Watermelon Quinoa Salad
Labor Day may have come and gone and summer is winding to a close, but some of my favorite produce (corn! watermelon!) is still readily available at the market. I’ve been making this light but hearty salad recently–once with quinoa as the base and once with greens–and it is so deliciously simple. It’s the perfect way to savor these last few weeks of warm weather and the last of those juicy, ripe watermelons. While I mostly make my own salad dressings, we stumbled across this zesty, fresh avocado vinaigrette, which worked perfectly tossed into this salad. If you can’t find it at your grocery store (in the produce section), you can easily make your own using the ingredients below. Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS
2 cups cooked quinoa
1-2 cups diced watermelon
1/2 cucumber, peeled and diced
Handful of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Queso fresco or feta, crumbled
Salt and pepper to season
Avocado vinaigrette (store bought or make your own, recipe below)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. To make the dressing: Add 1/2 an avocado, 1/3 cup cilantro leaves, juice of one lime, a drizzle of honey, a pinch of salt and some chopped jalapeno into a food processor or blender. Pulse to combine, then slowly add in olive oil to taste, continuing to pulse until well combined. Dressing will be thick.
2. In a bowl, drizzle some of the dressing over the quinoa. Toss. Top with watermelon, cucumber, cilantro and cheese.