Healthy Quinoa Berry Salad for Summer Lunch
My kids started requesting this every Friday after I brought it to a school potluck and came home with an empty bowl and three people asking for the recipe.
The quinoa cooks while you prep everything else, so the timing is honest. Active hands on the cutting board is 15 minutes. Total with the quinoa cooling slightly is 45.
Healthy Quinoa Berry Salad for Summer Lunch
Fluffy quinoa tossed with fresh summer berries, cucumber, and a bright lemon-honey dressing that comes together in under 20 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry white quinoa , rinsed well
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 tsp fine salt , for cooking water
- 1 cup fresh strawberries , hulled and quartered
- 3/4 cup fresh blueberries
- 1/2 cup fresh raspberries
- 1 medium English cucumber , halved lengthwise and sliced thin
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves , torn or roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice , about 1 large lemon
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp honey , or maple syrup to keep vegan
- 1/4 tsp fine salt , for dressing
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Instructions
Tips & Notes
- Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh strainer for a full 30 seconds under cold running water. Unrinsed quinoa has a bitter, soapy coating called saponin that comes through clearly in a simple salad like this.
- If you want to make this ahead, keep the dressing and berries separate and combine everything within 30 minutes of serving so nothing gets mushy.
- Feta crumbled on top at the table adds a salty contrast that works especially well with the strawberries, though it takes the salad out of the vegan category.
- Swap mint for fresh basil if that is what you have. The flavor is different but equally bright against the lemon dressing.
Nutrition per serving · estimated
Why the Quinoa Has to Cool Before You Dress It
Hot quinoa absorbs dressing immediately and ends up greasy and heavy instead of light. The 10-minute spread-out cooling step is not optional, it is what keeps each grain distinct and the berries from cooking slightly on contact.
Spreading it flat rather than leaving it in the pot speeds cooling noticeably. A pile of hot quinoa in a deep bowl holds heat in the center for much longer than a thin layer on a wide surface.
Berries Worth Using Here
This salad is simple enough that the fruit carries it. Strawberries that are actually red all the way through and smell sweet at the stem end make a real difference. Pale, firm, out-of-season strawberries taste like water with seeds.
Blueberries hold their shape the best of the three and stay intact even after tossing. Raspberries are more fragile, so add them last and fold only once or twice after they go in.
