Quinoa Salad with Corn and Avocado

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!

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.

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 – for some creaminess and healthy fat.
• 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.

Feta cheese – This would be a great addition to the salad. You could even do vegan feta if needed. 

Sweet corn – We’re using raw and uncooked sweet corn, but of course, you can always quickly cook the corn if you want! If you use frozen sweet corn it should be fine, however, I haven’t recipe tested it. I would recommend putting the corn in a strainer to defrost so any excess liquid is removed from the corn. You don’t want the salad to be watery.

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:

• Quinoa Tabbouleh
• Quinoa Fried “Rice” with Shrimp
• Slow Cooker Cheesy Mexican Quinoa Casserole
• Cinnamon Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
• Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Casserole
• Grilled Chicken and Quinoa Meal Prep Bowls
• Sweet Potato Kale Quinoa Salad

More Corn Recipes to Try:

• Avocado Corn Salad
• Mexican Street Corn Salad
• Blueberry Corn Chicken Salad
• Black Bean and Corn Salad
• Mexican Street Corn Kale Salad
• Grilled Salmon Salad with Peaches and Corn

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.

Fresh Corn, Avocado and Quinoa Salad (or dip)

5 from 1 vote

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.

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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.
• Feta cheese: This would be a great addition to the salad. You could even do vegan feta if needed.
• Cooked corn: If you prefer to cook the corn, simply fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Once boiling add corn cobs and boil for 5-6 minutes. Remove corn cobs from the boiling water, drain and rinse with cold water. Once cool enough to handle, cut corn from the cob.
• Frozen corn: If you use frozen sweet corn it should be fine, however, I haven’t recipe tested it. I would recommend putting the corn in a strainer to defrost so any excess liquid is removed from the corn. You don’t want the salad to be watery.

Nutrition

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

Author: Brittany Mullins

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: quinoa salad with corn

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