Watermelon Quinoa Salad

This refreshing Watermelon Quinoa Salad is the perfect blend of sweet, savory, and tangy summer flavors. Made with juicy watermelon, fluffy quinoa, creamy avocado, vegan feta, and crunchy pistachios, it’s tossed in a zesty lime-maple vinaigrette for a vibrant, nourishing dish. Light yet satisfying, it’s ideal for warm-weather lunches, BBQs, or potluck gatherings. 🍉☀️

Is it even summer if you haven’t had watermelon yet?! As soon as the temperatures rise and the days get longer, I find myself craving light, fresh meals that come together quickly and don’t require turning on the oven. This Watermelon Quinoa Salad checks all the boxes—it’s refreshing, satisfying, colorful, and packed with nourishing ingredients that make your body feel good.

My dad gifted me a large watermelon the other day, and aside from snacking on slices of watermelon on these warm sunny days we’ve been having, I needed to create a way to use it up before the watermelon spoiled.

Naturally, my mind immediately went to all the sweet watermelon treats I could make, but I’ve been doing a fair amount of dessert recipes on the blog lately, so I thought I’d bring the sweetness of this very juicy and delicious watermelon into a salad recipe that’s perfect for summer!

Why You’ll Love This Watermelon Quinoa Salad

This isn’t your average fruit salad. We’re combining the hydrating sweetness of watermelon with protein-rich quinoa, creamy avocado, juicy cherry tomatoes, crisp red onion, and salty-sweet pistachios. Add in some vegan feta for that tangy, cheesy bite and a generous handful of fresh basil to tie it all together. Honestly, every forkful is a celebration of summer.

No cooking beyond the quinoa. The only thing you need to cook for this watermelon quinoa salad is the quinoa, and if you have leftover quinoa to use up like I did, you’re REALLY winning! That’s meal prep at its finest folks! 😉

You can make that ahead of time! Perfect for BBQs, picnics, or make-ahead lunches A fun way to use up summer produce in a not-so-boring salad. Be sure to check out my tips below if you’re making it ahead of time!

Salad Ingredients

Quinoa. You will need 2 cups of cooked quinoa for this salad recipe. That is approximately 2/3 cups of dry quinoa cooked in 1 1/3 cup of water.

💡 This recipe is a great way to meal prep! I like to cook double the quinoa and then use 2 cups for this salad and the leftover quinoa for another meal during the week!

Watermelon. I sliced about 1/4 of a medium-sized seedless watermelon. You’ll want to cube the watermelon into small-medium pieces, enough to equal one and a half cups. You’ll may add more if you’d like! You can also purchase pre-cut watermelon to save time on meal prep, however, whole watermelon will taste fresher.

Basil. You will need 1/2 cup of fresh basil leaves for this salad. You can chop the basil into whatever size you prefer either with a knife or you can cut the leaves with kitchen shears.

Cherry tomatoes. What a great use for all those cherry tomatoes from your garden! Small-medium cherry tomatoes work best, sliced in half.

Avocado. You’ll want to buy 2 medium-large ripe avocados. I included on large avocado in this salad but if you’re an avocado lover, you could add more!

Red onion. I like to thinly slice my red onion for a milder onion flavor. Red onion also adds to the vibrant color of this salad!

Pistachios. Aside from the quinoa, pistachios also add some plant-based protein to this salad recipe! You can purchase chopped pistachios, chop your own using a knife or a nut chopper, or you could even leave them whole if you’d like.

Feta cheese. There are a couple different brands that make vegan feta cheese. I used the Follow Your Heart brand. If you can’t find it, you can omit this ingredient.

And can we talk about the dressing for a sec? It’s a super simple mix of avocado oil, fresh lime juice, white vinegar, a touch of maple syrup, and a pinch of salt and pepper. It’s light and zesty with just the right hint of sweetness to complement the watermelon, and it brings all the salad components together beautifully.

How To Make This Watermelon Quinoa Salad

Cook the quinoa according to package directions. While the quinoa is cooking, make the dressing. Place everything in a personal blender and blend to combine. Alternatively you can whisk everything together in a bowl/measuring cup.

When the quinoa is fully cooked, place it in a large bowl to cool for about 20 minutes. While the quinoa is cooling cut the watermelon, avocado, red onion, cherry tomatoes, basil, and pistachios.

When the quinoa is cool, toss in the cut watermelon, cherry tomatoes, red onion, basil and salad dressing. Stir/blend the dressing before adding. Then right before serving toss in the avocado, pistachios and cheese.

Quick Tips

Make sure your quinoa is completely cooled before adding the other ingredients. This keeps everything fresh and prevents wilting.

Want to make it nut-free? Swap the pistachios for roasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds.

If you’re making this salad ahead of time, add the avocado, pistachios, and vegan feta just before serving for the best texture.

Before adding the dressing, give it a good stir.

Trust me, you’re going to want to keep this one in rotation all season long. It’s the kind of dish that impresses at potlucks and makes you feel like you’re eating something special at home, even if it only took 15 minutes to throw together.

More Watermelon & Quinoa Salad Recipes To Try

Let me know if you give it a try down below in the comments section, as well as giving this Watermelon Quinoa Salad recipe a five ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating so that others can discover a delicious summer salad. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest if you make it! ☀️🍴

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