Quinoa Salad with Corn and Avocado

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A delicious quinoa salad with corn, avocado, basil and fresh lime juice. Perfect for summer and can be served as a salad or dip! Vegan + gluten-free.

I’ve been making my raw corn and avocado salad for years. It’s really easy to toss together, requires minimal ingredients and is always a hit at parties.

Last weekend we were going to a little get-together on Saturday night so I made a batch of the salad to bring along. But this time I switched things up a bit. I used less corn and added in quinoa.

I’ve made plenty of quinoa salads before so I knew it was going to work, but it turned out to be more delicious than expected. The quinoa added a nice addition to the texture and a little protein without changing the flavor of the salad. Love!

Fresh Corn, Avocado and Quinoa Salad (or dip) in a blue bowl.

Cooking Quinoa for Salad

When it comes to cooking quinoa to use for salad, it’s basically the same process as normal, but I like to make my quinoa a day in advance, let it cool and chill it in the fridge overnight and then use it for the salad the next day.

Prepping it in advance is just so the quinoa doesn’t heat up the other salad ingredients. Of course it’s fine to cook it the same day and just let it cool a bit before using. I do this all the time when I’m in a rush!

Easy Way to Remove Corn from the Cob

One little trick I use to make sure the kernels don’t go everywhere and make a huge mess is to put a small bowl upside-down inside of a large bowl. If you just use a single large bowl you can’t get your knife all the way down to the end of the cob.

Stand the corn, large side down, on top of the small bowl and use a knife to slice the kernels off the cob. The kernels will fall into the bottom of the bowl instead of all over your countertop.

Fresh Corn, Avocado and Quinoa Salad (or dip) in a blue bowl.

Ingredients in Quinoa Salad with Corn and Avocado

Here’s what you’ll need to make this delicious (and super easy) quinoa salad:

  • sweet corn – we’re using fresh uncooked sweet corn for the star of this salad.
  • quinoa – this is the base of the recipe and you can use any type of quinoa you like from white, black, red to tri-color. Any variety will work for this recipe.
  • red onion – the perfect way to add a bit of flavor and crunch. You can use yellow onion if needed.
  • avocado
  • lime juice, basil, sea salt and ground pepper – instead of an elaborate dressing, we’re using these four items to add a light and refreshing flavor to the salad.

Notes and Substitutions

Protein – The quinoa adds a good amount of plant-based protein to this salad but, you could always add more protein by tossing in about 1/2 cup of beans (chickpeas or black beans would be delicious) or adding in some chopped grilled chicken. This apple cider vinegar chicken would be yummy.

Sweet corn

Fresh Corn, Avocado and Quinoa Salad (or dip) on a plate.

How to Serve Quinoa Salad

I usually serve this as a side salad at potlucks, but it would work great as a dip as well. I tried dipping it with chips and it definitely works. It’s like a corn and avocado salsa.

How to Store Quinoa Salad

This salad stores super well!

To make it in advance: I would recommend leaving the avocado out and adding that in right before serving. The rest of the salad can be fully assembled and stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

To store leftovers: Store any leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator

More Quinoa Recipes to Try:

More Corn Recipes to Try:

If you try this quinoa salad with corn and avocado be sure to come back and leave a comment and star rating letting us know how it turned out. Your feedback is super helpful for the EBF team and other EBF readers.

5 from 1 vote

Fresh Corn, Avocado and Quinoa Salad (or dip)

A delicious quinoa salad with corn, avocado, basil and fresh lime juice. Perfect for summer and can be served as a salad or dip! Vegan + gluten-free.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients  

  • 4 ears, about 3 cups fresh uncooked sweet corn
  • 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, about 11/2 – 2 cups cooked
  • 1/2 cup red onion, diced
  • 2 large avocados, diced
  • lime juice, 1 lime or about 3 Tablespoons
  • ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • Ground pepper, to taste

Instructions 

  • Cook quinoa: Cook quinoa according to package directions. Place in a mixing bowl and put in the fridge to cool. You can even do this step the day before. Just store the cooked quinoa in the fridge until you’re ready to prepare the salad.
  • Prepare corn: Husk and cut corn from the cob (here’s a quick tutorial), pulling out as many corn silks as possible.
  • Mix ingredients: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well.
  • Serve: Serve immediately or allow to marinate for a few hours before serving.

Notes

  • Protein: The quinoa adds a good amount of plant-based protein to this salad but, you could always add more protein by tossing in about 1/2 cup of chickpeas or white beans or adding in some chopped grilled chicken. This apple cider vinegar chicken would be delish.
  • Cooked corn:
  • Frozen corn:

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 of recipe | Calories: 234kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 11g | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 4g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: quinoa salad with corn
Did you make this recipe?Mention @eatingbirdfood and tag #eatingbirdfood!

About Brittany

Hey there, I’m Brittany, the creator of Eating Bird Food, cookbook author, health coach and mama of two littles. Here you’ll find quick and easy recipes that make healthy fun and enjoyable for you and your family!

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29 Comments

  1. This looks absolutely delicious! I love all three of the main ingredients so i’m looking forward to trying this recipe :). Thanks for sharing

  2. can’t wait to make this!!! 🙂 i’m whipping up some quinoa today and making both of your latest salads! 🙂

  3. This recipe is delicious, very tasty! Sometime I avoid serving quinoa because it doesn’t have much taste (if you don’t prepare it a good way). This salad is one of my favorite meal for lunch breaks at work.

  4. This looks amazing! I am definitely going to be trying this out for the 4th! Thanks for the idea!

  5. This salad just screams summer! I LOVE corn and it’s really one of my favorite things about summertime haha 🙂 This is perfect!

  6. New to the blog but I am so glad I found this recipe! Sounds amazing!

  7. I made this last night an it was SO good! My guy said “nice combinations of taste”, and then he asked “Is that corn RAW?” Anyway it was fantastic for lunch today too. I entered it in Myfitnesspal. Thank you for another great recipe!

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