Quinoa Salad with Spinach and Strawberries

This Quinoa Salad with Spinach and Strawberries is packed with color, flavor, and texture. And it can be made in under 30 minutes! I toss superfood quinoa with baby spinach, sweet strawberries, fresh basil, tangy goat cheese, and toasted almonds.  Enjoy this salad for lunch or top it with grilled chicken or salmon for a healthy dinner.

If you ever feel like you're in a salad rut, then this dish is for you!  My Quinoa Salad with Spinach and Strawberries is a celebration of colors, flavors, and textures. 

Let's face it, we all know that we should be eating more fruits and vegetables. But sometimes salads can get a little boring.  So I'm always trying to think of new and creative ways to combine ingredients into colorful, delicious, and cohesive salads. 

Enter my Quinoa Salad with Spinach and Strawberries.  The base of this dish is made with nutrient-packed quinoa.  Quinoa adds heartiness to this salad and takes it from a side dish to a main dish.  I use quinoa in a lot of my recipes like my Quinoa with Roasted Vegetables and Quinoa Fried "Rice." 

I pair quinoa with spinach, fresh strawberries, basil, and creamy goat cheese. The tangy flavor of the goat cheese pairs perfectly with the sweet strawberries. And a sprinkling of toasted almonds adds a delightful crunch!

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love This Dish
• Doctor's Tips
• Ingredients
• How to Make this Quinoa Salad
• Chef's Tip
• How to Serve This Salad
• Recipe FAQs
• More Tasty Quinoa Recipes
• Recipe
• Reviews

Doctor's Tips

Not only is quinoa extremely versatile and easy to cook, it's also a nutritional powerhouse!  This whole grain is packed with protein, fiber, antioxidants, and several essential vitamins and minerals.

It was so central to the ancient Incan culture that it was referred to as the Mother Grain. To learn more, read my post all about quinoa.  

Ingredients

Quinoa Salad:

• Quinoa- I like to use tricolor quinoa because it adds color to the dish but you can use any type of quinoa
• Baby spinach- you can substitute mixed baby greens or baby arugula
• Strawberries- nothing beats fresh strawberries but you can substitute other berries
• Fresh basil- you can try other herbs like mint or parsley
• Goat cheese- I love the tanginess of goat cheese in this dish but you can substitute other types of crumbly cheese like feta
• Sliced almonds- you can substitute other types of nuts like walnuts or pecans

Balsamic Vinaigrette:

• Balsamic vinegar
• Dijon mustard- an emulsifying agent to hold the dressing together (and adds flavor)
• Honey- adds a touch of sweetness
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper

How to Make this Quinoa Salad

1. Cook the quinoa. The great thing about quinoa is that it only takes about 15 minutes to cook! I usually like to make a large batch so that I can repurpose it into other dishes throughout the week.
2. To make the dressing, simply whisk olive oil and balsamic vinegar together with some Dijon mustard, a bit of honey for sweetness, salt, and pepper.
3. While the quinoa is still warm, toss it with some of the dressing. The quinoa really absorbs maximum flavor this way!
4. Then, toss the quinoa with baby spinach, strawberries, crumbled goat cheese and sliced almonds. Add more dressing and toss to combine all ingredients well.

How to Serve This Salad

You can serve this salad cold or at room temperature. It's delicious on its own for lunch or dinner. If you want to make this salad heartier, I would recommend topping it with some grilled chicken breast or salmon.

You can also serve this salad as a lovely side dish to entrees like my Spice-Rubbed Salmon or Salmon Burgers with Dill Yogurt Sauce.

Colorful, hearty, nutritious, and pretty darn tasty too. Here's to no more boring salads! Eating healthy never tasted so good.

Recipe FAQs

More Tasty Quinoa Recipes

Recipe