The Garden Grazer

Quinoa Avocado Spinach Power Salad

By 87 Comments

This nutrient-packed Quinoa Avocado Salad only takes 25 minutes and it’s full of healthy, energizing, plant-based goodness. (Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free)

Vegan quinoa avocado salad with spinach and tomatoes in a bowl

Fluffy quinoa, spinach, and sweet cherry tomatoes join forces with creamy avocado in this fresh & tasty dish. We love this combination.

It’s nutrient-packed, delicious, pleasantly filling, and energizing. Plus easy to make and it only takes 25 minutes!

Bowl of vegan quinoa avocado salad with tomato and spinach

Ingredients for Quinoa Avocado Salad

For this recipe you’ll need:

  • White quinoa
  • Avocado
  • Fresh baby spinach
  • Grape/cherry tomatoes
  • Green onion (scallion)
  • Red wine vinegar
  • Garlic

This dish is versatile, so play around with different variations and flavors. Add beans or seeds for additional protein. Fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro) are lovely as well.

It also makes an awesome take-along lunch that you can make ahead of time and store in the fridge. It also works great for picnics, potlucks, parties, etc. Hope you enjoy as well!

Quinoa Avocado Spinach Power Salad in a bowl with spoon
Bowl of vegan quinoa avocado salad with tomato and spinach
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Leave a Review
4.77 from 17 votes

Quinoa Avocado Spinach Power Salad

Nutrient-packed Quinoa Power Salad with creamy avocado, sweet tomatoes, and fresh spinach. Full of energizing, plant-based goodness.
AuthorKaitlin – The Garden Grazer
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time25 mins
CategoryMain Dish, Salad, Side Dish
CuisineGluten-Free, Oil-Free, Vegan
Servings5 medium bowls

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric
  • 1 cup white quinoa (uncooked)
  • 2 avocados
  • 3 oz. baby spinach (more if desired)
  • 8 oz. grape/cherry tomatoes
  • 3 green onions (or finely diced red onion)
  • 2 1/2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
  • 1-2 cloves garlic (I use 2)
  • 1/8 tsp. salt (more/less to taste)

Optional additions:

  • Cucumber, fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro, etc.), lemon juice, Dijon mustard, 1 tsp. dried oregano/basil

Instructions

  • Rinse and cook quinoa*.
  • Meanwhile, roughly chop the spinach. Place in a large mixing bowl.
  • Mince garlic, and add to spinach.
  • Halve/quarter cherry tomatoes, slice green onions, and dice avocado.
  • When quinoa is done cooking, immediately add it to the large bowl with spinach & garlic. Toss well to combine. (The heat from the quinoa will lightly wilt the spinach and mellow the garlic.)
  • Add the tomatoes, green onions, red wine vinegar, and salt to taste. Stir to combine.
  • Add the avocado and lightly toss. Serve immediately or refrigerate to let flavors blend/intensify.

Notes

*To cook 1 cup quinoa: in a small saucepan, boil 1 1/2 cups water (or vegetable broth for more flavor). Once boiling, add rinsed quinoa, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until liquid has absorbed.
The dressing & flavors are highly customizable. We keep it simple with red wine vinegar, but please feel free to add fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, dried or fresh herbs, etc. for a bit more flavor.
Recipe yields about 8 cups salad. (Can also serve about 8-10 as a small side dish.)

Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)

Calories: 270 kcalCarbohydrates: 32 gProtein: 7 gFat: 14 gSaturated Fat: 2 gPotassium: 795 mgFiber: 9 gSugar: 2 gVitamin A: 2006 IUVitamin C: 25 mgCalcium: 53 mgIron: 3 mg
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating or comment below.
Sign up for email newsletter:Subscribe here!
Quinoa avocado power salad photo collage

Enjoying this Quinoa Avocado Salad? Also check out:

Come join The Garden Grazer on Instagram and then share a photo if you make this. (Also please leave a review & star rating below if you give it a try. Your feedback is greatly appreciated – thank you!)

Reader Interactions

Comments

  6. Shan

    I loved this salad! Even my little 7 year old liked it. Very tasty. I ended up doubling the spinach. Packing up leftovers for hubby's lunch. Thanks for the quick easy meal, the only thing I didn't have on hand was the avacado. 🙂

    Reply

    • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

      Hi and welcome! The estimated nutritional content is now provided on the site! (You can find it below each recipe.) Hope that helps!

      Reply

  8. Jennie Nelson

    This sounds great! I would love to make it and portion it out for my lunches this week. Will it stay good refrigerated for a few days, or is it a dish that doesn't last more than a day or two?

    Reply

    • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

      Hi Jennie! Yes! I've kept this in the fridge for about 3-4 days before. The avocado will brown a little so if that's an issue you could leave it out and add it right before serving. I don't mind, so I just do it all in the beginning 🙂 Hope you enjoy!

      Reply

  9. Cecille M

    I just finished making this! I had to substitute cucumber for avocado and added sugar to the dressing. I can't wait for my coworkers to try it.

    Reply

  11. Roni

    We made this for dinner last night, and it was fabulous! Used red bell pepper instead of tomato, since daughter doesn't care for tomato, and it added a nice kick. Thanks for sharing this easy and delicious recipe! Doesn't hurt that it's good for you, too!

    Reply

  12. Danielle Lewis

    Hi Kaitlin! Just wanted to say that this recipe was absolutely delicious and has filled my lunch all week. I loved this so much I had to share it with all the readers on my blog. Thank you for sharing – I cannot wait to try more of your recipes.

    Reply

  13. Carolyn Childs

    We ate all our spinach in last night's green salad so I cubed up some zucchini. Otherwise, followed your recipe to use the rest of my leftover quinoa. PERFECT!!! mmm

    Reply

  22. Eleni

    I saw this on Pinterest and I was so excited that I had all the ingredients on hand. I made it right away for lunch. It was soooo good! Thanks for the awesome recipe. I'll be making this over and over again.

    Reply

  23. Jenny Triplett

    I don't have any quinoa on hand but have everything else! Do you think brown rice would work?

    Reply

    • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

      Hey Jenny! I’ve never tried this with rice, but I think it could still could work 🙂

      Reply

  27. Veronica Villanua

    This was amazing! Even my 7 year old loved it! I doubled the spinach and added lemon … YUUUUMM! Thank you for a great recipe!

    Reply

  28. Stephanie

    My family and I recently started eating more healthy foods, and this recipe was one I saw on Pinterest that I just had to try. It looked so delicious. We had this for dinner tonight and it tasted just as delicious as it looked! I added chickpeas to make it a bit more filling. Like you point out in your post, it's amazing how such simple ingredients can create such complex and delicious flavors. My daughter had three servings. I'm excited to try some of your other recipes, thanks for all the great, healthy inspiration!

    Reply

  29. Natalie Lindquist

    Doing a 10 Day Clean Eating Challenge and this was today's lunch. YUM! Thanks so much for sharing! (Your website and salads are playing a big part in my challenge.)

    Reply

  30. Shlandrea Jackson

    Just made this made this for dinner tonight and It was awesome!!!!!! Very light on the tummy and fulfilling at the same time. I added almonds to mine.

    Reply

    • Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer

      Hi Leslie! Fresh lemon juice or another vinegar would be a great substitute – hope you enjoy! 🙂

      Reply

  32. Unknown

    i love this recipe never tried quinoa before but thanks to this i love it had to change eating habits and this works well thanks for sharing

    Reply

  33. Sof Ray

    Great recipe! I found adding fresh lemon juice prevented the avocados from turning brown if you want leftovers for the following days.

    Reply

  34. Marta Andujar

    I was so late to shop but when I saw this recipe I was oh yeah we have all this in the cupboard and frig just need to run to the corner store for the green onions yay!I am going to have it with pollock delish can not wait thanks a bunch!

    Reply

  35. Karon Skidmore

    I made this for a picnic. It is very good. Next time I will double the spinach and add lemon juice or zest to the dressing. I love that it's good made ahead. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  37. Unknown

    I love this recipe! I make it pretty frequently and it's good to take to dinners with non vegans, as they all like it too! Also it's a super good left over.

    Reply

  39. Jackie

    Hi Kaitlin!
    I just wanted to thank you for this recipe. I’ve had it in my “stash” for several years but never tried it until last week. WOW! Have we been missing out! It is so delicious and so easy. It’s now going to be a regular addition to our menu. We eat it as a main dish salad and it’s so satisfying and cool for hot, humid NC days. Thanks so much!5 stars

    Reply

    • Kaitlin McGinn

      Hi Jackie! That’s amazing to hear! Appreciate you giving it a try and sharing your very kind feedback, thank you! Hope you continue to enjoy it throughout the summer 🙂 Take care!

      Reply

  40. CToth

    A++++ Excellent!!! I have been making this salad for years. It is one of my favorites and it stores well in the fridge for a days. I usually add the avocado right before I have a serving. It is soo good, makes me feel great, I usually have some wonderful energy after I eat it. Thank you so much for such a great recipe.5 stars

    Reply

    • Kaitlin McGinn

      AWESOME! So glad you’ve been enjoying this one. Thanks so much for the kind feedback and recipe rating – very appreciated 🙂 And good call adding the avocado right before serving! Hope you have a lovely rest of the week. -Kaitlin

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Did you make this recipe? Please rate it! (Thank you!)