My goal for Mother’s Day dinner was to create a menu that was healthy, nutrient-dense, and suuuuuuper flavorful. We’d already decided on grilled marinated chicken (faux chicken for me) as the protein, and a chia pudding for the dessert, but needed something to round out the meal. My original plan was to serve a small side salad and another side dish, but ultimately decided that an awesome big salad can easily be two dishes in one!!
I love love love how flavorful this salad is. It’s sweet, savory, tangy, a little salty…. some might say it’s like a party in your mouth. We made this for Sunday dinner, but we bought the huge Costco container of organic spinach, so guess what I’ve been eating for lunch the last few days? Yep. No complaints, it’s SO good!
I will caution you MyFitnessPal’ers that, as salads go, this one is a little high in calories – avocados, EVOO, feta, and pecans are a powerful combo on that front- but it’s so worth it. These are healthy fats and nutrient dense foods, so while you might have to cut out the whip on your morning latte, you can feel good in knowing that you replaced it with something super good for you. (If I haven’t convinced you, try adjusting the ratio of vinegar to EVOO in the dressing, or only using one avocado.)
Strawberry Avocado Quinoa Spinach Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Print recipe
Ingredients
Spinach Salad
- 8 cups baby spinach
- 2 cups strawberries (sliced)
- 2 avocados (diced)
- 3/4 cups cooked quinoa
- 1/4 cups pecans (chopped and toasted)
- 1/4 cups feta cheese
Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cups balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cups red wine vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Directions
| Spinach Salad | |
| Toss together all ingredients. Serve with vinaigrette on the side, allowing guests to dress to their taste. Serves 4 for dinner salads or 6 for side salads. | |
| Balsamic Vinaigrette | |
| Whisk together all ingredients. Allow to sit for 20 minutes. | |
| Adapted from Damn Delicious Recipe and photos from Mayhem in the Kitchen! https://mayheminthekitchen.com/avocado-strawberry-quinoa-salad | |
This is a beautiful salad that we are going to make for our dieting group, the avocados are incredible in this recipe. A little goes a long way with avocadoes, it is a wonderful food.