Recipe - Quinoa Fruit Salad Will Save Your Mornings

This protein-packed quinoa salad is brightened up with fresh mango, strawberries and blueberries, balanced with a tart vinaigrette and refreshing mint. I don’t know what the weather is like out there but here in LA, it’s 90+ degrees every. single. day. It’s so hot that I can’t even bear to go outside. The only time I leave the house is when I finally drag myself to the gym or when we’re low on milk. Other than that, we stay inside the apartment with the AC blasting on.

So while the sweltering heat wave is still happening, I try my best to keep the oven off. That’s where this fruit salad comes in. With a simple tart lemon vinaigrette, this quinoa-packed fruit salad comes together in just 10 minutes without turning on the stove. It’s a protein-packed salad that’s also so incredibly refreshing and so nutritious. It’s just what you need to keep cool during this summer heat.

Ingredients

2 cups cooked quinoa
1 mango, peeled and diced
1 cup strawberries, quartered
1/2 cup blueberries
2 tablespoons pine nuts
Chopped mint leaves, for garnish
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Zest of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar

Method

* To make the vinaigrette, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon zest and juice, and sugar in a small bowl; set aside.

* In a large bowl, combine quinoa, mango, strawberries, blueberries and pine nuts.

* Stir in lemon vinaigrette.

* Serve immediately, garnished with mint leaves.