This Gal Cooks

Fresh Berry Salad with Walnuts + Quinoa

Fresh Berry Salad with Quinoa

This salad is awesome sauce. Fresh blueberries. Fresh raspberries. Fresh strawberries. Walnuts. Quinoa. Oh and a tart, slightly sweet lemon poppyseed dressing to top it all off.

Fresh Berry Salad with Quinoa

This fresh berry salad is extremely easy to throw together.

  • Cook the quinoa in a rice cooker. It’s easy. Just use the same mehtod you would for cooking rice. If you don’t have a rice cooker, you may cook it on the stove according to package directions.
  • Make the dressing in a food processor. I like my dressing on the tart side but if you prefer a sweeter dressing, just add a little more honey to the mix. You can use the create and taste method – add more honey and/or olive oil until the taste suits you.
  • After you prep your quinoa and dressing, place the quinoa in cute little bowls. Then top it with the fruit and walnuts. Drizzle with a little dressing. I didn’t use all of the dressing.

Fresh Berry Salad with Quinoa

Fresh Berry Salad with Walnuts + Quinoa

Fresh Berry Salad with Walnuts + Quinoa

Yield: 2
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

This Fresh Berry Salad with Walnuts and Quinoa is full of nutrients and flavor. Top it off with homemade Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing (recipe included).

Ingredients

For the salad

  • 2 C cooked quinoa (approximately 1/2 C uncooked)
  • 1/2 C strawberries, cut into chunks
  • 1/2 C blueberries
  • 1/2 C raspberries
  • 2 tbsp chopped walnuts

For the dressing

  • 1 tsp honey
  • Juice from 2 lemons
  • 1 tbsp coconut milk
  • 1 tbsp cilantro
  • 1/2 tsp poppy seeds
  • 1/2 to 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

  1. Cook the quinoa.
  2. To make the dressing, add all dressing ingredients to a food processor and pulsate until blended.
  3. Place the cooked quinoa in bowls. Top with the fruit and walnuts. Drizzle with the dressing.

Notes

Nutrition calculations are approximate.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 472 Total Fat: 14g Saturated Fat: 3g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 11g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 90mg Carbohydrates: 80g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 12g Sugar: 29g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 12g

Fresh Berry Salad with Quinoa

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39 comments on “Fresh Berry Salad with Walnuts + Quinoa”

  1. What a lovely and colorful berry salad! It must taste very delicious!

  2. This was an incredible way to start the Monday! Someone is going to be through the roof – a nice camera is invaluable. I have my coffee, my computer, and these gorgeous photos in front of me. I think I’m set! Seriously though, I love these photos. And I wouldn’t have thought to mix grains and berries in a salad like this, but it looks and sounds incredible!

    • You’ve gotta try the berries and grains in a salad, Mary Frances. It’s such a great combo, especially with a tart, fruity dressing! Thank you so much for stopping by!

  3. Yeah! This is a really great giveaway! :-)
    Cathy

  4. Julie these photos are GORGEOUS!!! The lighting is perfect and your styling is just so inviting. All those vibrant colors are making me drool as I think of this salad. Yummmm!!!

  5. This salad is just gorgeous Julie and packed full of goodness! Pinned!

  6. Yes please! This looks absolutely delicious. I’ve never made quinoa myself, despite me always ordering it.

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  8. Since I take terrible food pictures, I am impressed with yours. Plus I can appreciate your joy at finally getting into the groove. Yay for you. The dressing looks very good, but I saw the pictures and read the recipe and my mind whispered into my ear, Carol this looks like yummy breakfast to me!

  9. Julie, this berry salad just looks amazing – there is nothing like fresh, delicious berries! Pinning this beauty!

  10. Julie, your pictures are perfect! And this recipe looks pretty perfect too – love all the fresh flavors you have going on! Pinned.

  11. I love everything about this salad – the crunchy walnuts, quinoa and generous serving of berries! Pinning and sharing on social media tomorrow!

  12. This salad looks amazing Julie! My mouth is watering from these gorgeous photos. I love the sound of everything in here from the quinoa, coconut milk dressing and especially all the pretty fresh berries! Pinning :)

  13. These photos are absolutely gorgeous Julie! You totally rocked them! That’s the hard part though – trying to consistently find good light – I always struggle with that! I love quinoa and fruit definitely wish I had a big bowl for breakfast! Pinning :)

  14. What a wonderful idea! I love the idea of the poppy seed dressing on this. I always have it in my head that dressings are only for savoury things but this is the second sweet dressing I have seen today. The photos are gorgeous. I dreading heading into a full time job and not being a student anymore because I’ll miss all the good light and I need all the help I can get! I see a lot of weekend cooking ahead.

    • Yeah! I do most of my cooking on the weekends but during the spring and summer months, I can usually shoot until about 6:30 pm and still get good ligting. Anything after that will be kinda dark. I just bought a Lowell Ego light and I’m gonna try it out. I had some umbrella lights and while the work pretty good, they are such a pain in the butt to set up and to lug around.

      You should totally give some of the dressings for sweets a try. They are so darn good!

  15. This really looks wonderful Julie. I think I need to invest in a rice cooker! I love using quinoa in salads, it’ so versatile. I love the fresh fruit! This would be a terrific way to start the day!

  16. That looks like a lovely recipe! I’ve already printed it out and I plan on making it within the next few days. Thanks for sharing!!

  17. I seriously want this salad for lunch right now Julie! It looks so fresh and healthy!! Yum!! :)

  18. Gorgeous photos Julie, the lighting did turn out super well! The recipe sounds amazing too, wasn’t expecting to see the cilantro but I bet it totally works. Looks like the perfect side to bring to a bbq party! YUM! Pinned!

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  21. What a gorgeous salad, Julie!! My husband and I would devour this – pinned and can’t wait to make! P.S. I LOVE your new design!!!

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  24. such a gorgeous salad – and that lighting is stunning

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