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.
Would love to have nutritional information on these recipes…..is that available? Thanks for great recipes!!
Family enjoyed. Quick, healthy, will do it again.
Glad the family approved, Peta. :)
This is delicious! Thank you for the recipe. I used kale, which I massaged, and roasted almonds because that is what I had on hand. In the morning I topped the salad with a fried egg and avocado. It was delicious and satisfying. :) I have a potluck coming up at work and plan on bringing this dish. I’m sure people will love it!
So much yum! I hope the dish is a hit at the potluck :)
Loved this salad. I used Pepitas instead of nuts, added some danish feta, spring onions and avocado.
Your version sounds delicious, Nicole.
This salad is delicious! Shared with many friends. Big hit! Thanks for your amazing recipes. They make eating vegetarian easy!
Awesome!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was PERFECT! Can’t wait to try the dressing in other recipes or on a different salad!
This recipe is delicious! I tried your trick of cooking the Quinoa with the lid off and it came out perfect!
Awesome!
Try cooking your quinoa in a rice cooker. Perfect every time
We have Sacred Meal once a month at our church and it is a very special time with whole foods that are simple and harken back to ancient times, i.e. vegetarian soups, salads, hummus, olives, whole grain bread, etc. Last night, someone brought this salad and we were fighting over who was going to get the end of the bowl!!!! It was absolutely amazing!!!! I am making this as I brown bag it and am trying to lose weight and this is not only ridiculously delicious…it’s healthy too! Thank you for your passion! I have subscribed to your blog and look forward to trying your recipes!!! Kiss Cookie for me!!! #DogKisses
What a lovely tradition to have, Donna! Sacred Meal sounds like a great celebration of nutritious foods. I’m so glad this dish was a hit!
Just made this on Sunday to brown-bag this week! I used arugula as I prefer the bite and it brings more complexity to the salad!! It is AWESOME!!! Thank you for this fantastic recipe!!! (I doubled the batch)!!! Better the second and third day!!!
Yum! Arugula sounds delicious with this. Thanks, Donna!
I love this salad! I’ve made it 3 times now and everyone always loves it. Its now my go-to recipe whenever I need to bring a dish to a party. One thing different I did was I added chopped, peeled cucumbers. Yummy Thank you for this recipe!
Yum! Cukes sound like a fabulous addition. Thanks, Colleen.
I love your blog and your Cookie!
Thank you, Deb. Cookie says hello!
Wow! I am so grateful to have stumbled upon this blog right at the beginning of my meatless journey. I used to think of food as just serving a purpose; now I am falling in love with it. This salad is heavenly. The combination of tangy, nutty and umami flavors is fantastic, and the mix of textures is so satisfying. I want this for lunch every single day. Thank you, Kate!
I’m so glad you found my blog, Jocelyn! Thank you for your kind comment.
Hey Kate, I so love your blog. And will be ordering your book soon.
I have been wondering are there any specific salads you would recommend to be served with cheese and wine?
Thank you so much!
Hi Azza, I think any salads with an Italian/Mediterranean vibe would be very well suited for cheese and wine. Maybe my chopped Italian salad in the roundup?
Thank you Kate. You rock. And honestly, I think you are a genius with flavours. Will try the Chopped Italian Salad one as you suggested.
For some reason i had in mind a salad that may have pears or apples…Not sure why i thought they would be good with cheese and wine.
I bought your book this weekend at Anthropologie and already am in love with all the recipes. I came across your blog tonight and made this salad for dinner. My fiancé said he didn’t know quinoa could be this good. Thank you for sharing your passion for food!
Oh, you’re so welcome, Catherine! I hope you love the book, too.
You rarely disappoint Kate. Loved this recipe. I didn’t have enough quinoa, couscous or chia seeds so I mixed all of them together and put in salad. Relish.
Great! Thanks, Lynne.
My first time making and eating quinoa. I added baked chicken and a bit of feta. The dressing; I didn’t have Dijon mustard so I used hummus and added some dry mustard. This was fantastic and my husband loved it too. I will be making this again
Sounds like a delicious version, Patti!
Could this be served cold with grilled chicken?
I don’t see why not, Faith!
Just made this and we really liked. On its own, quinoa doesn’t thrill me, but with the dressing and other goodies, really good! Added bit more red pepper and some left over grilled chicken. Can’t wait to try other salads.
Thanks, Doreen! I hope this changed your mind about quinoa. ;)
I really wanted to try a salad with Quinoa and I loved all the ingredients, but for some reason my salad came out very bitter. Not sure if it’s the type of Quinoa I bought, or because I used Quinoa and baby spinach? Any thoughts?
Hey, Katherine. Sorry to hear that! I’m trying to figure out what could have happened. After a little research, I figured out: baby spinach often still has the stems attached, which are bitter or metallic tasting. That’s most likely the culprit!
My mom loves this recipe so much! It was my first time cooking quinoa and over the past 2 weeks I have made it 3 times. It’s just so good.
I’m glad you both enjoy it, Lea!
Delicious! I toasted pumpkin seeds instead of almonds :)
That works!
This salad is wonderful! I made it according to the recipe, and it was perfect! I see someone used pumpkin seeds instead of almonds, that sounds great too. (and I’ve got family members who can’t eat nuts) Just made this for the third time tonight. (its officially in the rotation!) Thanks Kate, for another great salad!
You’re welcome, Emily!
So, been feeling fat recently……and started searching for some really yummy healthy and light dishes. I just made this one and WOWZA, it is probably one of the very best salads I have ever tasted. It is absolutely full of incredible flavours. (I had some basil in my yard, so I decided to chop some up and toss it in as well…what the heck)…I usually make tabouleh when I’m trying to go light on meals, as I am a total ‘foody’ and cook for everyone all the time. This may very well become my new go-to dish. Much less work involved than Tabuleh. The ingredients blend perfectly together. Thank you so very much for sharing the recipe!
Great recipe! Amazing flavor! I added sauted mushrooms to mine. Thanks!!!
Hi Kate!
“Found you” when I was needing a refresher on cooking quinoa and, long story short, just made a slightly simplified version of this salad. On hand (not always true), arugula, a tomato, black olives and chickpeas to toss with red quinoa and simple olive oil/lemon dressing. Look forward to trying with almonds and a zippier dressing – but it was delish as it was! Good to know for even quicker but nutritious meals! Thanks! And yes, your photos are beautiful! Am also a dog lover. =)
Recouping from surgery and too many pain meds. I was searching for a fiber-licious salad and I came across this recipe. What a find; I made for lunch today and will keep it in my repertoire of delicious salads/meals. Thank you.
Hope your recovery is going well! Thank you for giving it a try :) There are a lot of create salads on the blog I assume you will enjoy since you liked this one!
I will be all over your site and suggesting it to friends!! Thank you!!
Hi Kate! Upon deciding to cook with quinoa for the first time, I ran across your site and printed four different quinoa recipes. I started with this one, and it turned out beautifully! (I have a photo but am not on Instagram at this time.) I loved your instructions on how to perfectly cook quinoa, and will be trying my next recipe soon. Give Cookie a hug from me and my cat, Lady Jane (who does not eat my crumbs, however she does like a sliver of tuna from time to time.) Hugs, Laura
Welcome! This is a great one to start with for sure. I am glad you liked it. Thank you, Laura for your kind comment and review. I will give Cookie some extra love!
This is a great recipe! I’ve made it twice for two different groups, and everyone likes it. It’s easy, and alternative ingredients can be used, so there can be variety each time it’s made.
Thank you, Karen! I appreciate your comment and review. And yet, this is a great salad to have different mix-ins to change it up :)
First time I have used quinoa. Your cooking method worked really well. This salad tastes amazing. Thank you!!
I’m happy to hear it, Sue! Thanks so much for your review.
I was looking for more quinoa recipes and stumbled upon this one. I thoroughly enjoyed it! I don’t care for mushy quinoa either, so I just reduce the liquid to 1 3/4 cup and it works out fine. I believe this is the amount of liquid in a standard can of veggie or chicken broth as well. Anyway, thank you for this wonderful dish!
There are a lot of quinoa dishes on the blog! Search ‘quinoa’ in the search bar if you need more options. I’m happy you liked this one, Noreen!
Will try this tonight with the addition of black beans, to continue with the mexican inspo ;)
thanks for the quinoa cooking tips too – I feel like I finally have motivation to cook it at home!
Welcome! Thank you, Veronica.
Made this this past weekend as I am trying to find more tasty quinoa recipes that makes it taste good and not like dirt, as my husband says. This is a winner! Gonna be a staple in my household. I had to fight my husband off from having more than seconds. I am going to try adding artichoke hearts next time. Thanks for this recipe.
I also always use broth in place of water, so that helps too.
Love that! Thank you, Shannon.
I’m a little late to this party, but I just want to let you know that I LOVE this recipe! I added a few more tomatoes because sun-dried is my favorite way to eat them! And for the dressing, I just used equal parts lemon juice and olive oil with a dash of black pepper (my go-to salad dressing at home). But thank you for sharing this! I am excited that I found your blog and can’t wait to try more of your meals! :)
You aren’t late! Thanks Mary, for commenting. Let me know what you think of recipes as you give them a try.
I ain’t a huge fan on spinach but this salad converted me making this recipe over and over again
I’m glad to hear this one won you over. Thanks for your review!
Saw your 17 side dishes this am and made 3 as a meal. This one is delicious, even 30 min after being made. Indeed a bit more salt
Love that! Thanks so much for commenting and for your review.
I made this for dinner tonight as a main dish. It was nice and light for a hot summer day. My husband and I both loved it! I added lentils because we were eating it as a main dish and I wanted it to be a little heartier. The sun-dried tomatoes are the perfect touch. The dressing pulls it all together. This is staying on our menu!
KW
Sedona, AZ
I bet it was! A great one for the summer. Thanks for sharing and for your star review, Karen.
The recipe sounds good. Definitely going to try it. That’s a pretty high count on the sodium – any suggestions of a way to lower it a bit?
This was delicious! My family isn’t vegan so I added in feta cheese, which was nice but certainly isn’t necessary. I love your quinoa salads!
Thanks for sharing, Cynthia!
oh my goodness. I just subscribed to your newsletter the other day becuase I saw (and loved) the beet/carrot/quinoa salad with spinach and edamame. So in comes my first newsletter – this torn olive thing – that made my mouth water and I have to FIX IT THIS WEEKEND and at the bottom was creamy scrambled eggs wtih goat cheese (which is the only cheese I can eat and the pics said DINNER TONIGHT and then I saw butternut squash tacos – and I am addicted to butternut squash (with goat cheese, onions, bacon, tomatoes, wilted spinach) and….and….and….here I am 10 minutes later having saved like a million of your recipes to Pinterest. I have to go buy your cookbook.
Hooray! Thank you, Judi. I appreciate the comment. If you would like to leave a star review, I would appreciate it. As you try other recipes you saved, let me know what you think!
Wow, this was delicious! I am looking for healthy new ideas as alternatives to the boring garden salads I make for my school lunches. This is a keeper!
Carole
Hooray! Thanks so much Carole :)
I copied all of your recipes. I am 79 years old and intrigued with all your beautiful recipes. Yes, beautiful for the pictures certainly are and the best of ingredients. Just discovered the flavor of sun dried tomatoes. I love your step by step w/pictures then the recipe to print. You are a sweet person to post these for our pleasure.
Thank you for the compliment, Linda! I appreciate it.
This combination of flavors and textures is utterly delightful! Thank you for the recipe!
You’re welcome, Karly!
My family and I loved this recipe! Easy to make and is ready quickly! We served it with parmesan crusted tilapia and it went perfect together! Thanks for sharing !!
You’re welcome, Leslie!
While I’ve made many recipes in “my day”, yours take me to the next level ….via the next generation! Kate ( and Cookie ) I love your creations!! Really!! You are my go-to for my next fun, yummy, creative, recipe with great presentation!!
Please….keep doing what your are doing.. creating healthy food the universe needs!! And, I pray, we are evolving toward!!! XOXO
love,
Nancy P.P. Yes, I am a subscriber!!
Thank you!
The salad is easy to make & delicious — very flavorful. The only change I made was to add some feta. It tasted even better the next day for lunch when the flavors had melded.
Thank you, Ali for sharing!
At what point do you add the almonds? Couldn’t see in the recipe instructions? Sprinkle them on just before serving?
Hello, Kate. Made this recipe today to bring to a pot luck Halloween party, where it will be served as salad. I added dried cranberries, chopped black olives,chopped red pepper, and basil. I used toasted sunflowers seeds in lieu of almonds and arugula in place of spinach.
It tastes great to me.Let’s see how the witches and goblins like it tonight! Thanks for the recipe.
How fun! Thank you for sharing, Gail.
Looks delicious! I plan to try to make this tonight! I do have a mustard allergy, will the dressing taste as good without it?
thanks!
This was EXCEPTIONAL. Unbelievable recipe. I saved the zest from the lemons I juiced and sprinkled into the salad. I accidentally bought sun dried tomato BRUSCHETTA and used it anyway. Yum! I used the excess oil from the jar for the salad dressing to bump up the flavor.
To make this a meal for my always starving husband, I scooped this delicious salad into a cooked acorn squash half. I served in a shallow pasta bowl. This is dish is beautiful when plated.
And just as a stand alone recipe, the salad dressing is delicious. (I added a touch of agave to the dressing, as Dijon is a little strong for me. The Dijon really makes this dressing pop. I just wanted to take it down a bit)
Thank you for this recipe. Really two recipes, the salad and the dressing. This goes in my permanent recipe file!
I love all your ways of serving this salad! Thanks so much for sharing, Nancy.
Hi, I recently decided to try quinoa as a healthier alternative to rice. First recipe I made was the spinach quinoa salad. It came out well and was a hit with the wife and kids as well. The lemon was a bit overwhelming so added a bit of maple syrup. No leftovers!
Thanks for the recipe.
Lal.
No leftovers is a win! Thank you for sharing, Lal!