Hi friends! Happy Hump Day! Looking for glute exercises? Check this out; this is one of my favorites. I hope you’re having a great week so far!
Spring Quinoa Salad with Artichokes, Feta and Asparagus
When I first wrote this, we had just returned from an amazing vacation in Las Vegas. It’s great to be back to normal life, back to the girls’ daily routine, teaching fitness classes and catching up on work. It feels good to have some home-cooked food! When we travel I try to stick to one big meal every day and eat normal food most of the time, but Las Vegas is a little different. Making healthy breakfast choices is easy for me, but you absolutely have to take advantage of all the wonderful entree and dessert options. 😉
I also thought, “I can’t wait to eat veggies when we get back,” but then I looked in our refrigerator and it was almost empty, and I ended up having coconut milk salted caramel ice cream for lunch. I guess I’m still in Vegas mode. 😉 Once I was finally able to replenish the contents of my refrigerator, I made this little instant salad using some new grocery store stash.
Perfect for any upcoming spring party or picnic, this salad includes the two “A’s of greatness”: artichokes and asparagus. It has a fresh, delicious, and bright lemon flavor from the lemon juice and zest, and since it’s quinoa-based, it’s sturdy enough to keep in the refrigerator for a few days, so you can make it ahead of time! I made it part of my meal prep for the week (along with some grilled chicken, maze balls, and protein baked oatmeal) so I could easily eat it on its own over salad greens or with grilled chicken or tuna, Serve as a light lunch.
This salad is hearty, satisfying, and gluten-free.Vegan friends can omit the feta cheese or add their favorite vegan cheese for a vegetarian option
Plus, it’s one of those, “throw everything in a bowl and forget about it” kind of recipes, which means I’m a fan of it.
How to Make Quinoa Salad
- Be sure to rinse the quinoa through a fine mesh strainer for about a minute before cooking
- Flushing removes phytic acid, which can make quinoa harder to digest for some people
- Rinsing can also remove the bitter taste
- For perfectly fluffy quinoa, use 1 3/4 cups water per 1 cup of quinoa
- This salad is delicious with grilled veggies (grilled asparagus and artichokes instead of raw)
- This salad pairs perfectly with light entrees like grilled salmon, shrimp, tuna or chicken
- Feel free to mix in other ingredients like red onions, peas, fresh herbs or lean meat
Spring Quinoa Salad with Asparagus and Artichokes
A bright and delicious spring salad you can make ahead for parties or as part of your weekly meal prep!Gluten-free + easy vegetarian options
- Preparation time: 20
- total time: 20 minutes
- yield: 6 1X
- 1 1/2 cups Quinoa, rinse and cook according to package directions. (Allow it to cool before preparing the salad so the cheese doesn’t melt)
- 4 oz feta cheese
- 1 A bunch of asparagus, washed and chopped Fourthat
- 1 A jar of marinated ati minced meat, cut into quarters (12 ounces)
- 1 lemon; zest and juice
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Fresh basil for garnish
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add asparagus and cook for 2-3 minutes, then rinse with cold water.
- 2. Add the asparagus to the quinoa and add the lemon juice, zest, garlic powder, olive oil, feta cheese and artichokes. Stir well and season with salt and pepper.
- 3. Top with chopped fresh basil.
notes
- It tastes great the day you make it, but it tastes even better the next day! Cover and store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
What’s your favorite spring salad combo? Another of my favorite recipes this time of year is right here! This is Uncle Eric’s best pasta salad ever and always a hit.
Have a nice morning and I’ll see you soon!
Western Europe
Gina