Pomegranate Avocado Quinoa Salad: A Fresh, Easy Mediterranean-Inspired Vegan Recipe
Looking for a fresh, flavorful salad that’s as beautiful as it is nourishing? This Pomegranate Avocado Quinoa Salad bursts with Mediterranean-inspired flavors and vibrant colors, making it a perfect choice for a quick lunch, festive side dish, or light dinner. In under 30 minutes, you can toss together wholesome ingredients like fluffy quinoa, juicy pomegranate seeds, creamy avocado, and crunchy pistachios, all drizzled with a bright vinaigrette. Naturally vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and plant-based, this easy salad delivers the perfect balance of flavor, texture, and nutrition—proof that healthy eating can be simple and absolutely delicious. The seasonal produce and colors are also perfect for the holidays!
In fact, this Pomegranate Avocado Quinoa salad is ideal for the cooler months, when pomegranates and avocados are at their very best. Combined with hearty greens and nuts—it’s like a meal in one. This salad is packed with flavor, satisfying protein, slow-digesting carbs, and healthy fats, as well as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant compounds. Plus, it is just so good. And isn’t it pretty? The sparkle of the pomegranate arils against the backdrop of avocados, sturdy leaves, and earthy quinoa is simply spectacular!
With only 9 ingredients (not including pantry staples), this recipe is not as complicated as it looks. You simple cook up quinoa (which cooks up in 15 minutes) and cool it down. Then toss in pomegranate arils, chopped nuts, avocado cubes, fresh greens, and basil with a freshly made easy vinaigrette. Pair it with a veggie-rich soup for a simple easy meal. Or pack it away to take to lunch the next day. This recipe is ideal for meal prep, too. It holds well in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Bring it to your next potluck and everyone will be impressed. Make sure to check out my step-by-step video below to watch how I make this in my own kitchen.
Check out my video I did with The Mighty featuring this recipe!
This sparkling, satisfying Pomegranate Avocado Quinoa Salad, tossed with a light lemon olive oil vinaigrette, is packed with colorful seasonal produce and powerful nutrition.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad:
2 cups cooked quinoa, according to package directions (white, brown, or rainbow)
To make salad, combine quinoa, pomegranate, pistachios, avocado, greens, and basil in a medium bowl.
To make vinaigrette, whisk together lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, pomegranate molasses, garlic, black pepper, and sea salt (optional) in a small bowl.
Pour vinaigrette over salad, combine well and serve immediately.
Notes
May substitute other nuts for pistachios, such as pecans, walnuts, or almonds.
*Pomegranate molasses may be purchased at specialty Mediterranean food shops or online. If you can’t find it, substitute half balsamic vinegar and half maple syrup.
This is a really great winter salad–I can find all of these ingredients in my local market, and it’s so easy to make! Perfect for meal prep too. Thanks for the great recipes!
This is a really great winter salad–I can find all of these ingredients in my local market, and it’s so easy to make! Perfect for meal prep too. Thanks for the great recipes!
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