• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Cooking On The Weekends
  • About Valentina
    • Press
    • Contact
  • Recipe Index
  • "How To"
  • Work with Me
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About Valentina
    • Contact
  • Recipe Index
  • Collaborate
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • About Valentina
      • Contact
    • Recipe Index
    • Collaborate
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Salads » Black Quinoa Salad with Plum and Avocado

    Black Quinoa Salad with Plum and Avocado

    Aug 28, 2019 · by Valentina · 28 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Black Quinoa Salad with Plum and Avocado is as delicious as it is beautiful. Black quinoa recipes are very versatile and this one celebrates summer beautifully, and is a great dish for lunch and dinner or picnics and parties. square bowl with black quiona with plum and avocaco slicesMaking this salad felt a bit like painting a picture. Creating a base, adding color, adding texture, you get the idea.

    What is black quinoa?

    • Considered a “superfood,” botanically related to spinach, quinoa is a gluten-free grain of which there are over a hundred varieties.
    • The most common we see are white/yellow, red and black.
    • Black quinoa is slightly more firm than the lighter colors. It's also a bit sweeter, with a nut-like, earthy flavor. 
    • With their exotic look, black quinoa recipes always tend to draw a crowd!

    Close up of Black Quinoa Salad with Plum and Avocado in a white square dish

    How to Cook Black Quinoa?

    • Making black quinoa (or any quinoa), is quite simple.
    • Mix 1 part quinoa with 2 parts water, bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. Then fluff it up with a fork.

    Tips for Making Black Quinoa Salad with Plum and Avocado

    • Meyer lemons are my preference, but any lemon will still be delicious.
    • And likewise, any plum variety will be lovely.
    • I love the look of the black quinoa, but you can use any color, or a mixture of colors.
    • The quinoa should be made at least a couple of hours ahead of time so it can cool completely. (I usually make a large amount at once and use it over a period of several days, in a few different recipes.) 

    Yellow bowl filled with red plumsGetting back to my painting . . .

    As I was cooking the black quinoa, I spotted my big bowl ripe plums out of the corner of my eye. I thought their bright reddish color would look so pretty against the beautifully textured, black quinoa. Then I imagined how lovely the soft green color of an avocado would would look against the red and black. And I knew the purple curves of the onion would be dazzling.

    A bit of lettuce for depth (and good measure ;-)), plus the flavor and color from Meyer lemons to balance everything, and voilà -- a gorgeous (and delicious!) painting.Black Quinoa Salad with Plum and AvocadoOh, and my friend and neighbor made this salad on her Late Bloomer Show, which is all about creating, maintaining, and cooking from an edible garden. Watch the video here.

    I hope you love this Black Quinoa Salad with Plum and Avocado as much as my family and I do!

    More Quinoa recipes to keep you happy:

    • Quinoa Crisps
    • Crispy Red Quinoa Burgers
    • Tropical Quinoa Salad Bowl with Shrimp
    • Smoky Lemon-Paprika Quinoa
    • Lemon Vegetable Quinoa
    • Gluten-Free Quinoa Crusted Fried Chicken
    square bowl with black quinoa salad with plums and avocado

    Black Quinoa Salad with Plum and Avocado

    Valentina K. Wein
    Black Quinoa Salad with Plum and Avocado is as delicious as it is beautiful. Black quinoa recipes are very versatile and this one celebrates summer beautifully, and is a great dish for lunch and dinner or picnics and parties.
    5 from 7 votes
    Print
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 35 mins
    Course Side Dish, Salad
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4
    Calories 242 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    For the dressing

    • zest of 1 medium to large Meyer Lemon
    • 2 tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon juice
    • 1½ teaspoons honey
    • 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

    For the salad

    • ½ cups dry black quinoa
    • 1 cup water
    • 4 medium-sized plums, washed and dried, cut into about 8 wedges each
    • 1 ripe but firm medium-sized avocado, sliced and then cut into bite-sized pieces
    • ⅓ cup red onion, thinly sliced
    • 1 cup packed mixed baby greens, washed and dried
    • freshly ground black pepper

    Instructions
     

    For the dressing

    • In a small bowl, combine the lemon zest, juice, honey, salt and mustard. Gradually add the oil, whisking all the while. Set aside.

    For the salad

    • Rinse the quinoa and add it to a pot with the water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let it cool to room temperature.
    • Once the quinoa has cooled, combine it with the plums, avocado, onion and greens.
    • Drizzle the dressing over the salad, toss to combine and crack pepper on top and serve.
    Keywords pretty salads, summer picnic recipes
    Have you tried this recipe?I'd love to see it on Instagram! Tag me at @cookingontheweekends or leave a comment & rating below.

    Cooking On The Weekends is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

    More Salad Recipes

    • Citrus Carpaccio with Jalapeño
    • Peach Caprese Salad
    • Peach Avocado Salad with Zucchini
    • Mango Salad with Basil

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Colette

      June 20, 2013 at 8:25 am

      Just what I want for dinner!

      Reply
    2. Ruta

      June 21, 2013 at 10:29 am

      Oh my goodness, that's gorgeous! I've never seen all of that paired together before, and not only does it look amazing, it sounds delicious too. I will definitely be trying this!

      Reply
      • valentina

        June 22, 2013 at 4:34 am

        Thanks so much, Ruta. 😀

        Reply
    3. David

      June 21, 2013 at 2:09 pm

      Valentina - this is beautiful and such a unique combination of flavors. I love the versatility of quinoa, and of course anything with avocados steals my heart!

      Reply
    4. jeri

      June 24, 2013 at 5:22 am

      You just know if something looks that beautiful, it has to be delicious.

      Reply
      • valentina

        June 29, 2013 at 4:33 am

        Thank you, Jeri! 🙂

        Reply
    5. Adri

      June 25, 2013 at 7:09 pm

      What a beautiful dish. The combination of flavors and textures is so enticing!

      Reply
      • valentina

        June 29, 2013 at 4:34 am

        Thanks so much, Adri. I hope you try it!

        Reply
    6. Kaye Kittrell

      June 27, 2013 at 4:08 am

      We had this tonight and it was delicious!! Thank you! You know I'm always after fresh and simple recipes. - Kaye

      Reply
      • valentina

        June 29, 2013 at 4:36 am

        Kaye, so happy you enjoyed this. So fabulous that you have a plum tree!

        Reply
    7. Abbe@This is How I Cook

      August 29, 2019 at 1:45 pm

      I love painting pictures especially when they taste as good as they look!

      Reply
      • valentina

        August 29, 2019 at 1:56 pm

        Thank you so much! 😀 Enjoy!

        Reply
    8. Marissa

      August 29, 2019 at 4:17 pm

      My niece introduced us to black quinoa when she brought us a little bag of it from a trip to Peru. It is SO delicious! And, as usual, I love the creative textures and flavors you add to your dishes. This salad looks absolutely wonderful.

      Reply
      • valentina

        August 29, 2019 at 6:17 pm

        Thanks so much, Marissa. I didn't know quinoa was a common ingredient in Peru. Very cool! Enjoy. ~Valentina

        Reply
    9. Eha

      August 29, 2019 at 5:19 pm

      What a lovely and unexpected combination I just have to try soonest ! Would not have thought to put the three basic ingredients together ! I live on both rice and quinoa of all colours in both cases. Am oft a 'lazy' cook tho' where either grain ends in the pot with sufficient water to cover and is cooked without a lid until done - works for me 🙂 ! As one first eats with one's eyes and nose, this picture-perfect dish surely fits the first part of the bill . . .

      Reply
      • valentina

        August 29, 2019 at 6:16 pm

        Eha, I love your comment. Thank you so much. Love the eating with your eyes and nose. 🙂 I hope you have a lovely weekend! Valentina

        Reply
    10. Liz

      August 29, 2019 at 8:52 pm

      I am a huge fan of quinoa salads and love this mixture of ingredients! The vinaigrette is delightful, too!

      Reply
      • valentina

        August 30, 2019 at 11:55 am

        Thanks, Liz! Cheers and have a great weekend, Valentina

        Reply
    11. 2pots2cook

      August 30, 2019 at 2:04 am

      Absolutely amazing way to eat ancient grains Valentina ! So into the season ! Thank you and enjoy your day 🙂

      Reply
      • valentina

        August 30, 2019 at 11:56 am

        Quinoa sound so much more delicious when referred to as "ancient grains." I will call them that from now on! 😀 Thanks, Davorka. ~Valentina

        Reply
    12. Dawn - Girl Heart Food

      August 30, 2019 at 5:00 am

      What a lovely way to describe preparing this salad - like painting a picture! I do love all those colours in there, especially contrasting against the black quinoa...speaking of which, I have to look out for! Sounds delicious and interesting that it's a little sweeter! I bet I'd love it! Hope you have a wonderful weekend, Valentina 🙂

      Reply
      • valentina

        August 30, 2019 at 11:55 am

        Thanks so much, Dawn. I hope you spot the quinoa and can try it. Cheers and have a delightful weekend! 🙂 ~Valentina

        Reply
    13. mimi rippee

      September 02, 2019 at 8:41 am

      What lovely flavors! And textures! I cannot wait to make this. thank you.

      Reply
      • valentina

        September 02, 2019 at 5:21 pm

        Thank YOU, Mimi! 🙂

        Reply
    14. David @ Spiced

      September 03, 2019 at 4:52 am

      I love your description of food as a painting. It truly is exactly that! I've got to say you nailed the colors on this recipe, Valentina. So pretty! I love using that black quinoa as a base. And the flavors sound excellent for a nice lunch or side dish, too!

      Reply
      • valentina

        September 04, 2019 at 11:42 am

        Thanks so much, David!! 😀 ~Valentina

        Reply
    15. st louis artists

      September 05, 2019 at 9:29 am

      This looks amazing. I am going to try this recipe next week. It seems like a terrific Summer dish. Thanks for sharing

      Reply
      • valentina

        September 05, 2019 at 3:04 pm

        Thanks so much! I hope you love it as much as we do! 🙂 Enjoy. ~Valentina

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Get new recipes
    you’ll love!

    Hi, I'm Valentina, certified chef, owner, recipe developer and photographer at Cooking on the Weekends. I'm also a mom of two boys and a Los Angeleno. I use seasonal whole foods to create unique and comforting recipes for casual entertaining.

    More about me →

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Press

    Newsletter

    Get new recipes you’ll love!

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Work with Me

    Review the privacy policy for Cooking on the Weekends

    Copyright © 2023 Cooking On The Weekends, All Rights Reserved