Berry Quinoa Spinach Salad with White Balsamic Basil Vinaigrette
I grabbed some beautiful and sweet blackberries and strawberries from the store and decided to use some of them in a salad. There was some leftover quinoa so I added that, along with some toasted pecans, and feta cheese to some baby spinach and the berries. I made a simple vinaigrette using white balsamic vinegar and fresh basil. This lovely salad was light, healthy, delicious, and I really loved the flavors and textures. My daughter wasn’t a fan of the quinoa but the rest of us loved it.
How to Make a Berry Quinoa Spinach Salad with White Balsamic Basil Vinaigrette
Combine the vegetable oil, olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, basil, sugar, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste, together in a container. Whisk until well combined. Set aside to allow flavors to mingle.
Cook quinoa, per instructions. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Place the baby spinach and mixed greens into a large salad bowl. Add the blackberries, strawberries, feta cheese, cooled quinoa, and toasted pecans to the top. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper then drizzle with the white balsamic basil vinaigrette, to taste. Toss to coat evenly. Serve immediately. Enjoy.
Ingredients
- White Balsamic Basil Vinaigrette:
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp fresh basil chopped finely
- 1 tsp sugar
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
- Salad:
- ½ cup prepared quinoa cooled to room temperature
- 3 cups of baby spinach
- 1 cup of mixed greens
- Handful of strawberries halved
- Handful of blackberries
- 2 tbsp toasted pecans
- 1-2 tbsp feta
Instructions
- Combine the vegetable oil, olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, basil, sugar, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste, together in a container. Whisk until well combined. Set aside to allow flavors to mingle.
- Cook quinoa, per instructions. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Place the baby spinach and mixed greens into a large salad bowl. Add the blackberries, strawberries, feta cheese, cooled quinoa, and toasted pecans to the top. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper then drizzle with the white balsamic basil vinaigrette, to taste. Toss to coat evenly. Serve immediately. Enjoy.
It’s so pretty!
So colourful and delicious! I am too going to make some quinoa for the lunch.
Gorgeous salad!So fresh and healthy!
Love it! So much so we’ve included this in our Midweek Food and Cooking Inspiration – The Best in Food Blogging This Week post here https://www.corrchilled.co.uk/index.php?route=pavblog/blog&id=59 🙂
I love salads with berries and we all adore quinoa here – maybe your daughter will acquire the taste!
Mary
I just love berries in salads. They just scream, spring time! This looks delicious!
This has all the fixings of my favorite salad! I love berries and cheese together…and adding the quinoa is such a great way to make it a complete meal. I definitely need to remember that!
That looks so good! I love fruit in my salads. I’ve not yet bought any white balsamic vinegar – looks like a good recipe to try it with 🙂
A wonderful refreshing summer salad, but what I love best is the presentation. Very clever and a bit different.
What a colorful salad! So fresh and healthy!
It looks like a wonderful lunch, and so pretty, too!
Love the colors and flavors of this! What a striking looking salad, and so healthy. Perfect for this time of the year — thank you.
Those berries look gorgeous. What a delightful salad
Such a pretty combination Pam. I love salads like this and I love all the ingredients that you’ve included in your salad
I love quinoa bowls like this. I can eat quinoa all the time. So pretty and summery.
Perfect spring salad! I love some nice grains mixed in with my greens.
So pretty! I love white balsamic vinegar, it’s a beautifully refreshing alternative to the dark stuff. I bet it goes wonderfully with the berries.
those blackberries are so massive. this is a great combination–the quinoa is a very nice touch!
This salad looks amazing, Pam! It took,e a while to jump on the quinoa band wagon, but I finally did and I absolutely love it! This make a fabulous lunch or light dinner!
That’s my kind of salad! I love the juicy berries. They make salad eating much more fun!
Okay, maybe I am missing something. But…..what are we doing with the quinoa? It does not talk about mixing it with the greens, etc nor does it say anything about serving it at the same time as the salad.
You add the quinoa to the salad along with all of the other ingredients prior to tossing.
Pam
That is a great sounding sandwich Pam.