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Grilled Jalapeño Peach Quinoa Salad – summer peaches, corn, and tomatoes tossed together with quinoa, avocado, and spicy/sweet candied jalapeños. Add a yummy herb vinaigrette and lots of crumbled feta for a colorful salad that’s anything but boring. It’s the combination of grilled and raw corn, sweet, juicy peaches, and herb-based dressing. They’re a unique, flavorful, and hard-to-beat combo. A beyond delicious summer salad, plus it’s gluten free.
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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 in a saucepan, 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 dressing 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
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!
Grilled Jalapeño Peach Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons spicy or regular honey
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 2 tablespoons chives, chopped
- 1 small shallot, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- kosher salt and black pepper
- chili flakes
Salad
- 3 cups cooked quinoa
- 1-2 tablespoons Tajin or chili powder
- 2 ears grilled or roasted corn, kernels cut off the cob
- 2 ears raw corn, kernels cut off the cob
- 1-2 peaches, chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1-2 avocados, chopped
- 2 tablespoons candied or pickled jalapeños
- 6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- 1. To make the dressing. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Pulse until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. 2. In a large salad bowl, toss together the quinoa with the Tajin. Add the grilled corn, raw corn, peaches, tomatoes, avocado, jalapeños, and feta cheese. 3. Pour over the dressing and toss well. Enjoy warm or chilled. I like to add wraps or crackers for scooping. DELICIOUS.
Candied Jalapeños
- 1. Bring 1/3 cup honey to a gentle boil. Simmer over low for 3-5 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, arrange 2-3 sliced jalapeños in a glass jar. Pour the honey over the jalapeños. Add 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar and a pinch of salt. Let cool. Keep stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
This salad is FANTASTIC! I added chicken to make it a full meal and the whole family loved it. Very refreshing and the perfect summer lunch or side!
Hey Lauren,
Thanks for your comment! So glad to hear that this dish was a winner, thanks a lot for giving it a go! ?xTieghan
Is 1-2 Tablespoons excessive?? It turned my quinoa a tad brown ?
*of the chili powder
Hi Kerry,
It will definitely add color to the quinoa:) If you don’t enjoy the taste then just reduce it. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
This salad is awesome. Entire family of picky eaters loved it. I added fresh grated ginger to my quinoa before I cooked it. Will double the dressing next time, but oh sooo yummy!
Hi Annette,
Awesome!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe:) I am so glad it was enjoyed! Hope you’re off to a great Monday! xxT
This salad was amazing! Th combination of flavors was outstanding! Do NOT skip out on the candied jalapenos! The prep time was more than 25 minutes but the good news about that is that you can prep alot of this salad ahead of time! Excellent salad – will be making this again and again . . .
Hey Stacey,
Happy Sunday! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was a winner:)
This recipe is a keeper! It’s the perfect summer salad. You can definitely make parts of this ahead and assemble when you’re ready. The dressing is fresh, fantastic and versatile.
The jalapenos I bought at the market were SUPER hot so I removed them and now have jalapeno-infused honey that is too die for! Honestly, it’s prob my favorite part of the recipe. Tonight I’m spooning it over fresh ricotta. It would also be delish on roasted sweet potatoes 🙂
Thanks!
Hey Jennifer,
Fantastic! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it:) xx
I’ve made this twice now and LOVE IT! It’s such a quick and tasty meal to make. Thank you Tieghan!
Hey Sara,
Amazing! Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed!! xx
yum yum yum yum YUM! It’s SO fresh and tasty, bursting with summer flavors. I’m not huge into spicy, but decided to go for it with the candied jalapenos and full recipe as written. It’s the perfect amount of sweet and spicy heat. I made as written and added some cucumber for crunch and an extra peach since I have a bushel! I’m suddenly very excited that no one else in my family likes feta so I can eat it for lunch for the week.
Hi Anna,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback and making this recipe! Hope you’re off to a great weekend! xTieghan
This was delicious and perfect summer salad with such great flavor. But it definitely took longer than 25 mins to prep! I ended up cooking quinoa, grilling corn (didn’t use raw), and making dressing the night before and then added rest of ingredients right before serving. Will definitely be a summer staple!!
Hi Ellie,
Thanks for making this salad:) Sorry it took longer than expected! Hope you’re off to a great Friday! xTieghan
Made this last night and it was absolutely incredible! Each ingredient worked so well together and that salad dressing is to die for! I added some grilled chicken for protein and plan to make this meal throughout the summer!
Hey there!
Awesome!! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! Have the best weekend! xx
NEVER EVER make your homemade candied jalapeños with your windows open. My house is now a hive ! But looking forward to eating the jalapeños !
Hi Maude,
Yikes, sorry to hear this! Thanks for making the salad:) Hope you have a great weekend! xTieghan
Great summer ( or anytime ) salad. I subbed mango,as I didn’t have peaches. And the candied jalapenos! So delicious! This will be on repeat!
Hi Mary,
Thanks for your review and trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was a winner! Have the best Thursday! ?xTieghan
The perfect summer salad. Thank you so much this yummy recipe.
Thanks so much for trying the salad Kathy! I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxT
This salad is absolutely delicious. Every single one of my family members commented a few times about how good the salad was. My 24 year old son took a small serving, but after his first bite he took a second helping right away. Another Winner, thanks.
Hi Yolanda,
Thank you so much for making this salad, I am so glad it was enjoyed by your family! Hope you’re off to a great Friday! xx
Pretty good! ?
OMG!! This is soooo good! I used parsley instead of cilantro in the dressing for preference and doubled the grilled corn for a total of 6 ears. We gobbled this down! Thank you!
Hey Sara,
Happy Friday!!? I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xxT
Thanks Rebecca!!
Delicious! My whole family loved the dish.
Hi Erika,
Thanks for your review and trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was a winner! Have the best Thursday! ?xTieghan
Wow! I love HBH, own all the books, follow you on IG, and have made too many of your recipes to count. I always love them. However, this salad is now officially my favorite. I made it last night and everyone loved it, including my 20 year old son who trends toward picky eater status. Because of him I subbed parsley for the cilantro in the dressing and chopped up cilantro for my husband and me to sprinkle on top. I also had fresh jalapeños from our garden, which I charred with the corn and added to the salad in lieu of the sweet ones because I ran out of honey! I don’t even know what to say! This salad is fresh and delicious. The corn two ways is a brilliant thing. The avocado is a creamy beauty. I’ll make this over and over. I can’t wait until our cherry tomatoes are ripe because that will push this recipe into the stratosphere. I served the salad with grilled chicken breast tenders marinated in an orange tajin sauce, which was a riff of a NY Times recipe.
You’ve outdone yourself with this one, Tieghan. ?
Hi Joelle,
Thank you so much for your kind message? Thanks for your review and trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was a winner! Have the best Thursday! ?xTieghan