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Summer is on its way out, you guys. There’s no denying it. I’ve unpacked my sweaters; there are new boots in the mail (yippee). I’ve replaced my loyalty to iced coffee with hot, cozy, caramel-y lattes. And the prospect of ALL pumpkin desserts ALL the time is beginning to win me over.
That being said… when I found sunshine bright ears of corn and plump, juicy tomatoes at the Farmers market yesterday, I went bananas. Label me a Summer lovin’ fool… I know it’s the truth.
Bring on the End of Summer salad! This vibrant dish is packed with flavorful quinoa, sweet corn, juicy tomatoes, and creamy avocado. The background players include spicy jalapeño, cilantro, scallions, and some red bell pepper for crunch.
If you’ve never had a quinoa salad before, you’re in for a treat! This simple beauty is a breeze to throw together, loaded with fresh//fresh flava, and leaves you with dreamy leftovers for tomorrows lunch 😉 One last hurrah for Summer salads! DO IT xoxo!
End of Summer Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
For the Quinoa:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 1 cup pre-washed quinoa
- Pinch of salt
- 2 cups vegetable broth
For the Salad:
- 4 ears corn
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 3 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced
- 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, about 2 small limes or one really juicy big one
- 1 ripe avocado, pitted and cut into bite-sized chunks
Instructions
For the quinoa:
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add the diced onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the dry quinoa to onions and continue cooking, stirring *constantly, for 3 minutes. Add vegetable broth and salt. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil. Cover pan tightly with lid, turn heat down to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until all of the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa is cooked. Spoon the cooked quinoa to a heat safe mixing bowl and place in the refrigerator to cool.
For the corn:
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add corn and cook corn for 4-5 minutes. Rinse with cold water until cool. Once cooled, cut corn kernels off cobs and place the kernels in a small bowl. Set aside.
Assembly:
- When quinoa has cooled to at least room temperature, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, tomatoes, onions, corn, red bell pepper, scallions, jalapeno, cilantro, remaining and 2 tablespoons of lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Place avocado chunks in a small bowl, squeeze remaining lime juice over it, add a pinch of salt, and carefully (avocado is very delicate and mashes easily) stir to coat. Scatter avocado chunks over top of the salad right before serving.
End of summer….sniff sniff. This is a good last celebration!
I am not ready to say good bye to summer at all! Give me corn, give me tomatoes, keep your pumpkin…at least for a few more weeks! Yummo Ashley!
Such a pretty salad, I love the bright colors and textures!
This looks so fresh and delicious! Perfect way to give a last hurrah to summertime (though I’m excited about boots and pumpkin-y things, too ;)).
Love it! This is exactly the kind of salad I want to be eating at the tail end of summer — full of the best summer veg, cool, crunchy, and easy to make in vast quantities for a week’s worth of tasty lunches. Yay!
I am SO going to miss corn and tomatoes!! Need to see summer out with a big old bowl of this.
How much is a serving and do you have the nutritional value per serving? Sounds and looks delicious!!
Hi Aimee. A serving is about a cup as a side and a cup and a half for a main dish. I don’t have the nutritional value per serving – sorry!
I made this tonight with some salmon and it was super! I added a bit of red pepper flakes as well because we like some extra kick. Thanks.
Looks delicious!! Does this do OK in the refrigerator if I wanted to make it a night before or early in the morning?
Totally! I’ve made this for parties up to three days in advance… just add the avocado the day you plan on serving it, otherwise it’ll get brown.
How many does the recipe serve as a side dish – just an estimate. Thanks
Hi Pattie. I’d say 6 to 8 🙂
After reading these salad recipes I want to try the benr ..
Do you think if I add spinach to it , will it make it taste weird ? Just to add a little bit more green to it? If l do how much do you recommend?