Blood oranges, mint, almonds and goat cheese make this quinoa salad flavorful and interesting. It's a delicious side dish or vegetarian lunch. (gluten-free, vegan option)

overhead view of quinoa salad with blood oranges, navel oranges, mint and goat cheese in a bowl with a gold fork beside it.

For a refreshing side dish or even a meatless lunch, you can never go wrong with a quinoa salad. Yes, I am still on the quinoa train and I'm not getting off any time soon. It's goes perfectly with whatever seasonal ingredients you have on hand, and in this case it's citrus!

Why You'll Love This Blood Orange Quinoa Salad

Quinoa is both a whole grain and complete protein, so it's a great option for something filling and nutrient rich. Combined with beautiful red-hued blood oranges, juicy navel oranges, and a citrusy vinaigrette, it makes a healthy, delicious, side dish or meatless lunch. Almonds add a nice crunch, while soft, tangy goat cheese pairs perfectly with oranges, and it's all rounded out with fresh mint. It's a little savory, a little sweet, super refreshing, and so easy to make!

How To Make Blood Orange Quinoa Salad

side by side images of citrus dressing in a glass jar and a hand pouring the dressing into a bowl with quinoa, oranges, goat cheese and mint.

Whisk up the simple citrus vinaigrette.
Put everything in a big bowl.
Pour the dressing on top, and stir to combine.

Tips for the Best Quinoa Salad

Quinoa salads are a great use for leftover quinoa. If you don't have any quinoa already made, cook your quinoa in broth for extra flavor! To cook it, simply add 1 cup dry quinoa to a pot with 2 cups liquid, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Segmenting oranges so that the fruit is completely removed from the membranes makes for the best tasting quinoa salad. If you aren't familiar, here's a tutorial on segmenting citrus fruit.
You can use type of oranges that you have on hand, but I think using at least 2 colors is really beautiful.
For a vegan option, simply omit the goat cheese.

Can This Recipe Be Made in Advance?

Yes! This quinoa salad is great for prepping ahead to take for lunches or to add on as an easy side with dinner. If you're going to make it ahead, you may wish to save the dressing and add it just before serving. Quinoa and other starches tend to soak up dressing as its sits. Store the salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Blood orange quinoa salad in a bowl with a gold spoon in it.

More Quinoa Salads You'll Love

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Blood Orange Quinoa Salad

Print Recipe

Blood oranges, mint, almonds and goat cheese make this quinoa salad flavorful and interesting. It's a delicious side dish or vegetarian lunch. (gluten-free, vegan option)

Author: Kaleigh
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 6 servings 1x
Category: side dish
Method: no cook
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

3 cups cooked quinoa
2 small blood oranges, segmented
1 navel orange, segmented
¼ cup goat cheese, crumbled
¼ cup sliced almonds
¼ cup mint leaves, loosely packed

For the dressing:

3 tbsp orange juice (fresh or bottled)
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper

Instructions

Whisk together dressing ingredients in a small bowl or jar.
Segment blood oranges and navel oranges (here's a tutorial).
Place quinoa, oranges, goat cheese, almonds and mint in a large bowl.
Pour dressing over salad and stir to combine.
Serve or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

Quinoa salads are a great use for leftover quinoa. If you don't have any quinoa already made, cook your quinoa in broth for extra flavor! To cook it, simply add 1 cup dry quinoa to a pot with 2 cups liquid, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Segmenting oranges so that the fruit is completely removed from the membranes makes for the best tasting quinoa salad. If you aren't familiar, here's a tutorial on segmenting citrus fruit.
You can use type of oranges that you have on hand, but I think using at least 2 colors is really beautiful.
For a vegan option, simply omit the goat cheese.

Keywords: blood orange quinoa salad, citrus quinoa salad