Summer Quinoa Salad with Nectarine and Fresh Herbs
on Jun 06, 2023, Updated May 06, 2026
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I love adding stone fruit like nectarines to summer salads and they’re the perfect fit in this summer quinoa salad. They’re firm enough to hold their shape and sweet enough to balance the tangy dressing.
This summer quinoa salad comes together in 30 minutes and keeps well in the fridge, making it one of my go-to salads through the summer months. You get 11g of plant protein and 8g of fibre per serving from the quinoa-chickpea base, with fresh herbs and summer produce adding flavour.
🔍 Recipe at a Glance
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Servings: 6
Nutrition: 380 calories | 11g protein | 8g fibre
Diet: Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free.
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients You’ll Need
This section covers notes on ingredients and possible substitutions but is not complete. Please see the recipe card at then end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements.
For the Quinoa Salad
- Quinoa: You can use any variety of quinoa – white, red or tri colour.
- Nectarines: Nectarines are fairly firm so hold up well in salads. Nectarines are at their best late July through September. Choose fruit that yields slightly to pressure but does not feel soft or squish. It’s better if it’s slightly underripe than overripe. You can substitute peach but I find that nectarines hold up best in this recipe.
- Chickpeas: Canned chickpeas are good here. Rinse well before adding to the salad. You can substitute black beans or white beans.
- Cherry Tomatoes: Grape or cherry tomatoes work best. If you don’t like tomato or don’t have it available, you can leave it out.
- Corn: If fresh corn on the cob is available that’s lovely here. Try grilling it before adding to the salad for extra flavour. If you don’t have fresh corn available, you can use canned or frozen kernels.
- Herbs: Use any mixture of basil, mint, parsley, cilantro and chives. My go-to is roughly equal parts basil, mint and parsley. Cilantro and chives both work well too.
- Almonds: Substitute cashews, walnuts, pecans or for a nut-free salad, use sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.
For the Dressing
- Olive Oil: A good extra virgin olive oil is best.
- Vinegar: The recipe calls for white vinegar but you could substitue red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- Maple Syrup: You can substitute honey or agave syrup.
- Dijon: Use any dijon or whole grain mustard.
- Garlic: The recipe calls for a clove of garlic but you can substitue 1 tsp garlic powder if needed.
Variations and Protein Add-Ins
- Summer Chickpea Salad: Omit the quinoa and add an additional 15 oz can of chickpeas.
- Cheese: Goat cheese or feta would make a good addition. The saltiness of the cheese pairs well with sweet nectarine and corn.
- For creamy richness, top with diced avocado when serving.
- For crunch and tanginess, add pickled red onions.
- For an extra boost of protein, flavour and colour, add up to 1 cup cooked edamame or serve with baked tofu, tempeh, chicken, salmon or prawns. Add baked tofu or grilled chicken to reach 25g+ protein per serving.
- Try incorporating grilled summer vegetables such as zucchini, bell pepper or asparagus.
- Serve over a base of arugula or baby spinach for extra nutrition.
- Alternative Dressings:
How to Make Summer Quinoa Salad
Step 1: Add the quinoa to a medium pot with 1.25 cups of water and season with salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over then cover reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and let it rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork. Let it cool somewhat before mixing it into the salad.
Step 2: Add all of the salad dressing ingredients to a large bowl (the bowl you plan to mix the salad in). Season with salt and pepper and whisk to combine.
Step 3: While the quinoa finished cooking and cooling, prep the veggies, nectarine and herbs, and prepare the corn, chickpeas and almonds.
Step 4: Add the nectarines, cucumbers, chickpeas, tomatoes, corn and herbs and stir to combine. Add the quinoa, mix it all up, then taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed.
Serve quinoa in a serving bowl or divide between servings topped with the toasted almonds.
Deryn’s Testing Notes
A few things I’ve learned making this recipe:
- Let the quinoa cool until it’s no longer steaming before adding to the other ingredients.
- Toasting the almonds helps bring out their flavour and they stand out more against the bright dressing. You can substitute roasted almonds if that’s easier than toasting them yourself.
- Avoid using overripe nectarines. They’ll break down and make the salad watery. Slightly firm is better than ripe or overripe.
- If you’re serving at a gathering, letting it sit for 20-30 minutes before serving allows the flavours to meld.
- The full cup of mixed fresh herbs really makes the salad!
Recipe FAQs
Farro, bulgur, and brown rice all work well. Farro has a chewier texture that holds up especially well. Bulgur is faster to cook and has a lighter texture. If you use brown rice, let it cool completely before mixing or the salad will go mushy. For a grain-free option, use cauliflower rice or skip the grain and double the chickpeas.
Grilled chicken works well with the nectarine and dressing. Salmon (grilled or baked) is excellent for a summer dinner. Crispy baked tofu or tempeh crumbles are great for a high-protein plant-based option. You could also serve it along side a protein like this marinated tempeh or any main dish.
Yes, this is one of the best make-ahead salads because the quinoa actually absorbs the vinaigrette and gets better on day 2. Prep up to 24 hours in advance and store in the fridge. Hold the almonds until serving to keep them crunchy. The dressing can be made 3 days ahead.
Peaches work but go soft faster. Plums add tartness that competes with the vinaigrette. Apricots are great when they’re ripe. Mango is a delicious swap that takes the flavour in a more tropical direction. Nectarines are still the best choice for make-ahead because they hold their shape.
Yes, quinoa is naturally gluten-free, and all the other ingredients in this recipe are gluten-free as well. Just double-check your Dijon mustard label if you’re celiac, most are gluten-free but a few brands contain trace wheat.
How to Store
- The dressing can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in a container in the fridge.
- The quinoa can be cooked 1-2 days ahead and stored in the fridge.
- The whole salad can be assembled a day ahead and stored in the fridge. Leave the almonds off until serving (not required but suggested to leave off until serving so they’re crunchy).
- The assembled salad will keep 2-3 days in the fridge.
If you make this recipe, please consider leaving a comment and a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe, and I love to hear from you. Thanks for trying my recipes! – Deryn
Summer Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
For the Quinoa Salad
- 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed (145 g)
- 2-3 nectarines, diced (215 g, about 1 ½ cups)
- ½ cucumber, diced (165 g, about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (2 cups, 340 g)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (160 g)
- 1 cup corn kernels, 190 g, can be frozen kernels or shaved off the cob
- 1 cup mixed herbs, basil, mint, parsley, chives, cilantro, finely chopped (30 g)
- ½ cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted (65 g)
For the Dressing
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp white wine or red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cook Quinoa: To a medium pot, add quinoa and 1 ¼ cups water. Season with salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 14-15 min, until tender and water is absorbed. Remove the pot from heat. Let rest, covered, for 5 mins. Fluff quinoa with a fork. Let cool slightly before tossing with salad ingredients.
- Make Dressing: Meanwhile, to a large bowl, add oil, lemon juice, vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk to combine.
- Prep Veggies: While quinoa is cooking and resting, chop the veggies, nectarine and fresh herbs.
- Assemble Salad: To the bowl with dressing, add nectarines, cucumbers, chickpeas, tomatoes, corn and herbs. Stir to combine. Add cooled quinoa. Season with salt and pepper, then toss well to combine. Taste, then season again, if needed.
- Serve: Serve quinoa in a serving bowl or divide between bowls. Top with toasted almonds.
Hi — would parsley, dill and basil work in this? Just planning my grocery list!
Sure! I don’t think I’d do dill myself just because it can be a bit overpowering, so if using dill I would suggest less than the other two.
Delicious!! I used white balsamic and white nectarines. My new favorite salad to make this summer. Thanks so much!
Yum! Thanks for trying it. So glad you enjoyed!
This is the quintessential summer salad! I used a mix of basil, cilantro, and mint for the herbs and that really makes the flavors pop. I also spread the quinoa out on a cookie sheet to help it cool faster. Thanks for your simple, delicious recipes!
Thanks so much, Amanda! So glad you liked it.