Tropical Salsa Quinoa Salad
I’ll keep this post to a minimum as we are in sunny Sun Valley, Idaho for a week of R&R with the girls. We elected to rent a condo so I could still make a few of our meals. However not having my own kitchen tools forces me to come up with crazy simple recipes. I made this Tropical Salsa Quinoa Salad on the fly, and it was such a hit that I’ll make it again varying the fruit and adding other goodies. Stay tuned!
You’ve heard me say I like to have some pre-cooked quinoa on hand ready to eat. It’s a quick way to add more protein and fiber to any meal and one of my favourite staples for salads.
Fresh grapefruit is one of our families favourite summertime fruits. We all enjoy 1/2 a grapefruit with breakfast on weekends. I equally love using it in more savory style recipes too.
We spent a glorious sunny evening attending an outdoor concert at the Sun Valley Lodge. The Sun Valley Symphony played alongside a showing of Star Wars on a massive outdoor movie screen.
Wow, the sound and ambiance were incredible. Call me crazy, and please forgive me for sharing this, but I’ve never watched Star Wars before. Being at this incredible location was definitely the way to watch it for a first time. Picture this: sitting in the sunshine, bare feet on the grass, this refreshing salad along with a delicious crisp New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and Siete chips. What a perfect way to end our first night ever in Sun Valley.
- 4 cup cooked quinoa
- ½ cup fresh pineapple; chopped
- ½ cup fresh mango; peeled and chopped
- 1 cup grapefruit; skin and pits removed and chopped
- 1/2 cup seedless watermelon
- ½ cup red onion; finely chopped
- 1 cup red pepper; finely chopped
- ½ avocado; chopped
- 1 cup english cucumber; finely chopped
- 1 cup fresh cilantro; finely chopped
- 1 cup basil; finely chopped
- salt & pepper for taste
- 1 fresh lemon, squeezed (approx 2 tbsp)
- 1 fresh limes squeezed (approx 1 tbsp)
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 garlic clove; minced optional
- salt & pepper
- fresh cilantro
- jalapeno slices
- lime slices
- 1 tsp fresh Jalapeno pepper; finely diced optional
In a large bowl, stir cooled quinoa, watermelon, bell pepper, cucumber, red onion, mango, pineapple, and chopped cilantro leaves together
Whisk together pineapple juice, lime juice, and garlic together in a small bowl; drizzle in olive oil oil, whisking constantly. Pour dressing over quinoa mixture; toss gently to combine. Place salad in a serving bowl; garnish with lime slices, jalapeno slices, and reserved cilantro leaves.
- Whisk olive oil, lemon and lime juice, honey and garlic together in a small bowl until nicely blended. Pour dressing over quinoa mixture; toss gently to combine. Place salad in a serving bowl; garnish with lime slices, jalapeno slices, and cilantro leaves.
- If you prefer a sweeter salsa add a couple tbsp of fresh pineapple juice.
- Try cooking the quinoa ahead of time and store in a sealed glass container in the refrigerator.
- The longer the salad is refrigerated the better it tastes.
If you try this recipe, let me know! I’d love you to pin it on Pinterest or share it on Facebook. Post your re-creation on Instagram. (tag me @amandavs #amandavs and #healtyissexy), I’d love to see your creations.
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XO