Fresh, vibrant and wholesome.This tasty quinoa salad is filled with baby spinach, sweet strawberries, crunchy almonds, savory goat cheese and a drizzle of lemony dressing. Perfectly light and satisfying summer lunch!
This quinoa salad is one of my favorite salad recipes, and for very good reasons.
This salad is super healthy, flavorful and bikini-friendly. It feels satisfying and it will fill you up, without weighting you down.
Take a look. This summer salad has it all:
The fresh and nutrient-packed baby spinach that perfectly complements the sweet and juicy strawberries.
It has crunchy and flavorful almond slices and nutrient-rich quinoa.
It has tasty crumbled goat cheese, and a lemony vinaigrette dressing.
All in one heavenly bowl!
All about quinoa:
As you might know, quinoa is technically a seed, but still classified as a whole grain.
It's super healthy and has a delicious and delicate nutty flavor.
Quinoa is not only good, but most importantly is good for you. One cup of cooked quinoa contains over 8 grams of protein, and over 5 grams of fiber.
Quinoa is a good source of antioxidants, it provides vitamin E (which may help reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers), and it's a good source of nutrients, like iron, magnesium, manganese and folate.
Quinoa comes in several different types. The most common available in stores are white, red, black or a mix of the three. Note, the lighter variety have a milder flavor.
For this recipe I used tricolor quinoa (black, red and white), but regular one-color quinoa works as well.
If you prefer, you can also substitute quinoa with farro or other grains.
How to cook quinoa which is light, fluffy but not mushy.
Make sure to rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer under running water before cooking it.
Quinoa is coated in naturally occurring insecticides (saponins), which gives quinoa a bitter taste and makes it more difficult to digest. So, don't forget to simply rinse it away, and it's ready to be cooked!
To cook quinoa, I use 2 cups of water for every cup of quinoa.
Combine the water and quinoa in a medium pan. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes or until the water is fully absorbed.
Remove for the heat and fluff with a fork. Let it cool down and use in the recipe.
Please note: quinoa can be easily stored in the fridge, and ready for your quick lunch or dinner ideas.
Other vegetarian recipes you might like:
Ready to try this salad too?!
PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD: Fresh and Flavorful Quinoa Salad with Spinach and Strawberries
Spinach and Strawberries Quinoa Summer Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 2 cups water
- 8 oz (170 gr) strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 4 handful baby spinach
- 4 tablespoons goat cheese, or to taste
- 1/4 cup almond slices
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
- 1 tablespoon honey
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa following the directions on the package. Run cold water over the quinoa in a fine-meshed strainer to rinse. In a saucepan add 2 cups of water and 1 cup of quinoa. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and let it cool down.
- Prepare the strawberries: remove the stem and slice.
- Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper in a small bowl. And whisk well.
- In a bowl combine the baby spinach, with the quinoa and strawberries. Drizzle with the dressing and toss. Top with crumbled goat cheese and almond slices. And enjoy!
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