Quinoa & Avocado Spinach Salad
Content
About Me
This is the perfect salad for summer. Super easy and you can prepare it the day before and add the dressing just before serving. Including beans in the mix makes it a compete meal so it's a great grab and go meal that you can easily store in a mason jar for easy transport in your portable cooler. Depending on how much you use will determine if 2 avocados are needed. Start with 1 and add more if there will be more than 4 servings.
This easy salad is so versatile you can spice it up with your own spin and create your own version.
Quinoa & Avocado Spinach Salad*
Prep Time ~ 15-20 minutes
Servings ~ 4 main or 6-8 side salads
Salad Ingredients
2 cups cup cooked quinoa
1 15 oz can garbanzo beans or beans of choice rinsed & drained
2 cups spinach chopped
1 cup red or green bell pepper chopped
1-2 cucumbers chopped (peeled is optional but we leave ours on)
1 medium red onion chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro minced
1-2 large avocados chopped
Optional
1 cup precooked chicken sliced, chopped or shredded
1 carton grape tomatoes cut in half
1/4-1/2 cup chopped artichoke arts
1/2 chopped pickled asparagus
1/2 cup chopped olives of choice
Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing
1/2 cup extra virgin oil
4 tbsps red wine vinegar
2+ tbsps dijon mustard
2-3 cloves garlic minced
2 tbsps fresh lemon juice (1 medium lemon)
salt & pepper to taste
Optional
1/2 - 1 whole jalapeno seeded and minced (add more kick;-)
Garnishes
feta or sheep cheese crumbles
1/4 cup cilantro chopped
dash cayenne
dash red pepper
Preparation
~after the quinoa has cooked let it cool
~mix the veggies together in a large bowl together with the cooled quinoa.
~mix the red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, garlic, salt & pepper adding the the olive oil & fresh lemon juice slowly while briskly whisking together.
~toss the salad with the dressing upon serving & add the avocado slices or cubes, cheese crumbles & cilantro if desired on top.**
**note - if saving some for leftovers it's best not to toss with the dressing until it's time to eat.
*Please use organic ingredients when available.
Samantha McConnell
About Me
My passion about health started in my teens when I first hand saw the effects of how illness can wreck havoc in a family growing up with parents who had serious health issues. I too struggled with losing weight & developed an eating disorder that I was able to heal by educating myself on healthier habits. Itās amazing what our bodies can do when we learn to take care of them like God intended. These experiences & challenges fueled my passion to be a life long student in pursuit of learning how to create healthier lifestyles where one can thrive at their optimal best. As a mother of 3 children & a wife of a traveling husband, I quickly learned how to implement healthy habits on the go so that I could be my healthy best for my family. This has evolved into my health coaching business Thriving With Health where I coach people to integrate simple & fun healthy 'bitesā throughout their day even on their most busiest & challenging ones. You are never too busy to take care of your health & I can show you how. Everyone has busy lifestyles and living at their optimum best is not only doable but can be fun as well!
