Arugula Salad with Quinoa, Apricot & Avocado

A lightly sweet cumin-spiced dressing fills this arugula salad with flavor, while avocado, apricots, quinoa & chickpeas make it hearty & satisfying.

Arugula Salad with Quinoa, Apricot & Avocado

I’ll never get tired of an arugula salad with avocado and quinoa. They’re probably my favorite three ingredients to use. I love this sweet combo of dried apricots, peppery arugula, smoky cumin, and fruity Arbequina Olive Oil. (I almost named this Arbequina Quinoa – but try to say that one five times fast).

homemade olive oil dressing for arugula salad Arugula salad recipe ingredients

The Key to a Good Arugula Salad is a Good Dressing

The cumin-spiced salad dressing really makes this salad shine, and its key ingredient is Arbequina Olive Oil. So what’s Arbequina Olive Oil? It’s a light and fruity extra-virgin olive oil that’s perfect for flavorful dressings like this one. Coincidentally, I’ve been buying it long before the folks at California Olive Ranch started sending it to me. Try it, I promise you’ll love it. (I usually get mine at Whole Foods). You can also use any quality extra-virgin olive oil in this recipe.

The dressing here is a simple Moroccan-inspired combination of cumin, garlic, lemon, and honey. If you’re vegan, you can use maple syrup in place of the honey, and the dressing will still have the sweet, spiced flavor that perfects this salad. Its flavor is especially good against the chewy dried apricots and toasted almonds.

Arugula Salad with Quinoa, Apricot & Avocado

If you love salads as much as I do, check out many many more in the salad section of our recipe index!


5.0 from 3 reviews

Arugula Salad with Quinoa, Apricot & Avocado

 
Prep time
Total time
 
A flavorful arugula salad would be an excellent choice as a side dish for any dinner or holiday meal. With quinoa, chickpeas, almonds & avocado, it's also hearty enough to be a meal on its own!
Author:
Recipe type: Salad, side dish
Serves: 4 as a side, 2 as a meal
Ingredients
dressing:
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • juice of 1 medium lemon
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup, if vegan
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chopped chives
  • pinch of red pepper flakes
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
for the salad:
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1 cup chickpeas, drained, rinsed
  • a few big handfuls of arugula
  • ¼ cup dried apricots
  • 1 small avocado, cubed
  • ¼ cup chopped, toasted almonds
  • ¼ cup chopped chives
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Whisk together the olive oil, garlic, lemon, honey, cumin, chives, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, toss together the quinoa, chickpeas, arugula, dried apricots, and a few generous pinches of salt and pepper. Drizzle in ¾ of the dressing and toss again. Top with the avocado, chopped almonds, chives, and drizzle the remaining dressing. Season to taste and serve.

62 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it):  

  1. Cathy
    04.05.2021

    Do you have calorie counts for your receipes?

  2. Cristina
    09.05.2020

    I’ve made this recipe several times, and every time, it’s a crowd-pleaser! So summery & delicious!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      09.12.2020

      I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed it so much!

  3. Valerie
    05.31.2017

    Made this salad for a picnic – added watermelon radishes for an extra splash of color. I’m vegan so for the dressing I used agave instead of honey. This dressing is fantastic, I’ve also made the dressing on its own with brown rice syrup and also with maple syrup instead of the honey. This dressing has become a staple in my home.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.02.2017

      Hi Valerie – I’m so glad you enjoyed this one (and the other recipes!)

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Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.