You’ll have this quinoa salad with spinach, feta, and fresh herbs on the table in just 35 minutes—easy, breezy. It’s a wholesome, feel-good dish that’s just as perfect made ahead as it is fresh. Bring it to your next BBQ or potluck, serve it as a side dish, or enjoy it as a light main course at home. However you serve it, it’s guaranteed to disappear fast.
Yes, so here it is. My new go-to weeknight power meal… Quick, easy, nutritious and delicious. A spinach quinoa salad packed with fresh herbs — parsley, dill and mint — plus original Greek feta, sweet summery cherry tomatoes (just enough to give it a pop of color and flavor), and roasted pine nuts. Take all of that and toss it in a bright flavored sumac and cumin dressing and you have something very delicious. If it weren’t for all the spinach and herbs I would feel totally guilty about scarfing down half a bowl of this salad…all by myself!
What You’ll Need for This Quinoa Spinach Salad
This salad is packed with simple, wholesome ingredients you can find in any grocery store—nothing fancy, just real food that tastes amazing:
- Quinoa – A protein-packed, gluten-free grain with a subtle nutty flavor.
- Baby Spinach – Tender, mild, and perfect raw.
- Fresh Herbs – Dill, mint, and flat-leaf parsley bring bright, herby freshness.
- Feta Cheese – Salty, tangy, and just crumbly enough.
- Cherry Tomatoes – Juicy, sweet, and bursting with flavor.
- Pine Nuts – Toasted for that golden crunch.
- The Dressing – A zesty mix of lemon juice, olive oil, shallot, cumin, sumac, maple syrup, and sea salt.
A spinach quinoa salad that can also be enjoyed as leftovers
I’m of course always excited when I make a salad that doubles up as a great bring to work lunch the next day (or in my case breakfast). Yes, leftover salads often surface as an alternative to my standard bring-to-work overnight oats breakfast. Yeah, we eat out. And every day. It’s kind of ingrained in our company culture. Social lunches in a group and no anti-social eating at your desk sort of behaviour. And ditching my work buddies for a private lunch? Well, there are some feelings of rejection that surface when you are “dated” a little too often. Sure, I like eating out, but a homemade salad would probably be the healthier option.
Healthy lunch spots in Hamburg
Thank goodness for restaurant coupons and some great choices in the hood. I’m pretty okay with eating at some of my favourite local spots (Hanoi Deli, Hej Papa, Cafe Nasch, Green Lovers, Dean & David and for those pasta or potato with fish moments, a place I call the “Fish-Italiener”). So yes, I admit to really enjoying the leftovers of this salad for breakfast. Apropos, I added some chopped up smoked Lupinen-Tempeh to my leftovers (cause it’s one of those healthy probiotic super foods) – did I love it? Nope, but it wasn’t bad either. I prefer smoked tofu with almonds and sesame. Now that’s tasty!
5 Reasons to Love This Quinoa Spinach Salad
If there’s one thing that matters most, it’s flavor—and this quinoa salad delivers in every bite. It’s fresh, vibrant, and packed with everything we love about a good grain salad. But wait, there’s more. Here’s why this one belongs in your regular rotation:
- Ridiculously Easy. Cook the quinoa, toss it with the rest of the ingredients, and you’re done. No fuss, no complicated steps.
- Quick & Weeknight-Friendly. You’re looking at 35 minutes from start to finish. That’s it.
- Great for Meal Prep. Make it ahead, stash it in the fridge, and let the flavors do their thing. A little squeeze of lemon before serving brings it right back to life.
- Good-for-You Ingredients. Quinoa, tomatoes, spinach, and herbs—real food that tastes amazing and actually makes you feel good.
- Versatile & Fresh. Serve it as a side, pack it for lunch, or top it with grilled chicken for a protein boost.
Loving quinoa right now? Same. Here are a few more quinoa salads to try next:
- Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
- Quinoa Salad with Feta, Cranberries & Fresh Herbs
- Quinoa Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Arugula
Simple, flavorful salads that checks all the boxes—yes, please!
Spinach Quinoa Salad with Feta and Herbs
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed (200 g)
- 2 generous handfuls baby spinach leaves, any hard stems removed, chopped
- 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1/2 a small bunch fresh dill chopped (about 4 tablespoons)
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped mint
- 175 g feta, crumbled
- 1-2 handfuls cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/3 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted (40 g)
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the dressing:
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp dried sumac
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
Method
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Rinse the uncooked quinoa in a fine mesh strainer. Place in a medium saucepan and cook according to package instructions, for about 15 minutes. Once most of the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is light and fluffy, remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and let stand, covered, for another 5 minutes. Transfer to a large salad bowl to cool.
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Meanwhile, to prepare the dressing: Whisk together the oil, lemon juice, shallot, cumin, sumach, maple syrup, salt, and lemon zest in a small bowl.
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Drizzle the dressing on top of the quinoa and toss to combine. Add the spinach, parsley, dill, mint and crumbled feta, cherry tomatoes and pine nuts. Toss again, season to taste with salt and pepper, then serve and enjoy!
Notes
- For mint lovers, feel free to add another tablespoon of mint. I kept it to 1 tablespoon for this recipe since mint has a tendency to dominate in flavor.
- Pine nuts are perfect in this salad. However, since they are so expensive, you could try substituting them with lightly toasted slivered almonds. The extra crunch is great with this salad.
- For this Spinach Quinoa Salad recipe, I use original greek feta made from 85% sheep’s milk and 15% goat’s milk. Look for the real stuff, it’s labeled with the PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) to prove it.
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