I know a salad might not seem all that exciting, but I promise you this salad really is worth it. It’s a little different, maybe even slightly “retro” with its highlight of quinoa (I feel like quinoa had its moment back in 2012). But it’s all things, “holy freaking YUM”. Originally, I wanted to recreate a BBQ grilled corn quinoa salad that I made all the way back in 2012. It’s funny, when I look back at those old, old recipes I think one of two things. One, “wow this recipe is very long and a little odd. I wonder if anyone ever made this?”. And two, “wow, this recipe honestly sounds pretty good, I should make this again”. Most of the recipes from that first year are tasty but way too involved for every day. So glad I learned to adapt to creating quick and simpler recipes! But some of the recipes still sound totally yummy. Sometimes when I’m stuck on ideas, I pull out those old gems and recreate them. Which is just what I did here, only this salad is totally different. But the inspo was there!
Making this is easy – here are details
First things first, if you don’t have any leftover quinoa in the fridge, cook up the quinoa according to package directions. I bring 2 cups of water to a boil, add 1 cup of dry quinoa, cover, and simmer over the lowest heat possible for 25-30 minutes. Just like I cook rice. It’s super easy. Now move on to the dressing. It’s a lot of ingredients, but mostly herbs and seasonings you hopefully have on hand. Olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, spicy or regular honey, lots of fresh cilantro, basil, chives, shallots, garlic, and then salt, pepper, and chili flakes. I’m currently obsessed with herbs since we have an abundance of them growing, especially basil and chives. The dressing is very herby with a sweet-spicy kick from the honey and chili flakes. It’s truly DELICIOUS.
The salad
Combine the cooked quinoa with Tajin or chili powder. If you’re using chili powder in place of the Tajin, I recommend adding a dash of smoky paprika too. Then, toss in everything else. The dressing, a mix of grilled and raw corn, fresh peaches, tomatoes, avocado, and crumbled feta cheese. If you’re serving this later, add the avocado just before serving! Looking for other salad recipes? Here are a few ideas: Summer Chicken Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing Pesto Chicken and Avocado Bacon Salad Wraps Greek Olive Pasta Salad BBQ Chicken Ranch Pasta Salad Lastly, if you make this Grilled Jalapeño Peach Quinoa Salad, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
