Avocado Stuffed Quinoa Salad {Vegetarian}

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This Avocado Stuffed Quinoa Salad recipe post is sponsored by Lundberg Family Farms. As always, the content represents my own personal opinion/experience.

Fresh and vibrant, this avocado stuffed quinoa salad is so perfect for the warmer weather. Simple to make, hearty, filling and loaded with nutritious ingredients. They are fun to serve for brunch, lunch, as part of a main or as a side and they might just help us all eat more salads!

Avocado stuffed quinoa salad with small spoons next to them

Learn more about what makes Lundberg Family Farms stand out from other brands of grains by visiting their site. Their commitment to sustainable grains goes far back before organic and non-GMO terms were even used. I appreciate their healthful and wholesome grains for feeding my family.

Ingredients & substitutions

Quinoa: Not all quinoa is the same. Lundberg Family Farms Organic Antique White Quinoa is organic, non-GMO and has a soft and fluffy texture when cooked, making it perfect for salads. The taste is sweet and nutty with an oat-like flavor that can really stand on its own or complement a fresh salad.
Avocados: Look for firm but soft avocados that are as large as possible. Hass avocados tend to be the largest or try tropical varieties, which have more water content and less fat for larger servings.
Tomatoes: Quartered grape tomatoes, and cherry tomatoes work best. They are sweeter than the larger varieties and easier to cut into smaller pieces.
Onions: Use red onion which is milder than white or yellow and can easily be enjoyed raw in salads. Dice it finely so that it’s not too overpowering. You can also use shallots or green onions.
Cucumbers: Persian cucumbers are great in salads as they contain less seeds, but one English cucumber will also work well.
Cheese: Feta cheese adds a great creamy texture and tang to this quinoa salad. Goat cheese will also work well, or feel free the skip to cheese to make the recipe vegan.
Herbs: Fresh dill adds a great Mediterranean flavor to the finished salad. You can use other fresh herbs like parsley or cilantro.
Dressing: Olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, dried oregano salt and pepper.

How to make avocado stuffed salad

Cook the quinoa

Toast the quinoa in a pan for a couple of minutes, then add in the vegetable broth or water and bring to a boil.
Cook until the liquid is absorbed.
Let rest, fluff with a fork and set aside.

Cooked quinoa in pot with fork to fluff it

Make dressing and toss salad

Mix together the dressing ingredients in a large bowl. This helps reduce dishes to wash.
Add in the cooked and cooled quinoa. It’s ok if it’s still warm though.
Add in the chopped salad vegetables.
Toss together to combine. The mixture will make enough for 12 avocado halves, so you can serve as much or as little as you want.

4 image collage to show how to assemble the salad

Assemble avocados

Halve the avocados and remove the pit. Scoop out some of the flesh of the avocados and you can use it for another recipe or add to the quinoa salad mixture.
Spoon and stuff the quinoa salad into the avocado in heaping piles and serve.

2 image collage to show the avocados hallowed and then stuffed

Tips for making the stuffed avocados

Rinse the quinoa before using it. Quinoa has a natural casing that can taste slightly bitter or soapy, so it’s best to rinse it under cold running water first. This is true even if it’s organic quinoa.
Toast your quinoa before cooking in the stock or water. This helps the naturally nutty flavors to come through to make it extra tasty. It’s well worth the extra couple of minutes! You can toast it dry or add a teaspoon of olive oil.
Don’t cut the avocados and stuff them until you are ready to serve. Avocados brown quickly as soon as they are cut open, so do this right before serving. You can also rub some lemon juice on them to slow down the browning.
Serve it without the avocados. This quinoa salad looks super pretty when stuffed in the avocados, but you can easily serve it by itself as a side dish and it makes for such a large quantity that you can serve it both ways at once.

Frequently asked questions

Can you make it ahead of time?

Although the avocados should be cut and stuffed just before serving, you can easily make the quinoa salad ahead of time. The cooked quinoa will keep well, covered in the fridge for around 5 days, and the fully dressed salad will keep well for 2 days.

What else can you add to them?

This avocado stuffed quinoa salad is pretty delicious as it is, but you can easily change it to a fuller meal by adding in some shredded chicken, tuna or chickpeas. You can also add in some other salad ingredients like bell peppers or zucchini if you like.

What do you serve it with?

These stuffed avocados are great to serve as a healthy brunch by themselves or with a fresh green salad. They are great to pair with chicken and fish dishes for a main meal. Try them with:
Grilled Lemon Chicken
Shrimp Skewers
Honey Lemon Salmon
Chicken Kabobs

Avocado stuffed quinoa salad made with Lundberg quinoa

This stuffed quinoa salad is so wonderfully fresh and delicious. Loaded with natural and healthy ingredients, it’s perfect to enjoy in the warmer weather.

More salad recipes:

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Avocado Stuffed Quinoa Salad

Ingredients & substitutions