This Spinach Quinoa Salad recipe is full of rich healthy foods like cucumber, red bell pepper, avocado, and onion. Quinoa is packed with protein and the spinach has tons of antioxidants. This salad recipe is topped with a lemon Dijon vinaigrette. 

Spinach Quinoa Salad - full of rich healthy foods like cucumber, red bell pepper, avocado, and onion. This recipe is topped with a lemon dijon vinaigrette. the-girl-who-ate-everything.com

SPINACH QUINOA SALAD

I know you guys are wondering when I’m going to be over this healthy eating business and back to football food and peanut butter chocolate treats. Soon. Very soon.

Currently we are watching the NFL Talent show. My husband’s agent called a couple of months ago and said that if submitted a video to the talent show they would send him an Iphone X.

If you didn’t know, we are the cheapest people on the planet. On our last trip to Sanibel, we had all seven of us in one hotel room that was 10×10 feet.

We brought our own blow up mattresses and those hardly fit.

Spinach Quinoa Salad - full of rich healthy foods like cucumber, red bell pepper, avocado, and onion. This recipe is topped with a lemon dijon vinaigrette. the-girl-who-ate-everything.com

 

Anywho, my husband submitted a video of himself playing the violin which he’s done since he was five years old so he could get a free Iphone X. For an introvert like my husband, it was definitely outside his comfort zone.

The NFL ended up sending the phone while he was out of town so I wrapped it and put in under the Christmas tree because as said above, we are very frugal and we keep Christmas minimal so free gifts are…gifts.

Spinach Quinoa Salad - full of rich healthy foods like cucumber, red bell pepper, avocado, and onion. This recipe is topped with a lemon dijon vinaigrette. the-girl-who-ate-everything.com

On Christmas morning he opened it up and was shocked. Not for the reason I thought. He had been waiting and waiting for it in the mail because he was going to give the phone to ME for Christmas.

So while I was distracted unwrapping gifts with the kids, he wrapped the phone up and handed it to me. I opened it up and said in shock and confusion, “We got two Iphone X’s?”

My husband was on the cusp for the the NFL Talent finals. Basically, depending on who made the playoffs determined whether he went or not.

To say that he was relieved the Patriots (who we normally do not want going to the playoffs) made the playoffs might be an understatement because that meant he didn’t have to compete on live T.V.

Spinach Quinoa Salad with red bell pepper, avocado, cucumber, onion, and feta

And I really didn’t want to take the phone but after he convinced me that I take most of the family photos and it has a nicer camera, I accepted it.

It’s a lot of pressure to have a nice phone and I’m just not that good with nice things. I’m clumsy and forgetful.

This Spinach Quinoa Salad is filled with healthy foods like spinach, avocado, bell pepper, cucumber, quinoa (which is a great source of protein), and a sprinkle of feta. The lemon Dijon vinaigrette is drinkable.

You can even wilt the spinach and eat this salad warm!

OTHER SALAD RECIPES:

Spinach Quinoa Salad - full of rich healthy foods like cucumber, red bell pepper, avocado, and onion. This recipe is topped with a lemon dijon vinaigrette. the-girl-who-ate-everything.com

Spinach Quinoa Salad

4.56 from 9 votes
This Spinach Quinoa Salad recipe is full of rich healthy foods like cucumber, red bell pepper, avocado, and onion. Quinoa is packed with protein and the spinach has tons of antioxidants. This recipe is topped with a lemon Dijon vinaigrette. 
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 6 cups

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup quinoa
  • 1 1/3 cups water
  • 5 ounces baby spinach, about 5 cups
  • 1 avocado , pitted and diced
  • 2/3 cup chopped cucumber
  • 1/2 cup red bell pepper strips
  • 1/3 cup chopped red onion
  • 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Dressing:

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Bring the quinoa and 1 1/3 cup water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, and the water has been absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool.
  • Top spinach with quinoa, avocado, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, and feta cheese.
  • Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, sea salt, and black pepper.  Pour dressing (or toss) over salad right before serving.

Notes

You could also add the spinach to the quinoa for the last 5 minutes of cooking if you want a wilted spinach salad and eat it warm.
 
Serving: 1/6 of the recipe, Calories: 237kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 6mg, Sodium: 332mg, Potassium: 476mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 2696IU, Vitamin C: 29mg, Calcium: 77mg, Iron: 2mg
Cuisine: American
Course: Salad
Spinach Quinoa Salad - full of rich healthy foods like cucumber, red bell pepper, avocado, and onion. This recipe is topped with a lemon dijon vinaigrette. #healthy #spinach #quinoa #salad #recipe