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Quinoa fruit salad with honey lime dressing has a vibrant blend of blueberries, strawberries, and pineapple. This easy, healthy salad recipe is always a stand-out dish at parties.

Need a show-stopping salad for a potluck or family gathering? This superfood salad with quinoa and fruit is a winner!
Everyone likes fruit. Right? The kiddos do, I do, and the grandparents do too. This salad is gluten-free, gets a satisfying protein boost from quinoa, and can easily be made vegan. So, everyone can enjoy it.
Plus, quinoa is a great conversation starter! It's pronounced "keen-wah" and it's a seed, not a grain. Just remember those two important details.
We use a variation of the tangy, citrus dressing on Caribbean Salad too, which is another great option for a party.
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make quinoa fruit salad:
- Quinoa - There are 3 varieties: red, black, and white, and you can also buy a tri-color package. All of them are excellent in this recipe. Red and black quinoa is a little chewier, which provides a fantastic contrast of textures in this dish.
- Buy pre-rinsed quinoa, or wash it before you cook it. Otherwise, your salad will taste bitter and soapy. The seeds are naturally coated with saponins. To remove the coating, add quinoa to a fine mesh sieve and run cold water over it until it runs clear.
- Assorted fruit - 6-8 cups, cut into bite-sized chunks. Many combinations of fruit will work in this recipe. We used strawberries, blueberries, and pineapple.
- Use this seasonal fruit and vegetable guide to make your selection. Other popular options are mango, blackberries, raspberries, grapes, cherries, apples, and kiwi. Even a sprinkling of dried fruit is lovely.
- Honey lime dressing - see the section below for ingredients.
Honey Lime Dressing
This salad dressing brings all of the flavors together. Combine the following ingredients in a container or jar with a lid and shake vigorously to combine:
- Honey or agave nectar
- Apple cider vinegar
- Canola oil or avocado oil
- Lime juice
- Dry mustard
- Salt
The ingredient quantities are located on the recipe card.
Directions
- Add quinoa to a large pot of boiling water. Reduce to simmer, cover and cook for about 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Grains will be soft and translucent, and the germ ring will be visible on the outside of the grain.
- Transfer quinoa to a serving bowl, fluff with a fork and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
- Add fruit to quinoa and stir to combine.
- To prepare the dressing, combine ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake vigorously and pour over quinoa and fruit. Mix everything together, and let the flavors mingle!
The juices from the fruit will begin to mingle and add even more flavor as it sits, waiting to be devoured!
FAQ
Fresh fruit is best, but defrosted fruit will work as well.
Storage
- Refrigerator - We don't recommend storing quinoa fruit salad for more than a day. The dressing will break down the fruit, and it will become mushy.
- Make-Ahead - The dressing and Quinoa can be prepared ahead of time. Pineapple can be cut into bite-sized chunks too.
- Tip: Many fruits, such as strawberries, are best washed and cut just before use.
More Potluck Salads
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📋 Recipe
Quinoa Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Dressing
Ingredients
- ¾ cup quinoa well-rinsed if not pre-rinsed. See notes below.
- 2 cups blueberries
- 2 cups strawberries cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 cups pineapple cut into bite-sized pieces
Honey Lime Dressing
- 2 Tablespoons honey or agave nectar
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice juice from about half of a lime
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar 2 Tablespoons of lime juice can be used instead.
- ¼ cup canola oil
- ⅛ teaspoon dry mustard
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add quinoa to a large pot of boiling water. Reduce to simmer, cover and cook for about 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Grains will be soft and translucent, and the germ ring will be visible on the outside of the grain.
- Transfer quinoa to a serving bowl, fluff with a fork and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
- Add fruit to quinoa and stir to combine.
- To prepare the dressing, combine ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake vigorously and pour over quinoa and fruit. Mix everything together, and let the flavors mingle!
Notes
- Refrigerator - We don't recommend storing quinoa fruit salad for more than a day. The dressing will break down the fruit, and it will become mushy.
- Make-Ahead - The dressing and Quinoa can be prepared ahead of time. Pineapple can be cut into bite-sized chunks too.
- Tip: Many fruits, such as strawberries, are best washed and cut just before use.
- Buy pre-rinsed quinoa, or wash it before you cook it. Otherwise, your salad will taste bitter and soapy. The seeds are naturally coated with saponins. To remove the coating, add quinoa to a fine mesh sieve and run cold water over it until it runs clear.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on 4/17/14 and has been updated to improve the reader experience.
Nancy
Can I make this the night before a brunch?
Marjory
Absolutely!
Cassie
Made this over the Labor Day weekend and it was a big hit. I left out the ground mustard because we didn't have any. We also used tri-color quinoa which was very pretty too. I look forward to trying this with other fruit combinations.
Marjory Pilley
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!