Avocado BLT Quinoa Salad recipe is full of avocado, bacon, tomatoes, spinach and Ranch dressing. It is an easy, gluten-free lunch, dinner, or potluck dish recipe.
Why does packing a lunch always seem so difficult? Is it the fact that we have to decide what we will be hungry for at noon the next day? Or is it the act of preparing food that is only going to be placed back into the refrigerator, untouched?
Well fret no more. I have the lunch suggestion for you! Not only is this Avocado BLT Quinoa Salad jam-packed with nutrition from the tomatoes, spinach and all-mighty quinoa, but it also has enough flavor to keep your taste buds happy.
How many of you pack a perfectly healthy salad the night before work only to curse yourself the next day when your stomach is ravaging! A measly salad simply won’t do.
With this Avocado BLT Quinoa Salad, you can have your healthy lunch while also getting nice and full.
The avocado will help keep you full longer since it is loaded with good-for-you fats and so will the quinoa since it is a complex carb.
Feel free to add more spinach in order to bump up the fiber.
When packing this for lunch, make sure to put the spinach on top of the quinoa (and not mixed in) so you don’t end up with wilted spinach in your lunchbox the next day.
Hope you enjoy!
PIN THIS AVOCADO BLT QUINOA SALAD
Avocado BLT Quinoa Salad
Avocado BLT Quinoa Salad recipe is full of avocado, bacon, tomatoes, spinach and Ranch dressing. It is an easy, gluten-free lunch, dinner, or potluck dish recipe.
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon
- 1 ½ c quinoa uncooked
- 3 c chicken broth (or water)
- 2 Tbsp butter
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 c Ranch dressing divided
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes quartered
- 1 ½ c avocado chopped into ½ inch cubes (about 2 large avocados)
- 1 ½ c fresh spinach
Instructions
To Cook the Bacon:
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
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Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place bacon in a single layer onto the sheet.
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Bake in preheated oven for 16-20 minutes, or until bacon is done to your preference.
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Remove bacon from oven and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
To Cook the Quinoa:
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Place quinoa, broth, butter, salt and pepper in a rice cooker. Turn on and cook until rice cooker goes off.
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Let quinoa cool to room temperature before mixing in the remaining ingredients.
For the Salad:
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Once quinoa has cooled, mix in 2/3 c. Ranch dressing, salt and pepper and coat quinoa completely with the dressing.
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Add tomatoes, avocadoes and bacon to the quinoa and toss to combine.
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Chill quinoa for at least 30 minutes before serving.
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Just before serving toss salad with the remaining Ranch dressing and spinach. You may use more or less than the reserved 1/3 c. Ranch dressing depending on how much dressing you prefer and how long the salad chilled in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
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Joseph says
Great recipe! I’m not much the ranch fan so I substituted that with a mayo, olive oil, pepper, salt, and Italian seasoning dressing just used a bit of milk to thin it out. But all in all this is a good one!!
London says
What a creative substitution idea, Joseph! I’ll have to try that out soon!! Thanks so much for your comment and rating 🙂
Melinda Cox says
I have a question, does the avocado turn brown if you make it as a meal prep for lunch the next day? I can’t wait to try it!
Thanks!
London says
Hi Melinda! That’s a great question. Yes, the avocado will turn brown! My recommendation would be to leave the avocado out and bring it with you to lunch and dice it there. A little work, but will give you the best tasting avocado 🙂
Amanda says
Love this! The bacon is not on the ingredient list (which I didn’t recognize until I got back from the store and started cooking). Thankfully I had some and there was no issue but it would be a good addition just in case ????
London says
Thank you so much for pointing that out, Amanda! I updated it to include the bacon 🙂 So happy you had some already!
Bethany @ athletic avocado says
This salad is GENIUS! There is nothing I love more than avocado on a blt! But this quinoa salad creation has got me SWOONING!
London says
Thanks so much, Bethany! I hope you enjoy it 🙂