Why You’ll Love This Summer Quinoa Salad
This isn’t just any salad—it’s a complete meal that delivers on flavor, nutrition, and satisfaction. Here’s why this strawberry quinoa spinach salad deserves a spot in your summer recipe rotation:
- Quick and Easy: Ready in just 25 minutes with simple ingredients
- Nutrient-Dense: Packed with plant-based protein, fiber, healthy fats, and essential vitamins
- Perfectly Balanced: Sweet strawberries, creamy avocado, nutty quinoa, and tangy dressing create a symphony of flavors
- Meal-Prep Friendly: Make components ahead for quick assembly throughout the week
- Customizable: Easily adapt with seasonal fruits and vegetables you have on hand
- Crowd-Pleaser: Beautiful presentation makes it perfect for summer gatherings and potlucks
- Baby Spinach: Substitute with kale or arugula for a more robust flavor.
- Quinoa: This ancient grain is a seed that delivers complete protein with all nine essential amino acids. Its nutty flavor and fluffy texture make it the perfect salad base.
- Fresh Strawberries
- Avocado
- Pine Nuts. Toast them lightly to enhance their natural oils and aroma.
- Fresh Basil: Aromatic basil leaves bring a fresh, slightly sweet flavor that pairs beautifully with strawberries and balsamic.
For the Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Quality Balsamic Vinegar: The foundation of our dressing, good balsamic vinegar offers complex sweetness and acidity.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Use a high-quality oil for the best flavor and healthy fats.
- Salt and Pepper: Simple seasonings that enhance all the other flavors.
How to make a quinoa salad with spinach and strawberries?
- If you don’t have cooked quinoa, prepare it. Letting the quinoa cool completely before adding it to the salad is best.
- While the quinoa cooks or cools down, prep your greens, fruit, and balsamic vinaigrette.
- Mix carefully so all the greens are lightly covered with the dressing. Finish the salad with the diced strawberries, avocado, pine nuts, and basil leaves.
Tips
- Ingredient Quality Matters: Use the freshest produce and highest quality ingredients. Farm-fresh strawberries and locally grown spinach will elevate the entire dish.
- Balance Temperatures: The contrast between room-temperature quinoa and cold, crisp vegetables creates a more interesting eating experience.
- Layer Flavors: For brightness, add a pinch of lemon zest to the dressing or a drizzle of honey for additional sweetness.
- Texture Contrast: For the most satisfying bite, ensure you have a mix of textures—creamy (avocado), chewy (quinoa), crisp (spinach), and crunchy (pine nuts).
- Season Each Component: Lightly salt the quinoa while cooking and season the dressing well to ensure flavor in every layer of the salad.
- Gentle Handling: Fold in delicate ingredients like strawberries and avocado with a light touch to maintain their integrity.
Serving Suggestions
- A Complete Meal: Serve a larger portion for a satisfying lunch or light dinner
- A Starter: Offer smaller portions to begin a summer meal
- A Side Dish: Pair with grilled proteins like chicken, fish, or crispy tofu
- A Potluck Star: Bring to summer gatherings (keep dressing separate until serving)
- Perfect pairings include: grilled chicken, baked salmon, crusty homemade bread, chilled cucumber avocado soup, water with fresh berries
Frequently Asked Questions
Refreshing Strawberry Quinoa Spinach Salad | Perfect Summer Meal Ready in 25 Minutes
This vibrant strawberry quinoa spinach salad combines nutrient-rich ingredients with a tangy balsamic vinaigrette for the ultimate summer meal. Packed with plant-based protein, fresh berries, creamy avocado, and crunchy pine nuts, this easy 25-minute recipe will become your go-to healthy lunch or dinner all season long.
Equipment
- Salad bowl
Ingredients
Quinoa
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 ¾ cup water
Salad
- 4 handfuls of chopped spinach
- 1 cup diced strawberries
- 1 avocado cubes
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 6 leaves of basil
Instructions
INSTRUCTIONS
- Put the quinoa and water in a pot with a lid over low heat. When there is very little water on the edges of the pot, turn it off and leave it covered. Leave it aside.
- While there is the quinoa. In a bowl or bottle put the ingredients of the dressing, vinegar, salt and olive oil. Mix and taste, make it rich. Leave it aside.
- When the quinoa is done, fluff with a fork until it is completely loose and cold.
- Put it in a large bowl and mix with the spinach. Add dressing and mix.
- Put the strawberries, the avocado and the pine nuts and mix very carefully not to beat.
- Finish with basil leaves.
Notes
If the balsamic vinegar you use is very sweet, add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to the dressing.
On my Instagram page you will find a very similar version of this salad.
This salad is best when eaten on the same day; it doesn’t store well.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 239kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 5gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gSodium: 102mgPotassium: 247mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 99IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 22mgIron: 2mg
information
Nutritional information of this recipe is only an estimate, the accuracy for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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- About the Author
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I’m Ale Graf, a Mexican living in Texas and the creator of AleCooks and Piloncillo&Vainilla. I share easy, family-friendly recipes—some Mexican, mostly plant-based—that can be enjoyed all day, every day. My focus is on recipes that bring people together around the table, making mealtime simple, delicious and meaningful. I’m also the co-author of Yo Cocino Latino, and my recipes have been featured in numerous online magazines and publications.
Follow along on my social accounts for daily inspiration, tips, and delicious recipes! I’d love to hear about you! Send me a DM on Instagram, and let’s talk all things food 🍽️✨