This delicious spinach and quinoa salad with lemon vinaigrette is the perfect weeknight side dish, or a meatless Monday dinner, it also makes a delightful vegan lunch!
I try to get as much healthy food into my family as possible and with this dish I think I have hit a home run when it comes to the healthy stuff! There is the quinoa which is known as a superfood, not to mention the spinach, also known as a super food. The cranberries add a bite and the almonds add a crunch, and the lemon vinaigrette add the perfect amount of zip!
One of my favorite things about this salad beside the nutritional value is just how easy this salad comes together. It is also very forgiving, if I don’t have cranberries I can substitute raisins or dried apricots. If I don’t have sliced almonds I can use walnuts.
- ¾ cup uncooked quinoa
- 2 cups spinach, very finely chopped
- ¾ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- salt & pepper to taste
- *FOR THE VINAIGRETTE
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- zest from 1 lemon
- juice from ½ a lemon
- In a fine mesh strainer, rinse the quinoa.
- In a medium saucepan cook quinoa according to package directions. Drain if there is any water in the pan. Set quinoa aside and let cool.
- In a large bowl, combine spinach, cranberries, almonds, and the cooled quinoa.
- Combine lemon vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together.
- Toss just enough of the lemon vinaigrette over the salad to coat.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
We love eating quinoa anytime of the year and Springtime is perfect for this delicious superfood salad.
If you like quinoa recipes take a look at this one or this one!
Until Next Time…
XOXO