Fresh sliced peaches are tossed with quinoa, sweet corn, tomatoes, and a homemade peach vinaigrette in this refreshing summer salad! Perfect as a side with a grilled main or as a light lunch.
Because every season should have its own quinoa salad, like a roasted butternut squash quinoa salad in the fall or quinoa artichoke salad in the spring, this summer I bring you quinoa peach salad.
This quinoa peach salad the first recipe in my Peach Week series! I'm sharing a different peach recipe each day to celebrate peach season. If you can't already tell from my blog name, I love peaches and love sharing peach recipes.
Most of my favorite recipes are sweet (peach muffins, peach overnight oats, peach crumble bars...) but most of the recipes in this peach series are savory.
This Quinoa Peach Salad blends together fresh summer ingredients like corn and tomatoes alongside a simple but oh-so-flavorful peach salad dressing. It's fantastic as a dinner side with grilled portobello burgers or turned into the main dish.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Seasonal produce: Fresh sweet corn, cherry tomatoes, and sliced peaches are the stars of the show. Feel free to add in more seasonal produce like sauteed zucchini, cucumber, etc.
- Perfect for summer: Whether you're craving light summer lunches or need a side to serve at a cookout, this quinoa salad is a fantastic option.
- Peach vinaigrette: The vinaigrette is a combination of blended fresh or canned peaches and vinegar. It's zesty, sweet, and refreshing.
Ingredients
- Peaches: Any variety works well here as long as they are ripe. Peaches are ripe when they are slightly soft to the touch and indent easily when gently pressed.
- Quinoa: Any variety works. This salad works with most grains. Think farro, orzo, or couscous.
- Sweet corn: Adds a pop of texture and sweetness. Frozen or canned kernels also work, but fresh sweet corn shucked straight off the cob is hard to beat!
- Arugula: Adds a pop of zestiness. Chopped kale would also work well.
- Cherry tomatoes: Grape tomatoes also work.
- Basil: Don't skip this! Fresh basil adds a ton of flavor and, in this scenario, dry basil isn't a great replacement.
- Pumpkin seeds: Add a pop of crunch. I recommend roasted salted pumpkin seeds/pepitas for the best flavor.
- Feta: Adds saltiness. Make this salad dairy-free by using vegan feta, such as Follow Your Heart brand (that's my favorite kind.)
Cassidy's tips
- If you have a little extra time, I highly recommend grilling the peaches. I use this method for my peach halloumi sandwiches, and it adds extra depth to the peaches. I use a grill pan, but if you already have the grill going, that's even better.
- Start by tossing the quinoa salad with just half of the peach vinaigrette. Add the remaining vinaigrette, to taste, just before serving. Another option is to leave the remaining dressing available for everyone to add to their own portions.
- Make it a complete meal by adding in protein. I like to add tofu or chickpeas. I also think it would go really well with honey-baked halloumi.
Storage notes
Storage: This quinoa peach salad keeps for 3-4 days, though if making it in advance for others I recommend serving it within a day.
For a chilled salad: Cover the salad and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving, but ideally about 4 hours to fully chill everything. Another option for a "quick chill" is to rinse the cooked quinoa in a fine mesh sieve under cool running water.
Make in advance: If making ahead, I recommend reserving half of the peach vinaigrette for just before serving. This keeps the flavors fresh and keeps the salad from becoming too soggy.
More summer salads
This recipe is part of my Peach Week series! The other recipes in this series are Peach BBQ Chickpeas (sponsored Instagram post), Peach Pita Pizza, Peach Pancakes, Peach Coffee Cake, and Peach Halloumi Sandwich.
Did you try this recipe? You can leave a star rating in the recipe card or a review in the comments below. Or check out my cookbook and keep up to date with my YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, or newsletter!
Recipe
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Summer Quinoa Peach Salad
Equipment
- blender or bullet blender for the vinaigrette; a food processor also works
Ingredients
For the salad
- 1 cup dry quinoa rinsed well
- 2 cups water
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 2 small peaches sliced; see note #1
- 1 ear corn shucked (kernels removed)
- 2 cups or handfuls arugula roughly chopped
- 1 cup feta crumblwed
- ½ pint container cherry tomatoes sliced
- ¼ cup roasted pumpkin seeds AKA pepitas
- ¼ cup fresh basil thinly sliced
For the peach vinaigrette
- 1 medium peach
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon honey adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- pinch cinnamon
Instructions
- Add 1 cup rinsed quinoa, 2 cups water, and ¼ teaspoon salt to a medium pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a very gentle simmer over low. Cover and simmer until the water is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes. Drain any excess liquid, then fluff the quinoa with a fork before using.
- Meanwhile, make the peach vinaigrette. Peel the peach to remove the skin. Remove the peach pit. To a blender or bullet blender (I prefer a bullet blender here because of the smaller volume) add the peach, basil, white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, honey, ¼ teaspoon salt, and pinch of cinnamon.
- Blend until smooth. Adjust to taste, adding extra honey or vinegar as needed to balance flavors.
- To a large serving bowl add the cooked quinoa, sliced peaches, corn, chopped arugula, feta, sliced cherry tomatoes, pumpkin seeds, basil, and remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt. Toss to combine.
- Add half of the peach vinaigrette to the salad, tossing to combine again. Transfer to the fridge to chill for at least an hour and up to 24 hours before serving. Add the remaining dressing just before serving, tossing to combine well. The salad can also be enjoyed immediately as a warm salad. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Peaches: The peaches should be ripe and soft to the touch. I don't peel the peaches for the salad but I do recommend peeling them for the vinaigrette.
- Salad temp: I personally enjoy the salad immediately when I'm making it for myself, but if serving as a side I recommend chilling it for at least an hour. Another option is to rinse the quinoa under cold, running water to cool it quickly before making the salad.
- The peach vinaigrette keeps well for up to a week. Keep refrigerated.
- Other ingredients that would go well in this salad include sauteed zucchini, sliced cucumber, and blueberries.
Christina says
Made this last night because I could not wait to try it. It was a big hit and already on the list for next week.
Cassidy Reeser says
Yay! I love how quickly you made it. Thanks so much for the review! 🙂