Strawberry Feta Quinoa Salad (Printable)

Fresh strawberries, feta, quinoa, and balsamic combine for a light, flavorful spring salad.

# What You'll Need:

→ Grains

01 - 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
02 - 2 cups water

→ Vegetables & Fruits

03 - 1.5 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
04 - 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
05 - 0.25 small red onion, thinly sliced
06 - 0.5 cup cucumber, diced

→ Dairy

07 - 0.5 cup feta cheese, crumbled

→ Nuts & Seeds

08 - 0.25 cup sliced almonds, toasted (optional)

→ Dressing

09 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
10 - 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
11 - 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
12 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

# How To Make It:

01 - Rinse quinoa thoroughly under cold water. Combine quinoa and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 12-15 minutes until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool to room temperature.
02 - Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey or maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until emulsified.
03 - In a large salad bowl, combine the cooled quinoa, strawberries, spinach, red onion, cucumber, and crumbled feta cheese.
04 - Drizzle the balsamic dressing over the salad and gently toss to combine all ingredients evenly.
05 - Top with toasted sliced almonds immediately before serving for optimal crunch and texture.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in 30 minutes flat, perfect for those days when you want something elegant but aren't in the mood to fuss.
  • The combination of warm and cool textures, creamy and crisp, makes every bite feel intentional and satisfying.
  • It's the kind of salad that looks like you put real effort in, but honestly tastes even better the next day when the flavors have gotten cozy with each other.
02 -
  • Never dress the salad more than ten minutes before eating unless you want the spinach to completely disappear into mush and the almonds to turn soggy.
  • The quinoa must be fully cooled or it'll wilt the greens into sadness—I learned this the hard way at a potluck.
03 -
  • Toast your almonds yourself in a dry skillet for two minutes—the smell will tell you when they're ready, and homemade toasted almonds taste infinitely better than the pre-toasted kind.
  • If your strawberries are a little underwhelming, macerate them in a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar for fifteen minutes before adding them to the salad—it wakes them up like magic.
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