Easy Quinoa Salad

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

Since discovering how to make quinoa ages ago I have been hooked on making quinoa salads. 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. 

Bowl of quinoa salad with feta, spinach and tomatoes.

Quinoa is so easy to prepare, incredibly versatile, high in protein and fiber and can be served for just about any meal! I love using it for a variety of recipes, but where quinoa really shines is in salads!

While this salad is my go-to, I have a ton more including Greek Quinoa SaladRoasted Broccoli Quinoa Salad and Southwestern Quinoa Salad.

Side by side photos. One is of quinoa and water in a pot. The second is of cooked quinoa in a pot with a spoon and topped with parsley.

Cooking Quinoa for Salad

When it comes to cooking quinoa to use for salad, it’s basically the same process as normal, but I like to make my quinoa a day in advance, let it cool and chill it in the fridge overnight and then use it for the salad the next day.

Prepping it in advance is just so the quinoa doesn’t heat up the other salad ingredients. Of course it’s fine to cook it the same day and just let it cool a bit before using. I do this all the time when I’m in a rush!

Quinoa, tomatoes, avocado, feta, spinach, lemon juice, spices and red onion measured out in bowls.

Ingredients Needed: 

Here’s what you’ll need to make this delicious (and super easy) quinoa salad:

  • quinoa – this is the base of the recipe and you can use any type of quinoa you like from white, black, red to tri-color. Any variety will work for this recipe. 
  • baby spinach – baby spinach has a mild flavor and texture that works perfectly in this quinoa salad. I like thinly slicing it or shredded it so the pieces are bite-size and easy to eat. 
  • cherry tomatoes –  these little guys add such great flavor to the salad. 
  • red onion – the perfect way to add a bit of flavor and crunch. You can use yellow onion if needed. 
  • lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt and pepper – instead of an elaborate dressing, we’re using these four items to add a light and refreshing flavor to the salad. 
  • avocados – for some creaminess and healthy fat.
  • feta cheese – this adds such a good flavor to the salad so I wouldn’t recommend omitting it. If needed you can use a vegan feta.

Want to add more protein to this salad? Each serving of this salad already has 8 grams of protein, but you could always add more by tossing in about 1/2 cup of chickpeas or white beans or adding in some chopped grilled chicken. 

Side by side photos. First is a bowl of avocado, onion, quinoa, spinach, feta and tomatoes. The second photo is of all the quinoa salad ingredients tossed together in the bowl.

What to Serve with Quinoa Salad

Honestly, this salad pairs well with just about anything! It’s my go-to side for cookouts and potlucks and I always get asked for the recipe. Here are some pairing ideas:

How to Store Quinoa Salad

This salad stores super well!

To make it 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. 

To store leftovers: Store any leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. 

Bowl of quinoa salad with feta, spinach and tomatoes.

More Quinoa Recipes to Try

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4.43 from 211 votes

Easy Quinoa Salad

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!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients  

  • ½ cup uncooked quinoa
  • 1 cup water
  • ½ cup chopped baby spinach
  • ½ cup chopped cherry tomatoes
  • cup diced red onion
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
  • 2 ripe avocados, chopped or sliced
  • cup crumbled feta cheese

Instructions 

  • 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. 
  • Toss: In a medium bowl, stir together cooked quinoa, chopped spinach, tomatoes, red onion and feta.
  • Whisk dressing: In a small bowl whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
  • Add dressing and avocado: Gently stir in dressing and avocado chunks. 
  • 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.
  • Store: Store salad in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the fridge.

Video

Notes

  • Want to add more protein to this salad? Toss in about 1/2 cup of cooked chickpeas or white beans or add in some chopped grilled chicken. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 of recipe | Calories: 316kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 453mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 2g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: quinoa salad
Did you make this recipe?Mention @eatingbirdfood and tag #eatingbirdfood!

Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.

About Brittany

Hey there, I’m Brittany, the creator of Eating Bird Food, cookbook author, health coach and mama of two littles. Here you’ll find quick and easy recipes that make healthy fun and enjoyable for you and your family!

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Recipe Rating




210 Comments

    1. YAY! I am so happy that you and your family are enjoying this recipe, Ruchira. Thank you for your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!

      1. 5 stars
        What do you think about adding a chopped boiled egg to the salad? This looks amazing, and I really love some egg in my salad.

        1. Hi Nicole – I have not personally tried boiled eggs in this salad but it would be a great addition of protein and I am sure would be delicious. If you give it a try, I’d love to know how it works out for yoU! Enjoy!

    1. Hi Catherine – How are you cooking your quinoa? I always recommend rinsing and draining the quinoa then adding the 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 (this is key to breaking up the quinoa so you don’t have clumps) and let cool for 5-10 minutes. If you give this method a try, let me know how it works for you!

    2. I just made this tonight and I love it! I can definitely see myself making this more and more. But I’m not really understanding the serving size? Is it possible to get how many grams in a serving? To make counting calories a little easier? I understand it’s just a rough estimate but I feel like using grams or an actual measurement will give me a better idea. Thank you.

      1. Hi Vince – I am not sure the serving size in grams for this recipe, but a serving should be about 3/4 cup. Hope this helps!

  1. 5 stars
    I have made/shared this recipe several times since I found it!
    I was looking for a salad dressing recipe today and found your blog again and figured I would give cred to this recipe as it is one I reuse often! 100%!

    1. Aw yay! I am so happy to hear that this recipe is a hit! Thank you so much for your review + star rating, I really appreciate it.

  2. We made this recipe to go with our favorite chicken dish. It was perfect but we loved the dressing so much we made extra.

    1. WOO! I am so excited to hear that this recipe was a hit, Scentsy! Thank you for coming back to leave your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!

    1. Ah yay! I am happy to hear that you are loving this recipe, Cindy. Thank you so much for your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!

  3. 4 stars
    I just made this salad last night. I had some leftover quinoa which I usually just eat with chicken, but I wanted to try something different. It was pretty delicious. My husband and I loved it. I would definitely make it again.

    1. I am so happy to hear that you and you husband are loving this recipe, Marilyn. Thank you so much for sharing your review & star rating, I so appreciate it!

  4. Delicious and simple. Caught short so instead of Quinoa used black rice (cooked in a rice cooker). Also substituted Cos lettuce leaves (chopped) for spinach.
    Thank you for this wonderful recipe.

    1. Of course! I am so glad you enjoyed this salad and it turned out great for you, Frances! Thank you so much for your review + star rating, I appreciate it!

    1. WOO! I am so glad you are loving this salad and it turned out great for you, Sarah. Thank you for your review & star rating, it means so much to me!

  5. 5 stars
    Wonderful recipe! Added 2 cans of cannellini beans for more protein. It’s been too hot to turn on the oven so I have enjoyed making some of your salad recipes. Thanks

    1. Yay! So glad you loved this recipe, Victoria. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!

  6. 5 stars
    This is the first recipe that I tried from your website and I must say I was not disappointed! This was an excellent quinoa salad. The acid from the lemon/olive oil dressing, the creaminess from the avocado and the heartiness from the quinoa/salad/tomato mix sprinkled with feta was just dreamy. The only thing I should have done was rinse the half cup garbanzo beans before putting them in. Beans are one thing I don’t use very often in cooking, so I wasn’t aware that they should be rinsed. Let’s just say my tummy wasn’t too happy with the excess oligosaccharides. Overall, though, I loved this. Looking forward to trying the Jennifer Aniston salad next! Thanks! ~A new fan.

    1. Hi Millicent! This makes me so happy to hear. I am glad you’re loving this salad and it is a hit. Hope you love the Jennifer Aniston salad just as much. Thanks for coming back and sharing your review & star rating, it means so much to me!

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