Summer salads are always a perfect compliment to the season. This strawberry packed Summer Quinoa Salad is fresh and flavorful. Simple to toss together and includes feta, spinach and a homemade balsamic dressing. A staple salad in our house!
This recipe was originally published in April 2017. Photos and copy were updated May 2020 to include process photos and more details to help make the recipe.
When the sun comes out, so do all the berries in my salad. Could do this all summer and more.
As a kid, I would turn my nose up at all the savory recipes that my mom would add berries to. And here I am now, getting any and all the berries and fruit into my salads and more.
This Summer Quinoa Salad makes is my simple go to recipe to sit on the patio and kick back with. Do I want to share it? Not really.
I was once intimidated by quinoa but then I made it and realized how easy it actually is. Do not put it off--just try it. You will be so amazed as well, promise!
A few years back I had a salad that had strawberries, feta and cilantro--and I was HOOKED. Now you can be hooked as well!
What you need to make this Salad:
- New to quinoa? It is super simple to cook up. In fact, it's easier and quicker than making rice! You can buy pre-cooked in the freezer section as well. One cup uncooked comes out to about 3 cups cooked for reference.
How to make this recipe:
- Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing: balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Set aside. (steps 1 and 2)
- Cook the quinoa according to package instructions. (Pretty typically, it is one cup quinoa to 2 cups water. Combine in a pot and bring to a boil. Cover, lower to a simmer for about 20 minutes plus or minus. Done! Just want you to know it is super simple.)
- Toss the quinoa straight from the pot into a bowl with the spinach and stir to allow the spinach to wilt. (steps 3 and 4)
- Add the onion, cilantro, and dressing and toss to combine. (steps 5 and 6)
- Add in the strawberries and feta and toss to combine. You are all set! Chill until you are ready to enjoy! (steps 7 and 8)
Notes:
- I do not suggest making this salad too far in advance. You can prep all of the ingredients in advance, especially the dressing. The strawberries lose color and bleed into the salad after even half a day and I don't find it to be the prettiest. If you must prep it ahead of time, toss everything but the strawberries in until serving.
- I like to add an extra drizzle of olive oil and toss the salad before serving if it sits for more than a few hours.
- Feel free to add some grilled chicken on top and make this one a full meal!
Try these other simple salad recipes:
- Tomato Basil Pasta Salad
- Cucumber Feta Quinoa Salad
- Simple Pasta Salad with Lemon Grilled Zucchini
- Strawberry Arugula Goat Cheese Salad with Pretzel Crusted Chicken
- Strawberry Poppy Seed Chicken Salad
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Strawberry Summer Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa uncooked
- 1 ½ cup baby spinach
- 1 pint sliced fresh strawberries
- ¼ cup red onion thinly chopped
- 1 - 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup feta cheese crumbles
- 3 T balsamic vinegar
- ⅓ c olive oil
- ⅓ cup chopped cilantro
- ½ teaspoon cracked pepper
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Slice and chop ingredients and set aside. Whisk together balsamic, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl and set aside. Cook quinoa according to package directions.
- When quinoa is fully cooked, toss it over the spinach in a large mixing bowl and allow for the spinach to wilt as you stir.
- Add onion, cilantro and dressing and toss to combine.
- Stir in feta and strawberries.
- Chill for about 20-30 minutes before eating. (Unless you are like me, I ate it from the mixing bowl!)
Notes
- I do not suggest making this salad too far in advance. You can prep all of the ingredients in advance, especially the dressing. The strawberries lose color and bleed into the salad after even half a day and I don't find it to be the prettiest. If you must prep it ahead of time, toss everything but the strawberries in until serving.
- I like to add an extra drizzle of olive oil and toss the salad before serving if it sits for more than a few hours.
- Feel free to add some grilled chicken on top and make this one a full meal!
Melinda Muyargas says
This was really good, thanks! I didn't have balsamic vinegar, so I put in about 1 Tbsp lemon juice instead. I also used regular yellow/white onions instead of red, and that was fine. And I didn't use ALL the strawberries because it seemed like a LOT. But anyway, it was great! We had it with some salmon and egg.
Lorie says
Good to know that the lemon juice worked well. Red wine vinegar is another good option sometimes. Thanks so much for sharing!