Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad with zesty citrus vinaigrette is a great healthy summer recipe that can be served with grilled salmon or chicken.

hands holding a white bowl with a salad.

If you are tired of boring salads, you should check out this amazing sweet potato quinoa salad with avocado, arugula, and cherry tomatoes! It has a great flavor combination, and will be loved by any picky eater.

This salad is not just tasty and filling but also very nutritious! It has a good amount of protein, healthy fats, fiber, and vitamins. Perfect meal after your workout routine or just for lunch.

Like in my Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad, for the dressing, I love to use my Maple Dijon Dressing, Citrus Salad Dressing or Lemon Dijon Dressing. It gives very light zesty notes to compliment the dish.

hands holding a baking sheet with dices sweet potato in it.

What is Quinoa?

Despite many people calling quinoa a grain, it is actually a seed. It came to us thousands of years ago from the Andes mountains. It received the names “the gold of the Incas” and “the mother grain” for its nutritional value, because it has more protein than any other grain or seed.

Is Quinoa Gluten-Free?

Quinoa is a gluten-free seed and often recommended for a gluten-free diet as a great source of protein, dietary fiber, iron, and calcium. However, not all people agree with its “glute-free” status. The reason is quinoa contains a type of protein that can affect people with gluten sensitivity and celiac disease. This is why many specialists recommend to buy quinoa from brands that are certified gluten-free.

five ingredients in separate bowl to make a salad: cherry tomatoes, quinoa, arugula, sweet potato, and avocado.

Is Quinoa Paleo?

Because quinoa is not a grain but a seed, many people believe that it is paleo compliant. However, if you follow a strict paleo diet, you probably want to exclude this pseudo-grain from your diet. Despite all the benefits and nutritional value, this seed contains a high level of carbohydrate, which should be avoid in a paleo diet.

How to Cook Quinoa

Here is a quick tip for quinoa to water ratio: for one part quinoa use two parts water.

First, rinse ½ cup of quinoa in a fine mesh sieve, then put it together with 1 cup of water into a saucepan and add some salt. Bring it to boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium/low, cover with the lid and cook for about 10-15 minutes until fully cooked and the water in absorbed.

Pouring orange dressing over salad with quinoa, arugula, sweet potatoes, avocado, and tomatoes.

How to Roast Sweet Potatoes

Peel and dice a medium size sweet potato into 1×1 inch cubes, coat with a little bit of olive oil and bake for 20-25 minutes, until soft and baked through.

How to make Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad

Mix all the ingredients in a salad bowl: arugula, cooked quinoa, roasted sweet potatoes, cherry tomatoes, and pitted and diced avocado. Add Citrus Salad Dressing or Lemon Vinaigrette and mix again until combined.

A process shot of two hands holding wooden spoons and mixing a salad in a white bowl.

Did you make this recipe?!? I’d love to know how it turned out! leave a comment and a rating below👇 thank you!

quinoa salad in a white bowl with woden spoons in it.

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5 from 10 votes