Spring Quinoa Salad with Artichokes, Feta, and Asparagus

Hi friends! Happy humpday! Looking for a booty workout? Check out this one; it’s one of my very faves. I hope you’re enjoying the week so far! Anyone else watch This Is Us last night? SO good, but I’m so sad we have to wait a while until returns.

We’re definitely back in the swing of life over here after our awesome Vegas vacay. As usual, we jumped back in with both feet, and it feels good to be back in the routine of the girls’ classes and lessons, teaching fitness classes, and catching up on work stuff. It also feels good to eat some home-cooked food! When we travel, I try to stick to one indulgent meal each day and go for my normal eats 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 of the fantastic entree and dessert options.  

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 pretty much empty, and I ended up eating coconut milk salted caramel ice cream for lunch. Still in Vegas mode. I was finally able to replenish the fridge last night, and created this little on-the-fly salad with some of the new grocery stash. 

This salad is perfect for any upcoming spring parties or picnics, and includes two of the “great A’s”: artichokes and asparagus. It has bright lemon flavors from the lemon juice + zest, and since it’s quinoa-based, it’s study enough to last a few days in the fridge so you can make it in advance! I made it as part of this week’s meal prep (along with some grilled chicken, amazeballs, and protein baked oatmeal) so I could easily eat it alone on top of salad greens or with grilled chicken or tuna for an easy lunch.

This salad is filling and satisfying, plus it’s gluten-free. Vegan friends can omit the feta, or add in their favorite vegan cheese, for a vegan option

Plus it’s one of those, “toss everything in a bowl and forget about it” kinda recipes, which means I’m a fan. 

Here’s the recipe if you’d like to give it a try!

 

Spring quinoa salad with asparagus and artichokes

2018-03-14 06:39:31

Yields 6

A bright and savory spring salad you can make in advance for parties, or as part of weekly meal prep! Gluten-free + easy vegan option

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Prep Time

20 min

Prep Time

20 min

Ingredients

1. 1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and cooked according to package directions. (Let it cool a bit before assembling the salad so the cheese doesn't melt)
2. 4 oz feta
3. 1 bunch of asparagus, washed and chopped into fourths
4. 1 jar of marinated arti chokes, quartered (12 oz)
5. 1 lemon; zest and juice
6. 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
7. Fresh basil for garnish
8. 2 tablespoons olive oil
9. Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. 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. 2. Add the asparagus to the quinoa, along with the lemon juice, zest, garlic powder, olive oil, feta, and artichokes. Mix well, then season well with salt and pepper.
3. 3. Top with fresh chopped basil.

Notes

1. This tastes amazing the day you make it, but even better the next day! Keep covered in the fridge for 3-5 days.

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What’s your favorite spring salad combo? Another one of my very favorite recipes for this time of year is here! It’s Uncle Eric’s best pasta salad ever, which is always a hit.

Have a wonderful morning and I’ll see ya soon!

xo

Gina

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