Easy Quinoa Salad

Sharing my go-to quinoa salad recipe with a simple lemon dressing, as well, a variety of quinoa salad recipes to try! 

Since discovering quinoa ages ago I have been hooked on making quinoa salad. I’ve made so many over the years that I’ve built up quite the collection, but I still have a favorite that I’ll always make time and time again. That’s the recipe I’m sharing today. 

Quinoa is so easy to prepare, incredibly versatile, high in protein and fiber and can be served for just about any meal! My favorite way to use quinoa is in salads.

How to Cook Quinoa for Salads:

First thing first, let’s cover a few quinoa basics! When it comes to cooking quinoa to use for salads, it’s basically the same process as normal. Here’s what I recommend: 

1. Rinse your quinoa under cold running water in a fine mesh strainer. (See why below.)
2. Add quinoa into a pot and add double the amount of water. For 1 cup of quinoa you need 2 cups of water.
3. Place over a medium heat and bring to the boil.
4. Reduce to a simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender and the liquid is absorbed.
5. Let quinoa cool and use in salad recipes as directed.

Do You Need to Rinse Quinoa?

Rinsing your quinoa helps remove quinoa’s natural coating, called saponin, which can make it taste bitter. Note: There are a few quinoa brands some come pre-rinsed. If you’re looking to save time or don’t own a mesh strainer, look for one of these brands.

Quinoa Salad Ingredients

• quinoa – you can swap out for a different grain if you’d like but obviously I love quinoa in this!
• baby spinach 
• cherry tomatoes
• red onion
• lemon juice
• olive oil
• sea salt and pepper
• avocados
• feta cheese – can omit to make this recipe dairy-free and vegan. 

How to Make Quinoa Salad

Cook quinoa: Rinse and drain quinoa. Add quinoa and water to a saucepan and bring the water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool for 5-10 minutes. 

You can also used pre-made quinoa that has been stored in the refrigerator. 

Toss: In a medium bowl, stir together cooked quinoa, chopped spinach, tomatoes, red onion and feta.

Make dressing: In a small bowl whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Assemble salad: Gently stir the dressing and avocado chunks into the quinoa mixture. 

Chill and enjoy: Serve immediately or let the salad chill in the fridge a couple hours before serving. If chilling, you can add the avocado right before serving to prevent browning.

How to Store Quinoa Salad

This salad stores super well! If you’re making in advance, I would recommend leaving the avocado out and adding that in right before serving. The rest of the salad can be fully assembled and stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. 

More Popular Quinoa Recipes to Try:

• Quinoa Fried “Rice” with Shrimp
• Slow Cooker Cheesy Mexican Quinoa Casserole
• Cinnamon Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
• Quinoa Tabbouleh
• Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Casserole
• Grilled Chicken and Quinoa Meal Prep Bowls

If you make this quinoa salad be sure to leave a comment and star rating below letting us know how it turned out for you. Your feedback is so helpful for the EBF team and our readers!

Easy Quinoa Salad

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• Author: Brittany Mullins
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 4
• Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

This easy quinoa salad is packed with spinach, tomatoes, red onion, avocado and feta with a simple lemon dressing. It’s the perfect healthy side dish!

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Ingredients

• ½ cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup chopped baby spinach
• 1/2 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
• 1/3 cup diced red onion
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 2 ripe avocados, chopped or sliced
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

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Instructions

1. Cook quinoa: Rinse and drain quinoa. Add quinoa and water to a saucepan and bring the water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool for 5-10 minutes. 
2. Toss: In a medium bowl, stir together cooked quinoa, chopped spinach, tomatoes, red onion and feta.
3. Whisk dressing: In a small bowl whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
4. Add dressing and avocado: Gently stir in dressing and avocado chunks. 
5. Chill and enjoy: Serve immediately or let the salad chill in the fridge a couple hours before serving. If chilling, you can add the avocado right before serving to prevent browning.
6. Store: Store salad in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the fridge.

• Category: Salad
• Method: Toss
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
• Calories: 316
• Sugar: 2g
• Sodium: 453mg
• Fat: 23g
• Saturated Fat: 5g
• Unsaturated Fat: 16g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 23g
• Fiber: 7g
• Protein: 8g
• Cholesterol: 11mg

Keywords: quinoa salad

More Quinoa Salad Recipes: