This healthy quinoa bowl with spinach, feta and strawberries is as beautiful to look at as it is to eat! It makes a complete meal in a bowl. With nutritious greens and vibrant fruits, this quinoa power bowl makes an easy dinner or satisfying lunch. Make it today and then save this idea for a Mother's Day Brunch!
❤️ Why this quinoa power bowl recipe works
- We all know we eat with our eyes first, right? The intense colours in this beautiful healthy quinoa bowl invite us to dive right in!
- This power bowl has an appealing balance of sweet fruit, salty feta cheese and tangy red onions. A slightly sweet poppy seed dressing makes the perfect accompaniment, adding a little texture, too.
- This quinoa salad is a meatless meal. It totally satisfies!
- It makes either a delicious, nutritious lunch or a quick healthy easy dinner.
I'm having a renewed relationship with quinoa.
I was thinking ahead to Easter and considering the treats I might make when I remembered these Healthier Chocolate Quinoa Cupcakes. I had completely forgotten about how good they are!
Those got me thinking about quinoa and what a versatile source of protein it is. It's great for breakfast, in a salad like this Quinoa Black Bean Salad with Peaches, in desserts, and even in healthy snacks like this quinoa chocolate bark.
One of my favourite ways to use it is is this Quinoa Bowl along with fresh sweet strawberries, mango, avocado and red onion, all on a bed of baby spinach.
Drizzled with either poppy seed dressing, Everyday Honey Citrus Salad Dressing, Mayo-Free Green Goddess Dressing or my favourite Hollyhock Nutritional Yeast Salad Dressing, it makes a complete meal in a bowl.
Quinoa bowl ingredients and possible substitutions
- quinoa: Cook it and let it cool while you're slicing and chopping the rest of the ingredients.
- spinach: Fresh, baby spinach leaves form the bed for this healthy bowl of yum!
- mango: I often use an Ataulfo mango in this nutritious bowl. Ataulfos are sweet and juicy, but they don't have the strings that get caught in your teeth like the other varieties.
- strawberries: Fresh strawberries add colour, sweetness, and nutrition! Low in calories, strawberries are nutritional powerhouses, containing good sources of Vitamin C, fiber and more.
- avocado: Avocados provide a healthy amount of monounsaturated fat which may be helpful in lowering cholesterol. Health benefits aside, avocado adds a creamy texture element to this power bowl as well as a satisfying amount of healthy fat.
- red onion: Gives a hint of spicy contrast to the sweet berries and mango. If you find red onions are too spicy for you, you can soften their "bite" by soaking the slices in water for about 30 minutes.
- feta cheese: Adds a salty element that complements the sweet fruit and makes this as interesting to eat as it is to make! Substitute goat cheese, blue cheese or vegan feta cheese, if you'd like.
- lime and cilantro: give your quinoa a good squeeze of fresh lime juice and add a little chopped cilantro for extra flavour!
🔪 Instructions
Here's a quick summary of what you'll do to make this nutritious quinoa salad. You'll find complete instructions with amounts in the recipe card below.
- Start by cooking the quinoa on the stovetop. Once it's cooked, spread it out on a baking sheet so that it cools quickly.
- While it's cooling, combine the salad dressing ingredients.
- Next, arrange the washed and dried spinach leaves in the bottom of a shallow bowl. Slice the fruit and red onion, then arrange it however you like on top of the spinach.
- When you're ready to serve, add a simple dressing and toss it all together!
👍🏼 Helpful Tips to make the best quinoa power bowl
How to slice a mango: Have you tried the "drinking glass method" for slicing a mango? I find it's the easiest way to get perfect slices which I can then cut into cubes if I need to. Watch this video that describes How to Cut a Mango on YouTube.
How to store a power bowl: Cover and refrigerate leftovers or make this into a Mason-jar salad for your lunch! Layer the ingredients in a jar, starting with the quinoa. Next, add the red onion, sliced fruits, avocado and feta.
Top the jar with spinach leaves a little chopped cilantro and pack a slice or two of lime to squeeze into your salad bowl for a finishing touch! You can either add the dressing the night before or carry it separately.
Quinoa is a healthy gluten-free protein
If you haven't cooked quinoa for a while, you may want to give it another try! Besides being gluten-free, quinoa is an excellent source of protein, containing all essential amino acids. Quinoa is a seed, not a grain, making it perfect for those on a grain-free diet.
It's nutritious, it's a snap to cook, and it has a delicious nutty taste that adds flavour and texture to any dinner bowl or salad.
When you make this healthy quinoa bowl, please leave a comment and a star rating. I love hearing when you've made one of my recipes. Thanks in advance! Subscribe to my newsletter and have new recipes delivered to your inbox once a week.
This recipe has been updated with new information and photos. The recipe has been tweaked.
📖 Recipe
Healthy Quinoa Bowl with Spinach and Strawberries
Ingredients
- ½ cup dry quinoa
- 1 large mango, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 large avocado, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
- 4 large ( or 8 small) strawberries, thinly sliced
- ¼ medium red onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 4 cups baby spinach leaves, washed and dried
- ½ medium lime, sliced, for garnish
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, for garnish
Poppy Seed Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil extra virgin
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
- ¼ teaspoon each sea salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cook ½ cup quinoa in 1 cup water. Spread out on a baking sheet to cool.
- Combine the dressing ingredients in a small jar with a lid, or in a blender. Set aside to allow the flavours to blend.
- Arrange the washed and dried spinach leaves in each of two shallow bowls. Top with the remaining ingredients, arranging attractively.
- Drizzle with Poppy Seed Dressing just before serving.
Alexandra | Occasionally Eggs
I saw that first picture and my jaw dropped! All my favourite things in one bowl - what a perfect recipe! I've never thought to incorporate mango into my quinoa bowls but I will be now.
kathi @ laughingspatula
The drinking glass hack is the bomb! And yes, having a renewed love of Quinoa myself...hoping the trend isn't over yet! I think farro is up next?
Inci @Bella's Apron
That salad looks amazing! Such beautiful colors!
Flavour & Savour
Thanks, Bella!