Hello friends! Happy hump! Looking for a booty workout? Check this one out; it’s one of my very favorites. Hope you’re enjoying the week so far!
Spring quinoa salad with artichokes, feta cheese and asparagus
When I first wrote this post, we had just returned from an awesome vacation in Vegas. It’s been so good to get back into the flow of things and back into the routine of classes and the girls’ lessons, teaching fitness classes and covering work. Also, it felt good to eat some home cooked food! When we travel I try to stick to one enjoyable meal every day and go for my regular meals for the most part, but Vegas is a little different. It was easy for me to make healthy choices for breakfast, but you definitely have to take advantage of all the fantastic options for entrees and desserts. 😉
I was also like, “I can’t wait to eat a vegetable when we get back,” but then I looked in our fridge, it was almost empty, and I ended up having salted coconut milk caramel ice cream for lunch. I guess I was still in Vegas mode. 😉 Once I was finally able to restock the fridge, I created this little on-the-fly salad with some of the new grocery stock.
This salad is perfect for any upcoming spring party or picnic and features two of the “super A’s”: artichokes and asparagus. It has fresh, zesty, bright lemon flavors from the lemon juice + zest, and because it’s quinoa-based, it’s sturdy enough to last a few days in the fridge to make ahead! I made this as part of this week’s meal prep (along with some roast chicken, amazeballs and baked oatmeal) so I could easily eat it on its own over salad greens or with roast chicken or tuna for an easy lunch .
This salad is hearty and filling, plus it’s gluten-free. Vegan friends can omit the feta cheese or add their favorite vegan cheese, for a vegan option
Plus, it’s one of those throw-it-all-in-a-bowl-and-forget-it recipes, which means I’m a fan.
How to make a quinoa salad
- Always rinse quinoa for about a minute in a mesh strainer before cooking
- Rinsing removes the phytic acid that makes quinoa harder to digest for some people
- Rinsing also removes the bitter taste
- For perfectly fluffy quinoa, use 1 3/4 cups of water for every 1 cup of quinoa
- This salad is just as delicious with roasted vegetables (roasted asparagus and artichokes instead of raw)
- This salad goes great with light appetizers like grilled salmon, shrimp, tuna, or chicken
- Feel free to mix in other ingredients like red onion, peas, fresh herbs or lean meat
Spring quinoa salad with asparagus and artichokes
A bright and savory spring salad that you can make ahead for parties or as part of your weekly meal prep! Gluten free + easy vegan option
- Preparation time: 20
- Total time: 20 minutes
- Production efficiency: 6 1X
- 1 1/2 fl quinoa, rinse and cook according to package directions. (Let it cool a bit before assembling the salad so the cheese doesn’t melt)
- 4 oz feta cheese
- 1 bunch of asparagus, washed and cut fourths
- 1 jar marinated arti chokes, quartered (12 oz)
- 1 lemon; zest and juice
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- Fresh basil for garnish
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the asparagus and boil for 2-3 minutes, then rinse with cold water.
- 2. Add the asparagus to the quinoa, along with the lemon juice, zest, garlic powder, olive oil, feta and artichokes. Mix well and then season well with salt and pepper.
- 3. Sprinkle with fresh chopped basil.
Notes
- It tastes amazing the day you make it, but even better the next day! It is kept covered in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
What is your favorite spring salad combination? Another one of my very favorite recipes for this time of year is here! It’s Uncle Eric’s Best Pasta Salad that’s always been a hit.
Have a great morning and see you soon!
xo
Gina
