I’ve been really into unique and flavorful salad recipes for summer lately. There’s nothing better than whipping up a crunchy, cold, fresh salad on a hot day and never having to worry about actually cooking or baking anything! It’s truly one of my favorite things about this time of year.
This Spicy Radish Summer Quinoa Salad is full of depth and flavor! Make a big batch of this 10-minute vegan salad and you can even keep it in the fridge for several days. It’s one of my favorites for a quick, fresh, healthy lunch or dinner on the warmest of days!
RELATED: 20+ Easy Healthy Salad Recipes
Ingredients
You only need a few simple ingredients for this Spicy Radish Summer Quinoa Salad! Here’s what you need:
Radishes – Sweet and crisp, but a little bit warm and spicy. This recipe is centered around one of my favorites for summer: radishes!
Cooked Quinoa – You can make your own quinoa or save time by buying pre-cooked quinoa for this summer salad.
Arugula – Arugula has a bit of a spicy, peppery flavor that truly takes this salad to another level. However, spinach or kale are great options, too!
Tangerines – Love the citrus flavors of tangerines in this summer quinoa salad! Orange or tangerine slices help balance out the spicy flavors and compliment the crunchy textures in this recipe.
Avocado – Creamy avocado brings this entire salad together! If you’re making this salad in advance, be sure to wait to add the avocado until you are ready to serve.
Pistachios – A little bit of pistachios, walnuts, or almonds add a little bit of extra crunch as well as healthy fats and proteins.
Salt/Pepper/Cayenne – Once the salad is created, add a dash of salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste!
Vegan Turmeric Ginger Dressing – This is my favorite dressing for this Spicy Radish Summer Quinoa Salad. Other great options include this Easy Classic Lemon Vinaigrette or Creamy Lemon Tahini Dressing recipe!
How to Make this Spicy Radish Summer Quinoa Salad
Making this salad is incredibly easy!
- Cook the quinoa (here’s how to cook quinoa perfectly every time).
- Slice the avocado and radishes.
- Combine the salads.
- Top with your favorite vinaigrette or dressing!
That’s it! Have this delicious vegan salad ready in under 10 minutes. It doesn’t get any better than that!
Variations
Make this summer salad your own with these fun and delicious variations or additions! Feel free to substitute these for ingredients in the recipe or add them as additional salad toppings.
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Kale or Spinach
- Walnuts
- Sliced Almonds
- Homemade Granola (a touch of sweet – so good!)
- Roasted Chickpeas
Storing This Salad
One of my favorite things about this salad is that it can be stored for up to 5 days in the refrigerator! One of my favorite ways to store salads is in this salad spinner. It really keeps them crisp and fresh!
To store this Spicy Radish Summer Quinoa Salad, simply create the salad (without the avocado and dressing) and toss it together in an airtight container or salad spinner. Add the lid and keep fresh in the refrigerator! When ready to serve, simply add the avocado and dressing, then enjoy!
What to Make with Radishes
- Roasted Radish, Arugula, & Havarti Pita Bread Pizzas
- Turmeric Tahini & Roasted Beets Power Bowls
- Sesame Tahini Noodles (w/ Roasted Veggies)
- Kung Pao Shrimp Tacos w/ Jalapeno Sauce
More Summer Salad Recipes
- Moroccan Chickpea Carrot Salad
- Sun-Dried Tomato & Arugula Lentil Salad
- Cherry Plum & Goat Cheese Summer Salad
- Fig & Goat Cheese Salad
Did you make this Spicy Radish Summer Quinoa Salad recipe? Be sure to give it a rating below and tag your photos @jar.of.lemons!
Spicy Radish Summer Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup radishes, thinly sliced (about 1 bunch)
- 1 large avocado
- 4 cups arugula
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 4 medium tangerines
- 1/4 cup pistachios
- 1/4 tsp cayenne (optional)
- salt/pepper (to taste)
- 1/2 cup Vegan Turmeric Ginger Dressing
- 1/4 cup mint (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Thinly slice the radishes and avocado.
- Top the arugula with quinoa, tangerine slices, radishes, avocado, pistachios, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
- Add a drizzle of the dressing and garnish with mint.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Kale or Spinach
- Walnuts
- Sliced Almonds
- Homemade Granola (a touch of sweet – so good!)
- Roasted Chickpeas
15 Healthy Radish Recipes - Farm Fresh Friday: Week 1 says:
[…] Find the recipe here. […]
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says:
I love this salad as it has all of my favorite ingredients. I love sweet potatoes and quinoa and the crunch of the radish would add so much of texture to the salad. Love the colors!
Christine McMichael replied:
Thank you! 🙂 Enjoy the recipe!
Jennifer A Stewart says:
This salad looks amazing and I love the cubes of sweet potato. I hate eating salads where it seems like I am eating just lettuce. But having some healthy and substantial items in the bowl make it seem more like a full on comfort food meal instead of just diet food!
Christine McMichael replied:
Thank you, Jennifer! I completely agree, I’m not a fan of those types of salads, either. They definitely need substantial items!
Hanady | Recipe Nomad says:
Mmm! What a healthy and pretty salad! I have everything but the tangerines- looks like I better head to the market!
Christine McMichael replied:
Thank you, Hanady! Regular oranges would work great, too (just remove the seeds)!
Julie | Bunsen Burner Bakery says:
Congratulations on the book release – such an exciting time! The quinoa salad looks amazing – I have a few extra blood oranges that would work perfectly in this.
Christine McMichael replied:
Thank you, Julie! I’m very excited about it. Blood oranges would go great in this salad as well!