Easy Quinoa Asparagus Salad recipe. This quick and simple vegan and gluten free side dish is made creamy with avocado.
Anyone turning on their ovens these days?
There is only one room in our apartment that has air conditioning, and I do not leave it at all, unless I am eating or preparing food. So there is no way that I am going to turn on the oven to heat up the rest of the house even more. Heck, I don’t want to jeopardize my cool air conditioned room in case the oven heat gets its way there. I don’t even want to leave the room to go to the grocery store.
So we are going to be making this Quinoa Asparagus Salad for the next couple of days around here. This salad is a great dish to make when you are short on time, or need to meal prep a light lunch for the next day. The simple lemon vinaigrette compliments the quinoa and veggies so well, it will be your new favorite recipe as well.
Quinoa Asparagus Salad Ingredients
This asparagus quinoa salad is made nutritious ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. All you need is:
- a drizzle of olive oil
- lemon juice
- honey
- garlic
- sea salt & black pepper
- quinoa
- fresh asparagus
- frozen peas
- avocado
Kitchen Tools
- medium saucepan
- medium skillet
- small and large bowl
Tips
Enjoy this quinoa salad hot or cold. I love this quinoa salad with cooled quinoa, but my husband on the other hand prefers it warm. It’s really up to personal preference. Because of all the lemon juice in this Quinoa Asparagus Salad, the avocados don’t go brown. But if you are nervous, just add a little squeeze of lemon juice on top just to make sure it won’t brown.
Storage: store this salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Make sure you allow it to cool to room temperature before putting it in the fridge.
Rinsing the quinoa: some people don’t bother to rinse the quinoa because it’s such a pain to do, but it makes such a difference to the taste! Just grab a fine mesh strainer and run water through the quinoa.
Variations
Replace the asparagus with your favorite seasonal veggie. Instead of the bunch of asparagus, replace it with another veggie. I love using green beans or roasted broccoli.
Add in some cheese! For a creamier flavor, try adding in some feta cheese or goat cheese. I have also loved adding in some pecorino cheese for a saltier taste.
Mix in some protein. Some grilled chicken is always a good idea, or even a hard-boiled egg. But if you wanted to keep this side dish vegan, add in some plant-based protein. White beans or grilled tofu works really well in this healthy salad.
More Quinoa Recipes
Like this Quinoa Asparagus Salad? Then you will love these simple recipe ideas:
And if you try this recipe, let me know! Rate it, leave a comment and tag me with #atasteofmadness on Instagram! I always love seeing what you are creating!
Quinoa Asparagus Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- salt and pepper to taste
Salad
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 bunch asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 medium avocado, peeled, cored and chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the dressing ingredients. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, bring the water, quinoa and salt to a boil. Boil for around 5 minutes. Turn heat to low and allow to simmer for around 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the asparagus and lemon juice. Cook until tender, around 5 minutes. Mix in the peas and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, mix together the quinoa, asparagus and avocado. Pour dressing on top and mix until fully coated. Season with salt and pepper.
Pin for Later
This salad has all my favorite ingredients, quinoa, asparagus, and avocado. I am planning to make this tomorrow for my lunch.
Yay! Let me know how it goes 🙂
I made this salad tonight, and it was delicious! The dressing is super simple but full of flavor, and I loved the creaminess the avocado added.
So glad you liked it!
This is a simple and healthy salad that is great for a spring side dish with grilled chicken. I will be making this again and again during the spring and summer.
Yay! So glad to hear 🙂
I just started cooking with quinoa, so this recipe sounds like a great one to try! Thanks for the recipe share! Excited to make it soon!
Let me know how it goes 🙂
This salad looks so healthy fresh. I love the addition of quinoa making it full satisfying meal.
Me too! I can’t get enough quinoa
Wow! What a delicious combination. This salad turned out so good. This is my new favorite spring salad.
Yay! That makes me so happy to hear 🙂
We’re constantly looking for new salads to integrate into our menu because while garden salads are good, they’re not particularly exciting. Can’t wait to give this one a try!
Let me know how it goes!
This quinoa salad is really good. The creamy acaoca and grainy quinoa is a great contrast.
I can’t stop making it in the springtime 🙂
this is a great spring salad, especially with the fresh rping vegetables. A keeper for sure!
Yay! So glad you liked it!
All the ingredients work so great together in your recipe. Very original and fresh. The salad tastes fantastic and I love the way it looks. Thanks for such a lovely lunch idea.
It’s such a great lunch! 🙂
One of the best salad recipe that i have seen and is true! It is fresh and flavorful that makes it stand out from the others!
I am so glad that you liked it 🙂