Sun-Dried Tomato, Spinach and Quinoa Salad
This simple spinach quinoa salad is full of fresh Mediterranean flavors, including lemon, sun-dried tomatoes and toasted almonds! Vegan and gluten free.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 3, 2024
This salad couldn’t come at a better time. I’ve just returned home after a long weekend in Austin, Texas. Taco after taco, margarita after margarita. Chips and salsa in between. On the return home, I ate a scoop of Mexican vanilla ice cream for dinner. It was incredible.
This was a girls’ trip, just for fun, and it was desperately needed. My taste buds got a break from all the cookbook recipe testing and now, I’m craving healthy home cooking once again. Please, remind me to take real vacations more often!
This mega-healthy quinoa and spinach salad was inspired by a Whole Foods buffet salad that I found in Kansas City last week. I was desperate for recipe inspiration, so I sampled a few of their salads and particularly enjoyed their spinach and quinoa salad with pine nuts and sun-dried tomatoes. The sign said the salad had basil in it, but I sure couldn’t find any.
Anyway, I tried to recreate it at home and ended up making a few changes, of course. I swapped more affordable sliced almonds for the pine nuts (they taste better, too), skipped the nonexistent basil, and whipped up a zippy lemon dressing.
This salad packs up great for lunch. It would also make a lovely, protein-rich side salad. Top it with a fried egg and call it dinner. It’s vegan as is, but you could throw in some feta if you’d like. Chickpeas might be nice, too. Arugula is a great alternative to spinach (I could hardly decide between the two).
I’ve been frustrated with my quinoa ending up mushy lately, so I tried cooking the quinoa uncovered for 15 minutes this time, and it worked beautifully. I hope it works just as well for you. Please let me know!
Watch How to Make Perfectly Fluffy Quinoa
Sun-Dried Tomato, Spinach and Quinoa Salad
This simple spinach quinoa salad is full of fresh Mediterranean flavors, including lemon, sun-dried tomatoes and toasted almonds! It’s vegan and gluten free, too, so it’s a great potluck option. Recipe yields 4 side servings or 2 main dish-sized servings.
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed in a fine-mesh colander
- ⅓ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
- 2 cups roughly chopped fresh spinach or arugula
- ⅓ cup sliced almonds
- ¼ teaspoon olive oil
- Salt, to taste
Lemon dressing
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- To cook the quinoa: Combine the rinsed quinoa and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until the quinoa has absorbed all of the water, about 15 minutes, reducing heat as time goes on to maintain a gentle simmer. Remove from heat, cover, and let the quinoa rest for 5 minutes, which gives it time to fluff up.
- Meanwhile, to prepare the dressing: Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, salt and red pepper flakes. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.
- To toast the almonds: Warm ¼ teaspoon olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the almonds and a dash of salt and cook, stirring frequently (beware, these burn quickly!), until they are golden and fragrant. Transfer the toasted almonds to a medium-sized serving bowl to cool.
- Once the quinoa is done cooking, fluff it with a fork and then transfer it into your serving bowl. Drizzle all of the dressing on top and toss to combine. Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and wait a few more minutes to add the spinach so it doesn’t wilt completely. Toss again, season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if necessary, and serve immediately.
Notes
Recipe inspired by a quinoa salad at Whole Foods Market.
Make it nut free: Replace the almonds with pepitas (green pumpkin seeds). Sunflower seeds might be nice, as would pine nuts if you aren’t sensitive to them (they are technically seeds).
Storage suggestions: This quinoa will keep well, covered and refrigerated, for several days. Gently reheat or serve chilled.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Really enjoyed this as well as all the recipes I have tried on your site! I didn’t have sundried tomatoes so did a light sauté of cherry tomatoes before tossing them in. Loved it! Thank you for the wonderful recipes!
I’m happy to hear it, Peggi! Thank you for sharing.
Perfect every time!
Great recipe! I took it in a slightly different direction. I added just a touch of agave to the dressing and added some craisins to the salad mix. It was excellent. I’ll be making it again today and think I’ll add some chickpeas!
Made it for dinner last night and it was really good. Leftovers for lunch today are just as good!
I was so happy to find this post. I was looking for quinoa salad that did not have beans. I have to confess,I didn’t make the dressing. I just used a bit of the sun-dried tomato oil and salt. It was still very good!
I’m happy you found it too! Thank you for taking the time to comment and review, Carmel.
I LOVE this! I know I’ll be making this again and again. It’s delicious
And it fits in with the kid’s diets. I am vegan challenged ♀️
And you are so right about how to cook the quinoa. Best I’ve ever made. Very different instructions than I’ve ever seen. And so easy! Thanks for tonight’s dinner.
Wonderful, Charlene! Thank you for your review.
We loved this dish for a quick, easy Sunday night supper with ingredients we already had on hand and fast clean up. Love that we have enough for lunch tomorrow. I skipped the olive oil for toasting the almonds and next time, I will add some fresh basil ribbons from my patio garden.
Sounds delicious, Shay! Thank you for your review.
Delicious! It’s as good as it looks and simple to make. I had all the ingredients on hand will plan to keep it that way. Very nice.
Great! Thank you for your review, Martha.
@Erica, how much water did you add?
Excellent….I used toasted walnuts as that’s what I had on had. Will make this again and add arugula with the spinach as I love it, but didn’t have any on hand. This will be great for lunch for the next few days.
We really enjoyed this salad tonight. It was my boyfriend’s first time eating quinoa and he loved it. I made a few following changes and additions to the recipe that I thought I might share. Quartered some brussels sprouts then roasted them lightly in the oven with olive oil salt and pepper. Added honey to the dressing and then strained it because I didn’t want any big pieces of garlic and chilli flakes. I used goat feta cheese with herbs, dried cranberries and sunflower seeds as well as the tri-coloured quinoa, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach that lead me to find this recipe. Five stars and I love how customizable this was to make! Very fun.
That’s great to hear, Dani! Thank you for sharing how you modified this recipe.
This recipe was so delicious! I have never made quinoa before. I was concerned about it being boring so I googled some recipes and came across yours. It was fantastic. Will definitely be making again. Thank you!!!
You’re welcome, Maria! Thank you for taking the time to comment.
Hi, what will you suggest replacing the sundried tomatoes with? I don’t always have SDT, but quinoa and spinach is ever ready in the fridge. Kindly tell. Love this one!!
The sun-dried tomatoes really make this dish. I would really recommend them.
So good!
Love your cookbook. First visited your blog years ago for the perfect quinoa cooking method & it is! Favorite quinoa has been in rotation for years with sooo many of your recipes! Love them all. Thank you for all your hard work!
I love it! Thank you for sharing, Lisa.
Just made it for the first time this summer and forgot how much I love this salad! (Why don’t I make it in the winter? I need to change this.) I double the dressing more or less and sometimes I add feta. I have sent this recipe to everyone I like – that’s how good it is. Also if you’re a vegetarian this has it all. LOVE!
Omg so good! Made this tonight and even my salad avoidant partner loved it! Will def make again (only substitute I did was use arugula instead of spinach because I love the flavor)
It’s amazing am a chef in Kenya,we do make Quinoa salad and the customers love it,neverthess I have learned more ingredients from your recipe.be blessed.
Can I use kale instead of spinach or arugula? Is there a better substitution?
Hi, yes that can work too. You may want to massage it with some salt first between your fingers. Enjoy!
Very bland. I am so disappointed. I made this salad last night for a vegan meet up group I belong to. It has so little taste. I followed recipe precisely. I do not deviate when trying a new recipe. It is also expensive. Sundried tomatoes are expensive, sliced almonds are expensive, quionoi is expensive. Dressing lacked taste. It should have some spices like Italian seasoning or something added to the lemon juice and Dijon mustard. No one ate my salad. Good thing I made a fabulous platter filled with summer fruits. Definitely not worth the cost to make it.
Hi Michael, I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy this recipe.
If you are using pumpkin seeds, do you toast them too?
Yes, pumpkin seeds are great toasted.
This sounds wonderful. Can you give me the calorie per serving, please. thanks, Tracy.
Hi Tracy, all the information is below the notes section of the recipe.
Yuck. Won’t be making this again. Healthy but boring!
Hi Beth, I’m sorry you didn’t love this one. What did you find it was missing?
This was amazing! I used 1/2 baby spinach and 1/2 arugula and everything else as directed. I put the dressing in containers on the side and made a few lunch portions for the week. I literally cant wait to have it again tomorrow!
Hooray! I’m glad you are excited about your leftovers.
Delicious! I’ve been making this weekly. Tastes great with either spinach or arugula, but I prefer arugula. Thanks for another great recipe.
You’re welcome! I appreciate your review.
I’ve made this so many times! Delicious.
I’m glad you love it, Anne! Thank you for your review.
Husband, and 4 children are all begging me to make this again! It’s a winner. Thank you so much. This salad was like a party in my mouth. I’m not going to go against the crowd- the recipe will have to find it’s way into our regulars!
Yes! That’s a win. Thank you for sharing, Debra. I appreciate your review.
Not really what I hoped it would be
Hi A, what did you think it was missing? I’m sorry you didn’t love it.
Excellent instructions for quinoa – best I’ve ever had. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Alberta!
This was very tasty! And pretty easy to make. Honestly that dressing tossed through the quinoa is perfect. And the slivered almonds. Thank you!
This is a staple in our house! Made it exactly as instructed. I love how just a tiny bit of dressing gives it massive flavor! It keeps the texture of the individual items without making them feel soggy and over dressed. Love it! Took it to a party and received so many compliments about how good it is!! Thank you for giving us the very best recipes that never fail! I recommend you to everyone!!
I’m happy to hear that, Coire! Thank you for your review.
How did I just find you??? Just made this and it is so delicious. I was going to do the quinoa garbanzo bean salad but then came across this and had sun-dried tomatoes so decided to try it. Yum!!!!!
Yesterday I made your hummus and it was hands down the best I’ve ever had.
Thank you!! I’ll be making many more of your clean, nutritious, delicious dishes in 2022.
Welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed this salad, Kier.
I’ve eaten quinoa, but never made it. My doctor suggested a plant based diet. I don’t eat beef, so that’s fine but no other living creatures except fish (which I love). My repertoire needed a reboot and first thing I came across was this site. Lucky me! I made the sun dried tomato, spinach, and quinoa salad. Loved it! Great side dish, healthy snack, and wonderful pretty main course with salmon on top. The dressing was a perfect complement. I also made the Favorite quinoa salad as directed and added diced mango and avocado to leftovers. Pretty, healthy, and delicious! I liked it so much that I made it again. I’m so happy I found this site. Just what I was looking for…and better. I shared what I made with a friend and she’s addicted too. Thank you!!
I’ve made this recipe numerous times now,I’ve changed it from time to time, adding broccoli to the mix plus feta and spring onion, great accompaniment to barbecue chicken
This was so delicious! I’ve been looking for recipes for my mom who has to be gluten free and this was loved by the whole family. Thanks!
Great to hear, Nehal! I appreciate your comment.
Made 1-1/2 batches for a dinner side last night with leftovers in mind, it makes a LOT. Added chickpeas, feta, and diced cucumber, subbed pepitas for the almonds. Added the zest from the lemon to the dressing. Bright, fresh and tasty, my husband liked it too. Had some more for lunch today! I really like the sun-dried tomatoes, I will use more when I make again.
Your recipes are always delicious but I wanted to share my method for cooking quinoa….. I ALWAYS toast the quinoa (like I do my rice) first in a bit of olive oil until it has a bit of color then add the liquid (chicken broth sometimes) and let simmer uncovered until all liquid is absorbed. Works every time plus it has a bit of a nutty flavor which I find really enhances the taste. Happy cooking!!
So delicious just as it is. Thank you for offering this to all :)
First time I made it and your recipe worked for me. Thanks.
Great to hear you enjoyed it, Pippa! Thank you for your review.
Wow! I needed a salad for a potluck/fundraiser and couldn’t get to the store for ingredients, so looked in my cupboard and realized I had enough quinoa if I could find a good recipe. I substituted plain sun-dried tomatoes that I soaked in some lime oil for about half an hour and frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained, of course). Made it a day ahead and it was a hit. Only about half a cup made it back home for my husband to taste. He liked it, so I bought some fresh spinach, tomatoes packed in oil (and spices) and made it again. Fantastic! Thanks for an excellent recipe that my body seems to crave.
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe. I am 28 weeks pregnant and this is just absolutely delicious and healthy!!!!
Congratulations, Yali! I appreciate your review.
A disappointment. Made this for a neighbourhood potluck. Tried the suggested cooking method for the quinoa and it was still mushy. Not much flavour overall. (I added basil in addition to the spinach and used toasted walnuts as I had some on hand.) Wish I had tried the recipe in advance. Was a bit embarrassed to contribute such a bland dish to this summer gathering.
Hi Christine, I’m sorry to hear that. Are you sure it was cooked at a gentle simmer? Otherwise it will get over done.
So delicious and easy! Followed exactly and used toasted pepitas.
We really liked. And the leftovers really are just as delicious!
Great to hear, Patricia! I appreciate your review.
Great recipe, thanks for sharing, it’s yummy and full of some good for you stuff I love!
I’m glad to hear you loved it, Jan! I appreciate your review.
This was a wonderful salad and dressing! I added carrots (and liked the added crunch), chopped up fresh tomato, red onion, and used toasted pine nuts (toasted w/o the oil). Would also be good with avocado. Very versatile salad. Thank you for the recipe!
delicious~added chick peas and feta and green olives Loads of flavor
Comes together quickly!
Still making this one – it’s perfect to brighten up dark winter day lunches. The warm quinoa, the semi-wilted spinach (much easier to shovel in than raw spinach), the lemony dressing, crunchy almonds, and then those little hits of salty sun-dried tomato – mmmmmm. Salad heaven. Thanks for these healthy recipes that still taste amazing.
Great ideas!
I make this frequently. Love it! Sometimes add chicken, often add green onions, cucumber and feta or parmesan for an extra kick.
Hi Kate!
What kind of quinoa have you used for this recipe? I’ve ate something that looked like this at a restaurant, but I don’t know exactly what it is, and the quinoa we order online isn’t half as good-looking (or tasting, if I compare it what we ate)