Quinoa Stone Fruit Salad
This Quinoa Stone Fruit Salad is a beautiful summer salad loaded with peaches and plums and drizzled with a maple lime dressing that comes together in just 20 minutes!
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Every single thing in this Quinoa Stone Fruit Salad worked together, and I have a story to prove it.
Cue me, three hours out of town, lost and desolate, starving. Okay, that’s minus the lost and desolate part since I was perfectly fine (added for dramatic effect). I did find myself in a situation where the vegetarian lunch options were almost non-existent, and so, SO happy that my wise mother advised me that I should probably pack lunch. If I was in a tv high school lunch scene, I would pull out my sad brown paper bag and eat my boring salad.
Not here friends.
In this happy scenario, I pulled out my fluffy stone fruit quinoa salad, loaded with fresh peaches, plums, grapes, basil and feta cheese. Not only was I smiling from ear to ear, but I truly got to appreciate just how delicious this salad really was. The quinoa is cooked then drizzled with a maple lime dressing. This takes it from savoury to a delicious sweet and tangy salad base ready for any toppings truly. Add in the delicious fruity punches of peaches, plums and grapes and you’ve got an amazing salad.
But wait, there’s more! The crunch of the pecans, and the creamy tanginess of the feta just rounds this off so well. It’s a perfectly filling, summery and delicious salad that you kind of need to go and make before summer is over.
Let this salad save your life too. Okay, maybe not your life, but at least let it save your lunches and light dinners.
Quinoa Stone Fruit Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups quinoa, cooked
- 2 tablespoons agave nectar/maple syrup
- Juice of one lime
- 1 peach, pit removed and sliced
- 1 plum, pit removed and sliced
- 1 bunch grapes, about 1/3 cup, sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup almond feta , or tofu feta or other vegan feta
- Basil, for garnish
Instructions
- While the quinoa is cooking, slice the peach and the plum, set aside.
- When quinoa is finished cooking, drizzle in the agave nectar and lime juice and stir and fluff together.
- Add in the other ingredients and stir to combine.
- Garnish with basil and serve.
Notes
This recipe is naturally gluten free. To cook quinoa -> How to Cook Quinoa. MAKE IT VEGAN: Remove the feta cheese or substitute vegan feta cheese. HOW TO STORE: Store the quinoa salad in an airtight tupperware container in the fridge for up to 5 days. This salad can be served cold or slightly warmed.
To mix it up, you could also easily used grilled or roasted peach/plum slices. You can also use apricots or nectarines in addition to or instead. This recipe can be easily doubled.
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
I had a similar quinoa salad a couple of days ago too. Love your version with different kinds of stone fruits.
Thanks so much Angie!
basil has my HEART when it comes to herbs. i wish i had a garden cause i’d grow that stuff all year haha. this looks amazing, i love how bright and beautiful the plum and peach look.
Me too!! I need a garden haha. Thanks Beverley!
I can’t get enough of peaches and plums during the Summer so this fruit salad sounds perfect!
Thanks Pamela!! The peaches and plums ARE amazing this summer aren’t they?!
I fell in love with basil, too! – as well as peaches – AND quinoa salads!! So this creation was made for me. This is the perfect summer dish 🙂
Thanks Megan!! I love all three on their own and together!
This looks taste sensational! thank you so much for sharing this. I will try this out for sure. cheers!
Great Summer Recipe!!
I work outdoors during the summer, so I am always looking for light & refreshing salads to make for lunch that won’t pull me down in the heat. This was perfect! I had farro on hand (and personally don’t love quinoa because of how small and messy it can get) so I used that, as well as some dinosaur pluots, a plum, and a nectarine. I had enough fruit that I didn’t need the grapes, but I don’t doubt they would have been a nice addition. Maple syrup (the real stuff) went well with the lime as a sauce/dressing, and I plucked some basil leaves from my garden and chopped them up to add. The feta gave it a little creaminess while the pecans added chewy crunch. Will definitely remember this recipe! I think mint in place of the basil might also be nice…
Katy, I love your idea of swapping mint for basil and farro for quinoa. I adore farro and I’m always looking for more ways to use it in my recipes.
We had this salad for a light dinner and simply adored it! So easy to throw together with all of summer’s bounty. I used agave nectar because I’m not a fan of maple syrup, and we cut some basil from the garden to garnish. Perfection! Already ready to make it again 🙂
I was a little skeptical that a quinoa salad could taste good with sweet fruits instead of the usual savory vegetable add-ins, but this was fantastic! It made for a satisfying dinner on a hot day. I think it would also taste great as a breakfast. The protein content of the quinoa plus the pecans is sure to keep me fueled with energy. I’m already looking forward to making it again, this time as a double batch. Thanks, Jessica!
Oops, I think I forgot to give this recipe a star rating when I posted my comment a moment ago, so I came back to do it again. Five stars for sure!