Strawberry Spinach Quinoa Salad

“Doesn’t this strawberry spinach quinoa salad look SO fresh and DELICIOUS guys!!??” Those were the exact words I said to Ted and Joey when I made this salad the other night. My guys looked at each other and exchanged THE look. What’s THE look between the Serbinski boys? The look at dinner usually means, “man I wish Mom made homemade pizza to go alongside this strawberry spinach quinoa salad.” Who am I kidding? They probably would have rather had the pizza in lieu of the salad and grilled chicken, but since I spend most days chasing two boys under two, Dad doesn’t complain much about the food I make. Joey? Well he has hasn’t quite gotten that memo yet but he’s learning.

I first made this strawberry spinach quinoa salad for myself a few weeks ago when I wanted something light and healthy for lunch. I didn’t try feeding it to Joey then; I wanted a relaxing moment during his nap where I could eat my lunch in peace and not run around picking up quinoa off my hardwood floor. But when I served it for dinner last week, he happily ate a few spoonfuls of the salad and picked out the strawberries when he realized that was an option too.

This salad makes a satisfying lunch or dinner option. I forgot to mention there’s a light balsamic vinaigrette that gets mixed in as well. Topped with grilled chicken or steak and you’ve got a complete, protein-packed meal. What’s also great is the salad can be kept at room temperature for an hour or two, so if you are headed to a BBQ, potluck, or picnic, this is a fresh crowd-pleasing dish to pass!

I shared this simple strawberry spinach quinoa salad over at my friend Kristen’s blog, Practical Mommy. What I love about Kristen and her writing is simply stated in her blog’s title: it’s PRACTICAL. And us moms need practical, real life short cuts to make our lives easier. Kristen shares just THAT!

So here’s to summer salads! And yes, next time I make this salad I’ll please the guys and serve it with pizza too. What a mom…. Am I right?!