A unique ingredient makes this breakfast salad the perfect dish when you’re looking to mix up your morning meal with something delicious and nutritious. Filled with essential vitamins and minerals, healthy fats and a dose of protein and fiber, it’s the perfect start to your day.
The unique ingredient that makes this breakfast fruit salad so interesting? The amazing crispy quinoa mix-in that includes almonds and pumpkin seeds! It’s a fantastic way to add crunchy, flavorful texture and protein and fiber. Top with hardboiled, soft-boiled or poached eggs for even more protein, and you’ve got a banger of a breakfast dish!
Whether you’re looking to switch up your usual morning breakfast, or want a lovely dish to serve when hosting brunch, this fruity breakfast salad is the perfect solution.
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Why’ll love this salad for breakfast
- Unique breakfast dish that is easy to throw together and has a remarkable blend of flavors. From the orange cinnamon dressing to the nutty, crispy quinoa and soft-boiled eggs, it’s a fantastic combo of flavors and textures.
- A healthy way to start your day! This breakfast salad recipe is packed with essential vitamins and minerals, and a great balance of the 3 macronutrients – protein, fat and fiber rich carbs!
- Modify and customize to what’s in season or your personal preferences! Just start with a base of greens, add in whichever fruit combo you want, and dress with the amazing vinaigrette and quinoa crunch topping!
Ingredients needed
- 24 ounces of mixed berries of choice, or about 700 grams weighted. For this combo I used a 6 ounce package each of blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, as well as a half pound package of strawberries.
- 2 large handfuls of mixed baby greens, about 150 grams weighted. Chop the greens up into small, bite size pieces so they blend in easily with the berries.
- ¼ cup, or about 3 tablespoon of fresh mint, finely chopped. Mint is refreshing and pairs well with citrus and nuts, so it is a standout in this salad.
- Eggs to top salad, either soft or hard boiled, or poached would all work wonderfully with this refreshing breakfast salad.
- Additional chopped almonds and pumpkin seeds to garnish the salad.
For the orange cinnamon vinaigrette and crispy quinoa
- ¼ cup each extra virgin olive oil and orange juice; feel free to use fresh squeezed of from a bottle.
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or other sweetener of choice such as honey or a sugar free alternative like monk fruit.
- 1 tablespoon vinegar of choice; I recommend either apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, or white balsamic vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon each ground cinnamon and sea salt
- ½ cup of crispy quinoa; which will call for cooked quinoa, almonds, pumpkin seeds, olive oil, cinnamon and salt. See linked recipe for full instructions.
Can you eat salad for breakfast?
It should go without saying that of course you can eat anything you want any time of the day! Hello, breakfast for dinner 🙂
But I think what you’re asking is, is there a reason why salad isn’t the norm at breakfast, and will it be too weird to “break the rules?”
Short answer is, a salad, when combined with all 3 healthy macronutrients, is a great option for those in a breakfast rut or for those who don’t love “typical” American breakfast fare. It’s great for digestion, filled with essential vitamins and minerals, and can be made sweet or savory. So yes, salad for breakfast is a GREAT idea!
Try this savory smoked salmon breakfast salad as an alternative to this fruit forward breakfast salad.
Assembling the breakfast salad
Make nutty, crispy quinoa and eggs
If you haven’t yet made a batch of the crispy quinoa, get that going. Find the full recipe and directions here. Allow for 20-30 minutes to make the crispy quinoa.
Additionally, if you are adding eggs to the top of the salad, poach or boil them.
Make the orange cinnamon vinaigrette
While the quinoa is baking up and the eggs are cooking, go ahead and make the orange vinaigrette. Simply assemble all ingredients in a bowl or lidded jar, and whisk or shake vigorously to combine.
Assemble the salad
Once the crispy quinoa and vinaigrette are made, go ahead and add all your ingredients to a large bowl.
Toss, plate and serve!
Gently toss all the ingredients, then drizzle in about ¼ cup of the vinaigrette, toss and taste. Add more vinaigrette if you wish, and then garnish with some additional fresh almonds and pumpkin seeds. Top with the cooked eggs, and serve!
The salad for breakfast is lovely with or without the eggs on top. Without the eggs, it would be a delightful lunch or dinner salad, especially topped with sliced chicken breasts.
Or toss in some chopped bacon for a protein swap and to add a definite savory element right in the salad.
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Recipe tips and swaps
- Swap out berries for stone fruit in the height of summer. Blood orange or grapefruit segments would be fantastic in the throes of winter. Or give it a fall twist with fresh diced apples, pears or persimmons. All would still work with the orange vinaigrette too!
- If assembling the salad ahead of time, do not dress until right before serving. Same goes with meal prep.
- Store leftovers in a airtight container for up to a day.
Other unique breakfast ideas!
Breakfast Salad with Crispy Quinoa
Ingredients
- 6 ounces Raspberries rinsed and patted dry
- 6 ounces Blueberries rinsed and patted dry
- 6 ounces Blackberries rinsed and patted dry
- 8 ounces Strawberries rinsed and patted dry, stems removed and sliced
- 2 heaping cups Salad greens roughly chopped into bite-size pieces
- ¼ cup Mint thinly sliced
- 3 large Eggs soft or hardboiled or poached
- ½ cup Crispy quinoa
- 2 tablespoon Almonds unsalted, roughly chopped, for garnish
- 2 tablespoon Pumpkin seeds unsalted
For the orange vinaigrette
- ¼ cup Extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup Orange juice
- 1 teaspoon Orange zest
- 1 tablespoon Maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar or similar vinegar of choice
- ¼ teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Sea salt
Instructions
Make the crispy quinoa and eggs
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees f
- Assemble ingredients for crispy quinoa per recipe instructions, and bake for 20-30 minutes½ cup Crispy quinoa
- While the crispy quinoa is baking, make the eggs, either poached or boiled to your preference.3 large Eggs
Make the orange vinaigrette
- While the quinoa is baking and the eggs cooking, make the orange vinaigrette by adding all ingredients to a medium bowl or lidded jar, and whisk or shake vigorously until well combined. Set aside.¼ cup Extra virgin olive oil, ¼ cup Orange juice, 1 teaspoon Orange zest, 1 tablespoon Maple syrup, 1 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar, ¼ teaspoon Ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon Sea salt
Assemble the salad
- In a large bowl, combine the berries, salad greens, mint and crispy quinoa.6 ounces Raspberries, 6 ounces Blueberries, 6 ounces Blackberries, 8 ounces Strawberries, 2 heaping cups Salad greens, ¼ cup Mint
- Drizzle on ¼ cup of orange vinaigrette. Toss gently till well combined. Taste and adjust dressing if needed.
- Plate salad on a serving platter, garnishing with the additional almonds and pumpkin seeds. Finish off the salad with the cooked eggs. Serve immediately.2 tablespoon Almonds, 2 tablespoon Pumpkin seeds
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