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Quinoa Avocado Spinach Power Salad

April 9, 2014 By Kaitlin McGinn 88 Comments

The BEST Quinoa Avocado Salad! Only 25 minutes to make and full of healthy, energizing, plant-based goodness. (Vegan, gluten-free)

Vegan quinoa avocado spinach salad in a bowl

POW! Nutritional punch! πŸ˜‰ Fluffy quinoa, spinach, and sweet cherry tomatoes join forces with creamy avocado in this beautiful dish. We absolutely love this combo! It’s nutrient-packed, delicious, and pleasantly filling and energizing. (Plus super easy to make and only 25 minutes!)

Quinoa Avocado salad in a bowl

Not to mention it’s a versatile meal. Have fun playing around with different variations! Add some beans for an extra protein punch. Change up the veggies depending on what’s in season, and add some fresh cucumber for crunch! For the dressing, you can certainly use fresh lemon or lime juice instead of red wine vinegar for a citrus burst.

This dish makes a rock star take-along lunch that you can make ahead of time. It would also work beautifully for picnics, potlucks, summer get-togethers, etc. Hope you enjoy it as well!

Come joinΒ The Garden Grazer on InstagramΒ and share a photo if you make this. I love seeing your beautiful recreations. (Or leave a star rating below if you give it a try – your feedback is very appreciated!)

Vegan quinoa avocado spinach salad in a bowl
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5 from 5 votes

Quinoa Avocado Spinach Power Salad

Easy Quinoa Power Salad with creamy avocado! One of our all-time favorite salads that’s full of energizing, plant-based goodness. (Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free)
Author: Kaitlin – The Garden Grazer
Prep Time:5 minutes
Cook Time:20 minutes
Total Time:25 minutes
Category: Main Dish, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Oil-Free, Vegan
Servings:5 medium bowls

Ingredients

  • 1 cup quinoa (dry, uncooked)
  • 2 medium avocados
  • 3 oz. baby spinach (more as desired)
  • 8 oz. cherry tomatoes
  • 3 green onions (or finely diced red onion)
  • 1-2 cloves garlic (I use 2)
  • 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
  • 1/8 tsp. salt

Instructions

  • Rinse and cook quinoa according to package directions.*
  • Meanwhile, roughly chop the spinach. Place in a large bowl.
  • Mince garlic, and add to spinach.
  • Slice the green onions, halve the cherry tomatoes, and dice the avocado.
  • When quinoa is done cooking, add it to the large bowl with spinach and toss. (The heat from the quinoa will lightly wilt the spinach and mellow the garlic.)
  • Add the green onions, tomatoes, red wine vinegar, and salt. Stir to combine.
  • Add the avocado and lightly toss.
  • Serve immediately or refrigerate to let flavors blend more.

Notes

*To cook quinoa: I use a ratio of 1 cup quinoa to 1 1/2 cups water for fluffier quinoa. (You can also use vegetable broth for more flavor.)

Nutrition Per Serving (estimate)

Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 75mg | Potassium: 795mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2005IU | Vitamin C: 24.7mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 2.9mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @thegardengrazer on Instagram and hashtag it #thegardengrazer. I love seeing your recreations!
Quinoa Power Salad collage
quinoa avocado spinach power salad collage

Loving this Quinoa Avocado Salad and craving more fresh salad delicoiusness? Check out the full “Vegan Salad Recipe Archives” on the site for more plant-based inspiration!

Filed Under: 30 Minutes or Less, Gluten-Free, Main Dish, Recipe, Salad, Vegan, WFPBNO Tagged With: avocado, garlic, picnic, plant protein, potluck, quinoa, spinach, summer, take-along lunch, tomato

Previous Post: « Black Bean Lentil Salad with Cumin-Lime Dressing
Next Post: Ultimate Greek Chopped Salad »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. LittleMonsterx14

    April 10, 2014 at 9:16 pm

    yes! this looks so simple but incredibly delicious! Yum!

    Reply
    • Kaitlin M

      April 11, 2014 at 3:17 pm

      Thanks! πŸ™‚

      Reply
    • Claudette morales ramirez

      November 24, 2014 at 11:21 pm

      Rico

      Reply
  2. Angie

    April 13, 2014 at 8:45 pm

    How many does this serve?

    Reply
    • Kaitlin M

      April 14, 2014 at 5:36 pm

      Hi Angie! Depends on if you're using it as a main dish or side dish. I'd estimate main dish servings to be about 3-5, and side dish servings about 6-8. It can really vary based on your serving size preference πŸ™‚

      Reply
    • Angie

      April 14, 2014 at 9:17 pm

      Thanks! Going to make this tonight, since I am not vegan migjt add.some xhicken and call it a main dish!

      Reply
    • Kaitlin M

      April 14, 2014 at 9:38 pm

      Awesome! Thanks for the message – hope you love it!!

      Reply
    • Mary Jane DiCresce

      May 1, 2016 at 11:49 pm

      Made this to go with some grilled chicken; fabulous!!! I also added some goat cheese. This is a GREAT salad and easy!!

      Reply
    • Kaitlin McGinn

      May 14, 2016 at 2:44 pm

      Hi Mary Jane! So glad you enjoyed it!!

      Reply
  3. Anonymous

    April 27, 2014 at 8:24 pm

    Just made this dish. It's real good! πŸ™‚ Thanks!
    I love your recipes. Have made several of them!

    Reply
    • Kaitlin M

      April 27, 2014 at 10:48 pm

      Aw thanks so much! Glad to hear you're enjoying the recipes πŸ™‚

      Reply
  4. Cookin' Canuck

    May 18, 2014 at 6:41 pm

    This is the kind of salad I could happily eat everyday for lunch. Great dish, Kaitlin!

    Reply
    • Kaitlin M

      May 19, 2014 at 12:36 pm

      Us too!! Thanks so much Dara πŸ™‚

      Reply
    • Jazzegurl

      June 1, 2015 at 5:14 pm

      This is soooo delish!! I have so much energy after eating this power salad. This is a must try!!

      Reply
    • Kaitlin M

      June 2, 2015 at 1:55 pm

      Aww yay! Glad it energized you too!! Thanks for the sweet message πŸ™‚

      Reply
  5. Sarah Bell

    June 12, 2014 at 12:32 am

    If you are having this the next day should you eat it cold or heat it up?

    Reply
    • Kaitlin M

      June 12, 2014 at 1:33 pm

      Hi Sarah! I always eat the leftovers cold πŸ™‚

      Reply
  6. Shan

    June 12, 2014 at 10:12 pm

    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. πŸ™‚

    Reply
    • Kaitlin M

      June 13, 2014 at 7:29 pm

      Yay Shan! Glad you all enjoyed it, and I LOVE that you doubled the spinach!! πŸ˜€

      Reply
  7. GlamCat

    June 24, 2014 at 3:14 am

    Hello,

    New to the site but was wondering if you post nutrition information?

    Reply
    • Kaitlin M

      June 24, 2014 at 6:22 pm

      Hi and welcome! Unfortunately I don't provide nutritional stats, but if you'd like to calculate your own you can try this website:
      http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php
      I've heard it's pretty straightforward and easy to use. Hope that helps and that you enjoy the recipes you find here! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  8. Jennie Nelson

    October 6, 2014 at 5:46 pm

    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 M

      October 6, 2014 at 6:50 pm

      Hi Jennie! Yes! I've kept this in the fridge for about 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 πŸ™‚ Hope you enjoy it!!

      Reply
  9. Cecille M

    October 8, 2014 at 1:51 pm

    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
    • Kaitlin M

      October 9, 2014 at 4:14 pm

      Hi Cecille! Wonderful! Thanks for the message – hope you and your coworkers enjoy! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  10. Toni de Losada

    January 14, 2015 at 4:24 pm

    Serving Size 164 g
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 292Calories from Fat 174
    % Daily Value*
    Total Fat 19.4g30%
    Saturated Fat 3.6g18%
    Trans Fat 0.0g
    Cholesterol 0mg0%
    Sodium 71mg3%
    Potassium 608mg17%
    Total Carbohydrates 25.7g9%
    Dietary Fiber 7.3g29%
    Sugars 1.1g
    Protein 6.2g
    Vitamin A 27% β€’ Vitamin C 28%
    Calcium 3% β€’ Iron 43%

    Reply
    • Wendy Manzo

      April 6, 2016 at 2:10 pm

      Thank you for this info. Brilliant!

      Reply
  11. Allie @ LunaVida

    January 27, 2015 at 6:03 am

    Yum! I can't wait to try this πŸ™‚

    xo,
    Allie
    http://lunavida23.blogspot.com/

    Reply
    • Kaitlin M

      January 27, 2015 at 3:05 pm

      Hey Allie – hope you enjoy!! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  12. SunshineLuv7

    February 5, 2015 at 9:40 pm

    Based on this recipe making 3 servings:

    Nutrition Facts
    Serving Size 329 g
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 580Calories from Fat 351
    % Daily Value*
    Total Fat 39.0g60%
    Saturated Fat 7.2g36%
    Trans Fat 0.0g
    Cholesterol 0mg0%
    Sodium 137mg6%
    Potassium 1344mg38%
    Total Carbohydrates 51.6g17%
    Dietary Fiber 14.7g59%
    Sugars 3.2g
    Protein 12.0g
    Vitamin A 73% β€’ Vitamin C 59%
    Calcium 7% β€’ Iron 86%

    Nutritional Analysis
    Good points
    No cholesterol
    Low in sodium
    Low in sugar
    High in iron
    High in vitamin A
    Very high in vitamin B6

    Reply
    • Kaitlin M

      February 6, 2015 at 7:47 pm

      Awesome – thanks for sharing!! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  13. Roni

    February 16, 2015 at 8:23 pm

    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! <3

    Reply
    • Kaitlin M

      February 18, 2015 at 11:47 pm

      Hi Roni! Yay! I've never tried this with bell pepper – what a great idea! So glad you enjoyed it, thanks so much for the sweet message πŸ™‚

      Reply
  14. Danielle Lewis

    March 5, 2015 at 2:41 pm

    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.

    http://www.sugarandroses.net/sug-r/2015/3/3/superfood-quinoa-salad-with-avocado-and-spinach

    Reply
    • Kaitlin M

      March 5, 2015 at 4:50 pm

      Hey Danielle! Happy to hear you enjoyed it so much – your photos are gorgeous! πŸ™‚ Hope you love any other recipes you try!

      Reply
  15. Carolyn Childs

    March 24, 2015 at 3:04 am

    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
    • Kaitlin M

      March 24, 2015 at 3:07 pm

      Hi Carolyn! YAY – so glad you enjoyed! Great to hear you adapted it based on what you had πŸ™‚ Wishing you a lovely week!

      Reply
  16. Jena Gribble

    March 31, 2015 at 8:19 pm

    Just made this. AMAZING!!!

    Reply
    • Kaitlin M

      March 31, 2015 at 10:34 pm

      Awesome Jena! Glad you enjoyed πŸ™‚

      Reply
  17. Rhonda Mesnick

    April 13, 2015 at 10:35 pm

    I used WW recipe builder and came up with 8 points for 5 servings and 6 points for 6 servings.

    Reply
    • Kaitlin M

      April 14, 2015 at 1:01 pm

      Hey Rhonda! Thanks for sharing! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  18. Jodi Jackson

    April 21, 2015 at 10:27 pm

    OMG, this is sooooooo good! Thank you for sharing

    Reply
    • Kaitlin M

      April 23, 2015 at 2:19 pm

      Hey Jodi!! Aww thanks πŸ™‚ So happy you enjoyed it! Wishing you a lovely weekend!

      Reply
  19. Candace Cole

    April 21, 2015 at 11:09 pm

    Just made this and it is amazing!

    Reply
    • Kaitlin M

      April 23, 2015 at 2:18 pm

      Yay Candace!! Glad you enjoyed! Have a great weekend πŸ™‚

      Reply
  20. Jody

    May 21, 2015 at 3:45 pm

    Do you think I could use Balsamic instead of red wine vinegar for the dressing?

    Reply
    • Kaitlin M

      May 21, 2015 at 6:21 pm

      Hi Jody! YUM – I love balsamic! I bet that'd work great in this too! Let me know how it goes πŸ™‚

      Reply
  21. K Ridley

    June 2, 2015 at 4:24 pm

    The Quinoa Avocado Spinach Power Salad (QASPS) :)sounds delicious. You sound very similar to me.:)

    Reply
    • Kaitlin M

      June 2, 2015 at 7:09 pm

      Haha – yay!! Hope you love it πŸ™‚ I find it to be so energizing!

      Reply
  22. Holly Avery

    June 8, 2015 at 1:37 am

    I just made this tonight–so light and refreshing! Awesome. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Kaitlin M

      June 10, 2015 at 2:56 pm

      Aww, great to hear Holly! Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the sweet message πŸ™‚

      Reply
  23. Samantha Harris

    June 16, 2015 at 3:30 am

    GREAT summer salad! I LOVED it!

    Reply
    • Kaitlin M

      June 18, 2015 at 3:13 pm

      YAY Samantha!! So great to hear – happy summer!!! πŸ˜€

      Reply
  24. Eleni

    June 21, 2015 at 9:43 pm

    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
    • Kaitlin M

      June 28, 2015 at 4:42 pm

      Score!! I love when I find a recipe and already have all the ingredients on hand! πŸ™‚ Thanks for the sweet message, so glad to hear you enjoyed it!!

      Reply
  25. Jenny Triplett

    July 9, 2015 at 9:40 pm

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

    Reply
    • Kaitlin M

      July 15, 2015 at 5:35 pm

      Hey Jenny! Sorry for the delayed response – I've never tried this with rice! It may be a little weighed down, but still could work πŸ™‚ Would LOVE to hear if you give it a go!!

      Reply
  26. JQsat

    July 17, 2015 at 10:35 pm

    Love this! Wish you had a print button for your recipes.

    Reply
    • Kaitlin M

      July 19, 2015 at 8:21 pm

      Thanks! And there's a "printer friendly" link right under the directions! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  27. Kim Weis

    July 19, 2015 at 6:53 pm

    This was super good! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Kaitlin M

      July 19, 2015 at 8:22 pm

      Aww, YAY Kim!! Glad you enjoyed it – thanks for coming back to let me know! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  28. Unknown

    September 1, 2015 at 10:07 pm

    Enjoying every bite of it right now!! Pleasantly surprised!! Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Kaitlin M

      September 4, 2015 at 10:03 pm

      Woohoo! Awesome to hear! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  29. Veronica Villanua

    September 9, 2015 at 1:30 am

    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
    • Kaitlin M

      September 16, 2015 at 10:37 pm

      Hey Veronica! Yay for you and your daughter both loving it! Great call doubling the spinach and adding lemon πŸ™‚ Yum!!! Thanks for the sweet message, have an awesome week!

      Reply
  30. Stephanie

    September 14, 2015 at 12:07 am

    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
    • Kaitlin M

      September 16, 2015 at 10:34 pm

      Aw, thanks so much Stephanie πŸ™‚ I LOVE your addition of chickpeas! Great idea, definitely doing that next time! Hope you enjoy any other recipes you try!

      Reply
  31. Natalie Lindquist

    September 14, 2015 at 6:59 pm

    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
    • Kaitlin M

      September 16, 2015 at 10:32 pm

      Awesome Natalie!!! And thanks for the kind words about the site πŸ™‚ Hope you're enjoying your challenge!

      Reply
  32. Shlandrea Jackson

    September 17, 2015 at 4:16 am

    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 M

      September 17, 2015 at 12:40 pm

      Woohoo!! So fun to hear. And I never thought to add almonds – that'd be such a nice crunch! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  33. Leslie

    January 18, 2016 at 9:38 pm

    This looks delicious! Do you have any suggestions for a substitute if I don't have red wine vinegar? Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • Kaitlin McGinn

      January 18, 2016 at 9:53 pm

      Hi Leslie! Lemon juice would be a great substitute – hope you enjoy! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  34. Unknown

    March 28, 2016 at 7:42 pm

    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
    • Kaitlin McGinn

      April 2, 2016 at 12:43 am

      Aw, so great to hear πŸ™‚ Glad you enjoyed your first quinoa experience! Have a wonderful weekend!

      Reply
  35. Sof Ray

    April 18, 2016 at 2:01 pm

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

    Reply
    • Sof Ray

      April 18, 2016 at 2:02 pm

      Oh and I used the tricolor quinoa which made it look even prettier!

      Reply
    • Kaitlin McGinn

      April 24, 2016 at 7:33 pm

      Yes and yes!!! Great call adding lemon juice! I definitely need to try this with tricolor quinoa πŸ™‚ So glad you enjoyed it – have an awesome week!

      Reply
  36. Marta Andujar

    April 24, 2016 at 5:44 pm

    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
    • Kaitlin McGinn

      April 24, 2016 at 7:39 pm

      Haha I love when you find a recipe and have (almost) all the ingredients already! Hope you enjoy!! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  37. Karon Skidmore

    May 24, 2016 at 3:53 am

    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
    • Kaitlin McGinn

      May 27, 2016 at 2:54 pm

      Hi Karon! So glad you enjoyed it for your picnic πŸ™‚ Great call adding more spinach and the lemon addition for next time – yum! Have a lovely weekend!!

      Reply
  38. nannette storey

    August 11, 2016 at 4:01 pm

    I love this. Thank you. I sprinkle a little feta before serving. It tastes better cold.

    Reply
    • Kaitlin McGinn

      September 17, 2016 at 3:11 pm

      Great to hear! I agree – the flavors really intensify after chilling in the fridge πŸ™‚ Have a beautiful weekend!

      Reply
  39. Unknown

    December 28, 2016 at 2:28 am

    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
    • Kaitlin McGinn

      January 3, 2017 at 5:24 pm

      Awesome! Thanks for your feedback πŸ™‚ So fun to hear the carnivores enjoy it too, that's always my favorite thing to hear πŸ˜‰ Wishing you a very happy new year!!

      Reply
  40. Unknown

    October 24, 2018 at 6:07 pm

    I just made this salad for lunch and OMG…..it's AMAZING!!!!! I love every ingredient in it!! ADDICTED!!!!

    Reply
    • Kaitlin McGinn

      February 24, 2019 at 2:43 pm

      Yay!! Apologies for my late response but so glad you enjoyed! Appreciate your feedback πŸ™‚ Have a beautiful week!

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Kaitlin! Passionate about colorful plant-based food, nature, reading, matcha, and compassionate living. Read More β†’

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