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Top-down view of a colorful quinoa salad with avocado, corn, cherry tomatoes, and red onions in a white ceramic bowl, placed on a rustic wooden table with lemon slices and a linen napkin.

Roasted Corn, Avocado & Quinoa Salad with Marinated Tomatoes

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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 2
Calories 300 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the Salad:

1 cup cooked quinoa

1 ½ cups corn (fresh, frozen, or canned)

1 ripe avocado, diced

1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup chopped parsley or cilantro

1 tablespoon olive oil (for roasting corn)

For the Marinated Tomatoes:

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Fresh black pepper, to taste

For the Dressing:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup

1 clove garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

Marinate the Tomatoes

  • In a small bowl, combine cherry tomatoes, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Let them marinate at room temperature while you prepare the rest. This step gives the salad an incredible juicy, zesty flavor.
    Cherry tomatoes marinated in olive oil and lemon juice in a small glass bowl on a kitchen counter, with spoon, cutting board, and a tomato juice spill adding realism.

Roast the Corn

  • Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add corn and cook until slightly golden and charred in spots, about 5–7 minutes. Let it cool a bit before mixing.

Whisk the Dressing

  • In a small jar or bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, honey, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust as needed.
    Hand whisking olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and honey in a glass jar on a wooden board, surrounded by garlic cloves, honey dipper, and kitchen towel in soft natural light.

Toss Everything Together

  • In a large salad bowl, combine quinoa, roasted corn, avocado, red onion, and herbs. Pour in the marinated tomatoes with all their juices, then drizzle the dressing on top. Toss gently to combine.
    Close-up of hands tossing quinoa salad ingredients with wooden tongs in a ceramic bowl; visible are cherry tomatoes, corn, avocado, red onion, and natural imperfections.

Serve and Enjoy

  • Serve immediately or chill in the fridge for 20–30 minutes. This salad tastes even better when it sits for a bit!
Keyword healthy salad, vegan salad, vegetarian salad