine. Store dressing in the fridge until ready to use, shaking again before pouring over the salad.
- Cook Quinoa: Bring 2 cups water to a boil over high heat in a small pot. Once boiling, add quinoa and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir, cover, and reduce heat to low. Let cook undisturbed until liquid is absorbed and quinoa grains have ‘popped,’ about 13–20 minutes. Remove from heat and keep covered, allowing quinoa to steam for 5–10 minutes. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. To speed cooling, spread the quinoa evenly on a sheet pan and chill in the fridge or freezer for 10–15 minutes.
- Prepare Fruit: Peel and chop mango. Wash raspberries and blueberries thoroughly and dry completely. Peel kiwis and slice or chop. Peel and segment clementine oranges.
- Assemble Salad: Once quinoa is fully cooled, place it in a large mixing bowl. Add all prepared fruit.
- Add Dressing and Toss: Pour the dressing over the salad according to taste preference (the recipe suggests using all). Gently toss the salad to combine, being careful not to damage the delicate fruit.
- Serve: Enjoy the salad immediately for best flavor and freshness. Note that leftovers do not store well and are best consumed the same day.
Notes
- For faster cooling of quinoa, spread it on a sheet pan and chill in the fridge or freezer for 10-15 minutes.
- Gently toss the salad to avoid mashing the soft fruits like raspberries and blueberries.
- This salad is best eaten the same day as leftovers do not maintain texture or flavor well.
- You can substitute fruits based on seasonal availability but keep the balance of citrus, berries, and tropical fruit for optimal taste.
- Use fresh and ripe fruits for the best flavor profile.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
