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Spring Quinoa Salad with Artichokes, Feta, and Asparagus
When I first wrote this post, we had just returned from a fabulous Vegas vacation. It was great to get back into the swing of things and dive back into the routine of girls‘ classes and hours, teaching fitness classes, and catching up on work stuff. It also felt good to eat some homemade food!
When we travel, I try to stick to a delicious meal each day and mostly eat my regular food, but Vegas is different. It was easy to make healthy choices for breakfast, but you definitely have to take advantage of all the fantastic appetizers and dessert options. 😉 I also thought, „I can’t wait to eat a vegetable when we get back,“ but then I looked in our fridge, it was pretty bare, and ended up eating salted caramel ice cream with coconut milk for lunch. I guess I was still in Vegas mode. 😉
Finally, when I was able to stock up the fridge, I whipped up this quick on-the-fly salad with some of the new food supply. This salad is perfect for upcoming spring parties or picnics and features two of the „big A’s“: artichokes and asparagus. It has fresh, zesty, and bright lemon flavors from the lemon juice and zest, and being based on quinoa, it’s sturdy enough to keep in the fridge for a few days, so you can prepare it in advance!
I made it as part of this week’s meal prep (along with some grilled chicken, Amazeballs, and baked protein oats), so I could easily eat it alone on salad greens or with grilled chicken or tuna for a simple lunch. This salad is satisfying and filling, plus it’s gluten-free. Vegan friends can omit the feta cheese for a vegan option or add their favorite vegan cheese.
It’s also one of those throw-it-all-together-and-forget-it recipes, which means I’m a fan.
How to Make a Quinoa Salad:
– Always rinse quinoa for about a minute in a fine-mesh sieve before cooking
– Rinse to remove phytic acid, making quinoa easier to digest
– Rinse to remove the bitter taste
– For perfectly fluffy quinoa, use 1 3/4 cup of water per 1 cup of quinoa
– This salad tastes just as delicious with roasted vegetables (roasted asparagus and artichokes instead of raw)
– This salad pairs well with light main dishes like grilled salmon, shrimp, tuna, or chicken
– Feel free to mix in other ingredients like red onions, sugar snap peas, fresh herbs, or lean meat
Print Spring Quinoa Salad with Asparagus and Artichokes
A bright and hearty spring salad that you can prepare in advance for parties or as part of weekly meal prep! Gluten-free + simple vegan option
Prep time: 20 Total time: 20 minutes Yield: 6
Ingredients:
– 1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and cooked according to package instructions (let it cool slightly before assembling the salad so the cheese doesn’t melt)
– 4 ounces feta cheese
– 1 bunch asparagus, washed and cut into pieces
– 1 jar marinated artichokes, quartered (12 ounces)
– 1 lemon; zest and juice
– 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
– Fresh basil for garnish
– 2 tablespoons olive oil
– Salt and pepper
Instructions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook for 2-3 minutes, then rinse with cold water.
2. Add the asparagus to the quinoa along with lemon juice, zest, garlic powder, olive oil, feta, and artichokes. Mix well, then season generously with salt and pepper.
3. Top with freshly chopped basil.
Notes:
This tastes fantastic on the day of preparation, but even better the next day! Store covered in the fridge for 3-5 days.
What’s your favorite spring salad combination? Another one of my favorite recipes for this time of year is here! It’s Uncle Eric’s Best Ever Pasta Salad, which is always a hit.
I hope you are having a wonderful morning and see you soon! xo Gina