Quinoa Salad with Spinach

Quinoa is so easy to cook that I created two dishes out of one cooking. One was a warm mushroom pilaf for dinner guests and the other was this salad with cooked spinach.

I used the leftover mushroom pilaf as the base for the salad and added more plain quinoa and the other ingredients below. I happen to be sensitive to raw spinach – that is my stomach is sensitive – so cooked is better for me.

This recipe calls for vegetable broth and while you can buy it at the store, homemade broth is always better. Just make a big batch, then freeze it and use it when you need it. Good vegetable broth is essential to a plant-based lifestyle.

This is a great video that shows how simple it is to make your own broth and keep it on hand. Also as an added tip fresh ground black pepper always works well with spinach. So, if you have a pepper mill I would use it for this dish.

Spinach is an excellent source of folic acid, magnesium, potassium, as well as carotenes, vitamin K, vitamin C, and lutein.

However, spinach also has oxalic acid (as do other members of the family – chard, beet greens and several other vegetables.)

Spinach has the most but some of it is lessened by cooking. Oxalic acid is so high in rhubarb leaves that it’s poisonous to us. So, only eat the stalks but don’t let that stop you from eating this nutritious plant.

Love quinoa? Here are a few more recipes to try:

• Quinoa Superfood Salad
• Mushroom Quinoa Pilaf
• Acorn Squash Stuffed with Quinoa
• Oat and Quinoa Hot Cereal
• Creamy Mushroom Quinoa Soup

I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below for this Quinoa Salad with Spinach recipe! If you have a photo, post it on my Facebook page, tag me using the hashtag #plantbasedcooking in your caption, and I won’t miss it!

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Quinoa Salad with Spinach

This quinoa salad is an easy-to-make dish perfect for lunch, on-the-go or for a light dinner. Loaded with flavor and vitamins this recipe will be one you want to share with family and friends.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Servings: 6 people

1/21x2x3x

Equipment

• Cutting board
• Knife
• Non-stick pan
• Glass Mixing Bowls with Lids

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa uncooked
• 1 1/2 cups homemade vegetable broth or water, (or 1 1/2 cups homemade)
• 1 bunch spinach washed, stemmed and chopped
• 1/2 red onion chopped
• 1 cup frozen artichoke hearts thawed and chopped
• 1/3 cup walnuts chopped
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 6-8 sun-dried tomatoes soaked and chopped
• 6 leaves basil chopped

Dressing

• 1/3 cup lemon
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1/3 tsp red pepper flakes
• salt and black pepper to taste

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Instructions

• Heat water and/or broth in a pan along with the quinoa to boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.
• Add cooked quinoa to a large bowl and let cool for a few minutes.
• While the quinoa cools, saute the spinach with the water that clings to it when washed. Cook until wilted and tender.
• Add the chopped onion, artichoke hearts, walnuts, raisins, sun-dried tomatoes, basil to the quinoa and the spinach. Combine well.
• Dress with the lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper and red pepper flakes.

Notes

sea salt not included

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Quinoa Salad with Spinach

Amount per Serving

Calories

276

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

14.3

g

22

%

Saturated Fat

 

1.4

g

9

%

Cholesterol

 

0

mg

0

%

Sodium

 

101

mg

4

%

Carbohydrates

 

32.6

g

11

%

Fiber

 

5.8

g

24

%

Sugar

 

6.8

g

8

%

Protein

 

7.4

g

15

%

Vitamin A

 

900

IU

18

%

Vitamin C

 

34.7

mg

42

%

Calcium

 

90

mg

9

%

Iron

 

3.6

mg

20

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

The nutrition information is a rough estimate. Values will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it’s recommended that you calculate your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.

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