Spinach Quinoa Salad with Roasted Grapes, Pears, & Almonds
Caleb has decided he doesn’t need to nap anymore. Ok, I will give him a little credit, he usually falls asleep for 20-30 minutes, but then he is wide awake and ready to play. I admire his energy, but it makes it difficult for mama to get things done. My work and personal time are very limited these days…and that includes my lunch time. I try to keep my lunches simple because I never know how much time I will have to cook or eat. This Spinach Quinoa Salad with Roasted Grapes, Pears, & Almonds is a new staple lunch for me. It is healthy, easy to make, and satisfying.
I fell in love with roasted grapes when I made this Roasted Grape, Blue Cheese, & Honey Crostini during the holidays. They are so good and I loved them in this salad. To make the salad, I roasted a pan of grapes and pears that I drizzled with honey. While the fruit was roasting, I cooked up some quinoa to add some hearty substance and protein to the salad. I also chopped up some almonds for a little protein, crunch, and heart healthy fat. I combined all of the ingredients in a pretty little bowl and whisked together a simple Lemon-Honey salad dressing to finish off my salad. It was the perfect lunch and I managed to make and eat most of it while Caleb was sleeping, he sat on my lap for the last few bites:)
I made enough salad so I would have leftovers and this salad was just as tasty the next day. Every day is an adventure with our little guy, but that is all part of the fun. He keeps me going and I love our time together. I do appreciate the days when I can sit down and enjoy a Spinach Quinoa Salad with Roasted Grapes, Pears, & Almonds. I need the nourishment to keep up with our sweet pea. He is a little Energizer bunny:)
Spinach Quinoa Salad with Roasted Grapes, Pears, & Almonds
Yield: Serves 4
Spinach salad with quinoa, roasted grapes, pears, almonds, and a simple Lemon-Honey dressing. This salad is great for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients:
2 cups red seedless grapes
2 large Bartlett pears, chopped
1 tablespoon honey
2 cups water
Pinch of sea salt
1 cup quinoa,rinsed and drained
8 cups fresh spinach
1/2 cup chopped almondsFor the Lemon-Honey Dressing:
2 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepperDirections:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine grapes and pears in a small bowl. Drizzle with honey and stir until fruit is well coated. Place fruit on a large greased baking sheet. Roast fruit for 15-20 minutes, or until grapes are slightly shriveled and pears are soft.
2. While the fruit is roasting, cook the quinoa. In a large pot, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Season water with a pinch of sea salt. Stir in quinoa and cook until water is evaporated and quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes. Pour quinoa into a medium bowl and fluff with a fork. Let cool to room temperature.
3. To make the Lemon-Honey Dressing: combine olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, close, and shake until well combined.
4. In a salad bowl, combine spinach, roasted grapes, pears, quinoa, and chopped almonds. Drizzle salad dressing over salad and toss until coated.
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the roasted fruit sounds perfect..I’m the only blogger yet now who hasn’t roasted grapes even after your other/older post on doing it…I have to try it now.
And isn’t it the worst when they sleep for 20 mins, just long enough to drift off and think they dont need a nap…that’s why I hated car rides home from places 20 mins away. Those car rides blew proper naptime out the window!
What a lovely combination of flavours!
Love adding grapes to salad- this looks wonderful!
Oh man! Teething seems to reset everything
. Gorgeous lunch. Im a fan of grapes in salads-the sweetness does so much!!
I never would have thought to roast grapes! What a fantastic idea!
This sounds lovely. I adore roasted grapes in salad and can’t wait to try this!
i wish there was a way that people (or babies) who don’t want naps could pass their naptime privileges on to others…i’ll totally take caleb’s naps!
I have Quinoa on my grocery list for next month and am keeping my eye out for different ways to use it. Yours looks so good. A must try in my book:)
I love quinoa on salads. It gives it that little extra protein punch without adding meat! This salad looks great!
This salad looks beautiful and absolutely delicious, too.
Another great looking quinoa recipe! And, I love that it can be a quick lunch to grab, too! Judah takes a great 3-4 hour afternoon nap, so I’m lucky. But, I’ve been unmotivated at getting creative with our lunches each day.
I’m sure many mommies have given you advice (some welcomed and some unwanted) but I have followed the book “Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child” since Judah was born and I truly believe it is responsible for making him such a great napper/bedtime sleeper. Many friends recommended it to me. And, when I say I “followed” the book, I mean I didn’t read it cover to cover. I just flipped through it and read the sections that pertained to his age at that time… still do.
Anyhow, the quinoa is beautiful!
What a beautiful salad! I love that bowl you served it in too.
I’ve never roasted grapes before and I have to say that I’m intrigued. Quinoa makes such a great base for a salad that is filling and delicious. You just wait until that little man is on the move………..watch out!!
Oh welcome to mommyhood girl! haha This salad looks wonderful, i do not eat quinoa enough! Will have to try this
This salad looks marvelous, Maria! I have only roasted grapes once, but I loved them, and I’m glad to see another great application for roasted grapes here. I hope your beautiful, healthy salad helps keep your energy levels up as you take care of your little Energizer bunny!
Thank you so much for the link love, too!
My baby has been like that too lately! It is ridiculously hard to get anything done. I make this type of salad a lot but I just throw
the grapes and apples in. I will have to try it with roasted grapes. Thanks for the beautiful recipe! And hope baby will start to sleep again for you!
Holy yum! Roasted grapes… *SWOON*
Your salad looks and sounds amazing! I would never of thought of roasting grapes, great idea!!
Love that you added almonds. Love a good crunch in salad!
You can never have too many quinoa salad recipes. And roasted grapes? They are amazing. Great combination!
Awwww, sweet little bebeeee.
This salad looks PIMP.
Roasted grapes, yum! My boys were never big nappers either.
This is yet another reminder that I really need to try the roasted grape thing. Looks absolutely delicious!
Love it! And perfect for a lunch pack!
What a lovely salad with tons of great flavor pairings! Thanks for sharing.
Roasted grapes seem to be the key for a busy mum!
This recipe looks fabulous. So colorful … plus Quinoa is such a wonder food! I am going to have Curt try it out and give it a a”shout out” on our dancingcarrots.com Thanks Maria!
Hey guys! I would like to pass on to you the Versatile Blogger Award! You two are wonderful at what you do and I am happy to share the award with you! In terms of your post – I love using fruit in salads for the textural elements and to add a nice sweetness. Beautiful photographs and recipe!
This salad is beautiful. I love that combination of flavors. Roasted grapes are delicious. Thanks for sharing.
i’m always looking for new salad ideas–this sounds like an awesome one!
Looks delicious. I still have to try the roasted grapes!
I hope this napping/non-napping phase goes by quickly for you! Sammy was a great napper, Gina however not so much…it can get frustrating!
What a nice lunch to treat yourself to! I have never roasted grapes, I’m crazy. Need to try this!
This is the perfect meal for Ash Wednesday! Thanks for posting a meatless, flourless, sugarless, and butterless meal that looks AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS. You have quite the talent! Good luck during this new stage of sleeplessness!
spinach and quinoa, two of my favorites
Welcome to mother-hood
each moment is truly special, savour each second. For a quick lunch, this is perfect. I love the combination of flavours and textures. This would be great to even take to work tomorrow for lunch – - yumm!
this is so my kind of salad!!
Yummy! I love hearty and healthy salads like this!
This is a perfect salad. I love all of the combinations of textures and flavors. Well-done!!
The roasted fruit in this salad sounds wonderful! I love quinoa salad and experimenting with different mix-ins!