A meal prep superstar, this Quinoa Spinach Salad can be made in advance for tasty portable lunches and as a speedy side dish for weeknight dinners and potlucks alike!
This scrumptious salad marries fluffy quinoa with freshly chopped spinach, tomatoes, and corn tossed with creamy feta and an easy homemade lemon dill dressing.
It. Is. Heavenly.
Seriously!!!
I shared the first batch with the bestie, thinking there’s no way I could eat all this quinoa salad by myself… but I was wrong. So wrong, in fact, that I had to go back out to buy all the ingredients again so I could live off it all week long!
make-ahead + meal prep instructions
This spinach quinoa salad is great the first day and even better the next, making it a perfect meal prep salad for speedy lunches and side dishes.
Simply follow the instructions in the recipe card below to make the salad and dressing, combine, and place in a large airtight container in the fridge. That’s it!
You can also portion it out as part of your grab-and-go lunch prep for the week as either a lunch salad or a side dish to serve with your favorite sandwich or protein.
Healthy Quinoa Spinach Salad with Tomatoes and Feta
This sassy spinach salad is quick and easy to make! It’s also gluten-free, vegetarian, and oh so delicious.
Quinoa Spinach Salad
A meal prep superstar, this Quinoa Spinach Salad can be made in advance for tasty portable lunches and as a speedy side dish for healthy weeknight dinners!
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 1.5 cups water
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 cups chopped fresh spinach
- 1.5 cups tomatoes
- 1.5 cup corn (canned or steamed from frozen)
- 1/3-1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped green onion
LEMON DILL DRESSING
- juice of 1 large lemon
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1/2 TBSP white wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1/8 tsp dried dill
Instructions
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First rinse and drain your quinoa using a mesh strainer or sieve. Bring a small pot to medium heat and lightly toast the quinoa to remove any excess water, stirring often. This step is optional but really adds to the nuttiness and fluff factor of the quinoa! Next add your water, set burner to high, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered with the lid slightly ajar, for 12-13 minutes or until quinoa is fluffy and the liquid has been absorbed.
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While the quinoa cooks, use this time to prep remaining ingredients.
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For the dressing, combine all the ingredients listed in a small bowl and whisk together or add all the ingredients to a lidded mason jar and shake well.
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Once your quinoa is ready, fluff with a fork and season with salt and pepper, to taste. For a chilled salad, chill your quinoa in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before serving.
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Add chopped spinach, corn, and tomatoes. Whisk/shake dressing once more then pour over salad. Mix well and serve room temperature or chilled. I love it the first day and even better the next!
Recipe Notes
Have fresh dill handy? Feel free to use it in place of dried. Since the flavor of dried herbs is more concentrated, you’ll just use a bit more fresh dill in the dressing, to taste.
Nutrition Facts below are estimated for both salad and dressing using an online recipe nutrition calculator. Adjust as needed and enjoy!
If you get a chance to try this tasty vegetarian quinoa spinach salad, let me know!
Leave some love in the comment form below or tag your photos with @peasandcrayons on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creation. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
serving suggestions
Serve this healthy quinoa salad with my infamous California Veggie Sandwich or Chickpea Salad Sandwich.
Prefer a soup and salad combo? This salad would be amazing alongside a bowl of Creamy Tomato Soup or Orzo Vegetable Soup.
If you’re one of my T-Rex friends and want to add a protein option to the salad, I think it would be amazing with salmon, shrimp, or chicken.
KP
Loved it! I added cucumbers.
Kimberly
Another great recipe ! I added sliced jalapeños to it, and sliced celery because I love celery. I left out the corn, and substituted crumbled goat cheese instead of feta and added fresh basil !!!!
Love Keil
This salad was a huge hit! Thank you so much for delicious recipes like this one!
Jenn
YAY! So glad you enjoyed it!
Suzy
I love using quinoa and it was perfect in this salad! So delicious!
Jenn
Match made in heaven status, for sure! Thanks Suzy!
Jessica Formicola
I love everything about this salad! From the fresh ingredients to the flavor, it’s definitely my new favorite!
Jenn
So glad you’re loving the recipe Jessica! Thanks!
Cassie N
This was the best quinoa salad I’ve ever tried. Pretty sure it was even better on day 2 & 3. The ingredients worked perfect together, making this salad just right!!
Jenn
I’m so stoked to hear it Cassie! Thanks for helping as my taste-tester!
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