A healthy and light quinoa salad loaded with raspberries, basil, goat cheese and a light balsamic dressing. A perfect summer salad that’s gluten-free and vegetarian!
So just in case you haven’t clued in yet (or maybe you’re not even Canadian and don’t even care), Canada day is at a really awkward time this year.
Like super awkward.
Doesn’t Canada Day or more importantly, my day off, usually fall sometime around the weekend?
This year it falls right smack in the middle of the week.
Now I love having a long weekend and everything, but I definitely can’t complain about getting a day off on a Wednesday.
We are having our traditional Canada day backyard potluck this week.
Socializing, sunshine (hopefully), and lots of good food.
I thought a nice refreshing quinoa salad would be the perfect dish to prepare.
I’ve always enjoyed planning a menu according to a specific theme.
So for Canada day this year, I decided to go with the red and white theme.
WOOOOW, right?
So creative.
What I love about quinoa is that it’s SO versatile.
You can throw anything in there from cheese and nuts, to chocolate and dried fruit to put a totally different spin on it.
This time around, I decided to do a sweet and savoury quinoa salad.
It’s right around that time of year where raspberries are in season, so what better way to incorporate a dose of flavour and antioxidants than by using some fresh and juicy raspberries?!
Add in some crumbled goat cheese and you’ve got a very patriotic quinoa salad.
Look at that red and whiteness.
The green basil could technically make it Italian, but we’ll just ignore the colour of the basil for this week. Deal?
And if you happen to be American, just throw in some blueberries for a patriotic spin!
And I’m telling ya, this flavour combo tastes great with anything from chicken (marinated in one of these healthy chicken marinades) to beef, or any other tasty foods that will be sizzling up on the grill.
It’s not only refreshing, but also packed full of fibre, protein and healthy fats, so you really can’t go wrong with this salad.
Can’t wait to see some of the other patriotic dishes at the BBQ!
More similar recipes
- Toasted Almond, Grape & Spinach Quinoa Salad
- Greek Quinoa Salad
- Butternut Squash, Pomegranate & Kale Quinoa Salad
- Southwestern Quinoa Salad
- Asian Quinoa & Edamame Salad
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Raspberry Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry quinoa cooked according to package directions*
- 4 tablespoons slivered almonds
- 4 tablespoons fresh basil leaves chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp. honey
- Fresh ground black pepper and salt to taste
- 1 cup fresh raspberries heaping full, rinsed and patted dry
- 8 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese
*cook in low-sodium chicken broth instead of water to give the quinoa more flavour
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together olive oil, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, toss together quinoa, almonds, and basil until evenly distributed. Pour the dressing into the bowl and mix until well combined. Add in goat cheese and raspberries. Gently fold to distribute throughout salad.
- Eat immediately, or chill for later. If you're going to chill it, leave out the raspberries and goat cheese and throw them in just before eating.
Nutrition
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What a pretty summer salad! I love the sweet, nutty, and cheesy combination of flavors!
Thanks Rachel!!
Fresh raspberries, creamy goat cheese, and basil- such a wonderful flavor combination!
Thanks Kelley! Love using all those fresh, simple and healthy ingredients!
I am loving quinoa! It’s so versatile. Raspberries and goat cheese sound AMAZING!
Isn’t quinoa awesome Amy??!! You can do so much with it and it goes well with so many different flavours! The raspberries and goat cheese definitely make a nice combo!
I love how you added raspberries to this dish–so a fun burst of flavor!
Thank you Kristen! The raspberries add such a refreshing taste and colour to the quinoa! Great way to use up some of those extra raspberries :)
What a perfect combination of flavors. Love the colors and how healthy this is.
Thank you Ali! It’s a really simple, yet refreshing combo and those raspberries add a nice burst of flavour!