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    Home » Salad » Quinoa Spinach Power Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

    Quinoa Spinach Power Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

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    Happy Sunday! Sundays are my day for prepping lunches for work throughout the week. My criteria for meal prep basically comes down to this: easy, quick and nutritious. One of my favourite go-to meals to prep is a quinoa spinach power salad bursting with tomatoes, cucumbers and raisins, dressed with a lemon vinaigrette. It's refreshing, it's colourful, and it's extremely good for you.

    Take a bite into this refreshing, gluten-free quinoa spinach salad bursting with colourful tomatoes, cucumbers and raisins dressed with a lemon vinaigrette.

    This salad is a fit-for-all salad. It satisfies almost every diet. It's gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, you name it!! So is that why I call this a power salad? Nope. The reason that this salad is a power salad is because it is packed with so many nutrients you wouldn't believe.

    Take a bite into this refreshing, gluten-free quinoa spinach salad bursting with colourful tomatoes, cucumbers and raisins dressed with a lemon vinaigrette.

    What is in Quinoa Spinach Salad?

    This salad pretty much makes for a complete meal. And although it is complete in itself, you can consider this a "base" salad. Add any ingredients that you want to it. Some great additions include: avocado, kale and apples. Somehow whatever you add to this works! Just remember that if you are adding lots of ingredients, you may need to double up on the vinaigrette.

    Quinoa

    Quinoa is a super food (or power food). It is a tiny grain that is extremely nutrient dense. It completely stands out from any of the other traditional grains and does not even compare. Although termed a grain, quinoa is gluten-free and is not even part of the same plant family as wheat, oats, barley, or rye.

    There are so many health benefits to quinoa consumption that to list them all would take up this entire blog post! So I will keep it brief. One of the main features of quinoa is its high protein content. It contains all the essential amino acids required and thus serves as a complete protein source. It is also a great source of healthy fats, fiber, B vitamins and other minerals.

    Spinach

    But quinoa is not the only super food in this salad. That's right, there is not just one super food, but two!! Spinach is another amazing super food. I list the many health benefits of spinach in my gomae spinach salad post.

    Other Ingredients

    • tomato
    • cucumbers
    • raisins
    • for the lemon vinaigrette - lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper
    Take a bite into this refreshing, gluten-free quinoa spinach salad bursting with colourful tomatoes, cucumbers and raisins dressed with a lemon vinaigrette.

    How to Make the Best Quinoa Spinach Power Salad

    1. Cook the quinoa. In a medium bowl, rinse the quinoa a few times. In a medium saucepan, boil 2 cups of salted water. Add the quinoa and continue to boil for about 10 minutes until the quinoa is tender. Drain the quinoa and let it cool.
    2. Combine the salad ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, raisins and cooled quinoa.
    3. Prepare the lemon vinaigrette. In a small bowl, make your lemon vinaigrette. Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour onto the salad and toss to coat.
    4. Serve. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if needed.
    Take a bite into this refreshing, gluten-free quinoa spinach salad bursting with colourful tomatoes, cucumbers and raisins dressed with a lemon vinaigrette.

    Tips on Making Quinoa Spinach Salad

    • This salad is so easy to make and it lasts several days in the fridge. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

    More Salad Recipes

    • Apple Walnut Salad with Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette
    • Mediterranean Brown Rice Salad
    • Strawberry Avocado Salad with Poppyseed Dressing
    • Winter Kale Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

    Did you make this recipe? I would greatly appreciate a comment and rating below, letting me know what you thought of the recipe. You can also snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @aheadofthyme or share it on the Pinterest pin so that I can follow along.

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    Take a bite into this refreshing, gluten-free quinoa spinach salad bursting with colourful tomatoes, cucumbers and raisins dressed with a lemon vinaigrette.

    Quinoa Spinach Power Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette


    ★★★★★

    4.9 from 38 reviews

    • Author: Sam | aheadofthyme.com
    • Prep Time: 5 minutes
    • Cook Time: 10 minutes
    • Total Time: 15 minutes
    • Yield: 1 large salad 1x
    • Diet: Vegan
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    Take a bite into this refreshing, gluten-free quinoa spinach salad bursting with colourful tomatoes, cucumbers and raisins dressed with a lemon vinaigrette. 


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • ½ cup quinoa, uncooked
    • 2 cups spinach, finely chopped
    • 1 tomato, diced
    • ½ cup cucumbers, diced
    • ¼ cup raisins
    • 1 + ½ tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1 + ½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

    Instructions

    1. In a medium bowl, rinse the quinoa a few times. In a medium saucepan, boil 2 cups of salted water. Add the quinoa and continue to boil for about 10 minutes until the quinoa is tender. Drain the quinoa and let it cool.
    2. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, raisins and cooled quinoa.
    3. In a small bowl, make your lemon vinaigrette. Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour onto the salad and toss to coat.
    4. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if needed.
    • Category: Salad
    • Method: Assemble
    • Cuisine: Middle Eastern

    Keywords: quinoa salad, quinoa spinach salad, spinach salad, power salad, quinoa recipes

    Did you make this recipe?

    I'd love to see! Tag me @aheadofthyme on Instagram.

    Take a bite into this refreshing, gluten-free quinoa spinach salad bursting with colourful tomatoes, cucumbers and raisins dressed with a lemon vinaigrette.

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    Quinoa Spinach Power Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
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    Comments

    1. Adam Terrace says

      November 19, 2018 at 2:59 pm

      Anybody have recommendations for an alternative for the lemon vinegarette, for this delicious salad? although I am very fond f lemon my girlfriend is allergic. Any suggestions for a tasty alternative?

      Thank you.

      Reply
      • Joelene says

        April 01, 2019 at 9:33 am

        I used 1 tablespoon of seasoned rice vinegar

        Reply
    2. Jenn says

      August 21, 2018 at 5:45 pm

      Delicious. Didn’t have lemons but had limes so made lime vinaigrette instead.
      I think chopped up,apple would be good in this as well. Will try that the next time.
      Thanks Sam, for the great recipe!

      Reply
    3. georgie @ georgieeats says

      July 24, 2018 at 2:02 am

      Looks UH-mazing!!! I need to try these ASAP... Pinned!

      Reply
    4. Michelle says

      May 18, 2018 at 11:01 am

      I made a double batch as directed in the recipe but then I added feta cheese crumbles. So delicious, fresh, healthy and satisfying! I will be making it again to bring to a gathering Memorial Day weekend!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Sam | Ahead of Thyme says

        May 18, 2018 at 8:46 pm

        Thanks, Michelle! So glad you liked the recipe 🙂 Have a great Memorial Day!!

        Reply
        • Kerri T. says

          May 19, 2018 at 5:31 am

          This sounds wonderful! Do you know how many grams of protein per serving?

          Reply
        • Kerri Thompson says

          May 19, 2018 at 6:39 am

          This looks wonderful! How many grams of protein does each serving have?

          Reply
    5. Penny says

      March 29, 2018 at 8:34 am

      This was so yummy! The only thing I swapped out was craisins for the raisins. I have made it twice already. Once for my family where even my picky eaters enjoyed it. Then I made it for a lunch with friends and it was a big hit! Thank you! I am sure I will be making this many more times.

      Reply
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    Quick and easy recipes for the everyday home cook, using fresh, seasonal and wholesome ingredients -- from healthy meals to take-out to comfort foods. | aheadofthyme.com

    Hi, I'm Sam. I am the founder of Ahead of Thyme, where we help busy people eat real food that tastes good. Here, you can find hundreds of delicious, quick and easy recipes, using quality and wholesome ingredients. Read more about me

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