Fruity Quinoa Salad with Lemon Honey Rosemary Dressing
Eggless, Gluten-free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Fruity Quinoa Salad with Lemon Honey Rosemary Dressing
Are you guys excited for warm weather fare like Crunchy Pomegranate Quinoa Salad, Berry and Arugula Salad, Beet and Arugula Salad. Here is an amazing salad loaded with tropical fruits plus orange segments and dressed up with an ultra-delicious rosemary vinaigrette. This vegan and gluten-free salad will grace your table with its multi texture of colors and juicy flavors. I made this salad a few days ago for my friends who came over to celebrate my birthday. They could’nt get enough of it! A perfect balance of sweet, salty and sour!! I strongly urge you to try it! Feel free to double or even triple the salad if you are feeding a big crowd! Happy eating!!
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Can I make the salad without quinoa?
- Absolutely yes!! It is a customizable salad! I have made the salad with and without quinoa, and honestly both versions are super tasty – Adding quinoa would add tons of proteins to the salad and make it more like a meal!
How to cook quinoa?
- Cooking the quinoa is pretty simple! Place the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer, rinse with cool water for 2 minutes, then rub with your hands to get rid of the bitter flavor. In a small saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil, add the quinoa and stir for a few seconds; add the water and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover up and simmer for about 20, minutes until the water has been absorbed and the spirals start to pull away from the seeds. Fluff with a fork and set aside to cool down completely.
Make the ultra-delicious dressing!
- The thing is, that I don’t like ready bottled dressings, most of them taste distasteful to me, and making your own dressing doesn’t require much time or effort.
- I like to put good quality ingredients in my dressing. Extra virgin olive oil is highly recommended and freshly squeezed lemon juice makes a great difference in taste – never use the ready bottled lemon juice!
- I am a big fan of fresh herbs. Rosemary isn’t something often used in dressings and vinaigrettes, but I guess here we should. It is a sunshine dressing! Rosemary adds both color and flavor.
- Use an immersion blender for an effective way of mixing and emulsifying the ingredients together!
- Once it is mixed, adjust salt to your taste preference.
- Though the dressing keeps well emulsified after blending, shake it well before serving.
- You can use the dressing in pretty much other leafy green salads.
- Blend together the freshly squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, honey, rosemary, garlic and mustard, the result is a restaurant style enticing bright creamy dressing the color of sunshine and the taste of heaven!
Build your salad on a foundation of baby arugula, baby spinach or any leafy green – my favorite is arugula for its nutty flavor! ! Toss the avocado slices, orange segments, mango slices, kiwis and pineapple slicess equally over the arugula and equally add the cooked quinoa, if used!
You don’t need a bad sight salad, so leave the dressing on the side and everyone can add as much as dressing as they want!
Ingredients:
- 2 kiwis, peeled and sliced
- 1 large mango, peeled and sliced
- 5 slices of fresh or canned pineapples
- 1 large avocado, cut into segments
- 1 orange, cut into segments
- A handful of fresh baby arugula, about 2 cups
- ½ cup quinoa
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, to cook the quinoa
- ½ tablespoon salt
Dressing:
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 sprig rosemary, use the leaves only
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 garlic clove
Directions:
- Start by cooking the quinoa: Place the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer, rinse with cool water for 2 minutes, then rub with your hands to get rid of the bitter flavor. In a small saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil, add the quinoa and stir for a few seconds; add the water and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover up and simmer for about 20, minutes until the water has been absorbed and the spirals start to pull away from the seeds. Fluff with a fork and set aside to cool down completely. Meantime, prepare the dressing!
- To make the dressing: In a glass bowl, combine the oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, rosemary leaves, crushed garlic, water, and honey. Using a blender or a hand held immersion, blend for a minute on high; season with salt. Store covered in the fridge.
- To assemble the salad: Build your salad on a foundation of baby arugula. Toss the avocado slices, orange segments, mango slices, kiwis and pineapple slicess equally over the arugula and equally add the cooked quinoa, if used!Serve the dressing on the side so everyone can add as much as dressing as they want! Happy eating!!
If you make this recipe, share your pictures on Facebook! I would love to see your creations!Hashtag them #Hadia's Lebanese Cuisine
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11 Responses to Fruity Quinoa Salad with Lemon Honey Rosemary Dressing
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About Chef
Hadia Zebib
I am Hadia, the face behind Hadia’s Lebanese Cuisine. I grew up in Beirut Lebanon and I currently reside in Kinshasa, Congo with my husband and my three adorable sons, ...
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I love, love quinoa salads and it’s been too long since I’ve made one! Yours is filled with all my favorite fruit—cannot wait to give it a try!
Happy you liked, Liz! This is such a refreshing salad filled with agreeable flavors! Xo xo!
What a beautiful salad , Perfect for the coming season and the dressing sound amazing too
Thank you so much Misbah. The dressing is the star of the show here. XO XO!
This needs to happen soon! Looks delicious!
Thank you Lindsay, it is a satisfying salad. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Love how this is bursting with fresh fruits! So fresh!
Thank you Liren, I have to so it’s mighty good! Xo xo!
Refreshing salad, and love the dressing.
I love all the fresh fruit in this salad! The dressing looks so perfectly suited to them.
What a beautiful salad!