• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
  • Book
  • Search

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • Recipe Index
  • Lifestyle

Elizabeth Rider

  • Classes
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Classes
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes

    Quinoa Party Salad (Perfect for a Crowd!)

    by Elizabeth Rider2 Comments

    If you need a simple yet delicious salad to bring to a gathering, this Quinoa Party Salad is for you.

    This summer party salad delivers! It’s simple with just a few ingredients and big on flavor. The flavor of the dressing is key, read more about that below.

    The measurements are pretty fluid but follow these basic guidelines. If you can, think ahead and prepare the quinoa ahead of time to use for other meals throughout the week. Cooked quinoa keeps in the refrigerator up to 5 days and you want it cold or room temperature for this salad.

    Apples are technically in season in Fall, but because of modern farming and distribution methods, fantastic apples are available year round. I find the pink lady variety especially good here. Fresh blueberries or blackberries also would be great in in this salad if you want to use a summer fruit.

    As far as the greens go, use whatever you have on hand or is a good price at the market. For this salad, I think tender greens like spinach, arugula or mixed greens make the best texture-wise.

    The recipe below makes one large party-size salad that makes a great side dish. It will keep in the refrigerator for about a day, so you can halve the size if making if just for one or two and get a few meals out of it. Add some organic chicken or hemp seeds for protein to make it more of a complete meal.

    summer party salad

    Spinach, Quinoa & Apple Salad (aka The Best Summer Party Salad)

    Total time: 10 to 30 minutes
    Serves 8-12

    • 3 cups loosely packed baby spinach
    • 3 cups loosely packed arugula (or 6 cups total of any mixed greens)
    • 1 ½ cups cooked quinoa, cooled
    • 1 large pink lady apple, chopped into ½ inch pieces
    • ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion (I like to use my vegetable peeler to make the onion finely shaved)
    • ¾ cup of "the perfect homemade balsamic vinaigrette"
    • optional: 4-6 ounces organic goat cheese, crumbled

    Recipe: Toss all salad ingredients in a large bowl, then toss with dressing. Sprinkle goat cheese if using and lightly toss one more time to coat.

    If preparing ahead, place all ingredients except the dressing and goat cheese in a large salad bowl and cover tightly plastic wrap. Refrigerate up to 4 hours. Toss all ingredients 10 minutes before the party starts.

    Enjoy!

    More Recipes

    • Cherry Chia Green Smoothie With Coconut Water
    • Simple Green Acai Smoothie Recipe
    • Sweet Tooth Cure: Chia Berry Green Protein Smoothie Recipe
    • Spicy Pomegranate & Ginger Smoothie Recipe

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ashley

      July 03, 2014 at 11:45 am

      sounds super yummy to me!
      🙂

      Reply
    2. Susan

      June 11, 2014 at 9:40 am

      This sounds delicious! I have all of the ingredients so I will make it today!

      Thank you!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Elizabeth! I'm an author & recipe developer with over a decade of experience bringing tried & true recipes to your kitchen. I created this site to be your go-to for healthy, fresh & flavorful food. Come for the recipes, and stick around for the updates and community.

    More about me →

    Free eBook

    Get 50 Healthy Recipes Now

    Subscribe now to get new recipes via email + my 50 Healthy Recipes ebook—for FREE!

      We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.

      Popular

      • Perfect Easy-to-Peel Hard-Boiled Eggs [The Trick!]
      • Easy Healthy Homemade Granola Recipe
      • Easy Healthy Fried Rice Recipe
      • How To Make Healthy Hot Chocolate
      • Anti-Inflammatory Turmeric Tea Recipe (Golden Milk)
      • How To Save A Smoothie For Later

      Footer

      ↑ back to top

      Recipes

      • Soup Recipes
      • Salad Recipes
      • Healing Recipes
      • Recipe Index

      Newsletter

      • Sign Up for emails and updates and get the 50 Healthy Recipes ebook plus a new recipe every week.

      About

      • Meet Elizabeth
      • Book
      • Contact
      • Student Login

      © 2022 ELIZABETH RIDER INTERNATIONAL, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. | TERMS & PRIVACY

      Get the Top 50 Healthy Recipes eBook sent straight to your inbox—for FREE!
      You'll also get my weekly recipe updates, and can easily change your preferences at any time.
      Success!
      Check your inbox now and download your free ebook to make sure you always have an awesome recipe on deck.
      TAP OR CLICK TO CLOSE