This Strawberry Spinach Salad has toasted quinoa and chopped almonds for crunch and is topped with a fresh honey-lime dressing. It's the perfect healthy salad for summer.
This salad is pure summer. Just like this Blueberry Quinoa Salad with Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette, it has natural sweetness, vitamins and color from seasonal berries.
And tell me a better match for strawberries in salad than spinach and almonds? I wanted to elevate this classic combo with toasted quinoa and a totally delicious minty honey-lime dressing.
Fresh herbs, leafy greens, juicy fruit and my favorite grain: is there a better summer lunch?
Adding Protein
It may be a surprise, but each serving of this vegan salad actually has 10 grams of protein!
Of course, if you like something even more substantial, you can easily add an extra serving your favorite protein. I like to add:
- Crispy Baked Tofu
- Gluten-Free Popcorn “Fried” Chicken
- Vegan Quinoa & Lentil Taco Meat
- Grilled shrimp
- Tempeh
Honey-Mint Salad Dressing
The homemade dressing really makes this salad shine. It reminds me of a mojito, but not too sweet. Rather, this basil dressing is tart, light, and refreshing.
That way, the strawberry's natural sweetness gets to shine.
I make the salad dressing in my blender. However, you can make it by hand by just chopping the mint up nice and fine. It will have a bit more taste this way, but it still tastes great.
What to Serve With Strawberry Spinach Salad
In the summer, I love to serve this salad with a light entree. It's fairly satisfying all on its own, thanks to the almonds and quinoa.
Try these summery entrees alongside your strawberry spinach salad:
- Grilled Chicken & Avocado Panini
- Barbecue Grilled Pineapple & Tofu Kebabs
- Zucchini Salmon Cakes with Lemon Dill Pesto
More Quinoa Salads To Try
- Wild Rice Quinoa Salad with Asparagus + Lemon-Turmeric Vinaigrette
- Saffron Middle Eastern Quinoa Salad
- Fall Quinoa Salad with Butternut Squash and Apples
- Moroccan Quinoa Salad
- Green Bean & Almond Quinoa Salad
If you make this Strawberry Spinach Salad with Toasted Quinoa, be sure to let me know what you think with a review below!
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Toasted Quinoa
Ingredients
- 5 oz container fresh spinach about 6 cups
- 1 pint fresh strawberries about 2 cups, quartered
- 1 cup chopped almonds
- 1/4 cup toasted quinoa cooled (check out this post for a tutorial)
for the dressing:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 1/4 cup fresh mint
- Salt + pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place all dressing ingredients into a blender and blend on high until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl, add spinach and top with strawberries, almonds and quinoa. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat.
- Serve immediately or store in the fridge for up to two hours before serving.
Nutrition
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This recipe says” The homemade dressing really makes this salad shine. It reminds me of a mojito, but not too sweet. Rather, this basil dressing is tart, light, and refreshing. ”but basil is not in the ingredients list? .Also, the photos seem to have avacado in the salad but there is no avacado in the ingredients either ? Please could you clarify – thank you
The basil is in this salad: https://www.simplyquinoa.com/blueberry-quinoa-power-salad/. I love to add avocado but not necessary! 🙂
You mention a basil dressing in the beginning…but the recipe has no basil. Did I miss something?
You might be thinking of my Blueberry Quinoa Salad with Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette (it’s mentioned in this recipe too!). Both are amazing!!
Probably the best salad we’ve ever eaten! Thanks!
Oh my goodness, that’s an amazing compliment. Thank you!! xo
Made this for dinner tonight and it was out of this world! I made extra toasted quinoa to use in the Totally Addicting Vegetarian Kale Salad tomorrow night!
Yes! I’m seriously obsessed too. I’m adding it to everything 🙂 Let me know how you like the kale salad – it’s one of my faves!! xo
Love the idea of toasted quinoa on a salad! Bet it adds really nice texture and crunch.
Oh it totally does! It’s almost like adding sunflower seeds or something but with a heartier flavor 🙂
I’m going to Trader Joe’s on my way back from picking up new puppy supplies! Sounds wonderful! Toast quinoa in dry skillet, right? And watch it like mad!
Ahh puppies <3 And yes! Toast it in a dry skillet, tossing it around constantly until it's fragrant and popping. (and keeping a close eye on it is a must!)
How do toast quinoa?
You simply add dry, uncooked quinoa to a pan and keep the pan over medium heat, tossing/stirring constantly until the quinoa begins to pop and is fragrant. You want to watch it carefully because it’s easy to burn! I suggest doing batches of 1/4 cup of dry quinoa at at time. Let me know how it goes!
I love the crunchy toasted quinoa! Fab addition!
Newest obsession 😉