Strawberry Feta Quinoa Salad (Printable)

A fresh mix of strawberries, feta, quinoa, and balsamic dressing 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

# Preparation steps:

01 - Rinse quinoa thoroughly under cold water. Combine quinoa and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then 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 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 cooled quinoa, strawberries, spinach, red onion, cucumber, and feta cheese.
04 - Drizzle dressing over salad and toss gently to combine. Top with toasted sliced almonds just before serving.

# Expert advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in half an hour, making weeknight dinners feel less like a chore and more like a treat.
  • The combination of textures—creamy feta, tender berries, nutty quinoa—keeps every forkful interesting.
  • It's naturally gluten-free and vegetarian without tasting like a compromise.
02 -
  • Rinsing quinoa isn't optional—I learned this the hard way when a batch tasted weirdly metallic and slightly off until I realized I'd skipped that crucial step.
  • Cooling the quinoa completely before dressing prevents the spinach from wilting into a sad, mushy pile, which sounds silly until it happens to your carefully assembled salad.
  • Don't dress the salad more than 15 minutes before serving, as the acid in the vinegar will eventually soften the strawberries and make everything watery and sad.
03 -
  • Toast your own almonds in a dry skillet for 3 to 4 minutes instead of buying pre-toasted—you'll taste the difference immediately and they'll stay crisp longer.
  • Make the dressing in a jar with a tight lid and shake it vigorously for 30 seconds to create a proper emulsion, and you can keep it in the fridge for up to a week.
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