In this Dill Quinoa Salad, bright green spring vegetables like asparagus and peas do most of the talking. But creamy dill dressing, quinoa and jammy eggs make this salad filling enough for dinner. Leftovers make for an easy lunch (a healthy lunch, too!) and this salad is great served warm or cold.
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A sunny spring day always energizes me. I find myself randomly deep-cleaning the pantry or (mostly) contentedly cleaning all the bathrooms… throwing open windows in all the bedrooms, that sort of thing.
Those sunny spring days also make me crave fresh flavors. And that’s where the inspiration for this spring salad comes from. In addition to hearty quinoa, we’re adding loads of fresh flavor with spinach, green peas and asparagus. Then we’re going to coat it all in a creamy, cheesy dill dressing and serve it with warm, jammy eggs. It’s healthy and nutritious, but also rich and decadent. This meal would be a wonderful main dish for a weekend lunch and it would also be a great side dish to a Mother’s Day celebration, picnic or backyard BBQ.
Ingredients for This Recipe
- Dill Dressing: A twist on a classic Caesar salad dressing, this creamy, eggless dressing is packed with umami goodness and fresh dill. It’s got parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice, dijon mustard, garlic cloves, and Worcestershire sauce. If you don’t have any fresh dill on hand, you can substitute with 2 teaspoons of dried dill or any of your other favorite herbs. Make this as part of meal prep on the weekend to save yourself some time.
- White Quinoa: Quinoa is actually a seed in the amaranth family. Considered a whole grain, this heart-healthy, nutrient powerhouse is packed with folate, magnesium, zinc and iron. You can learn more about quinoa in this WebMD article.
- Asparagus, Peas and Spinach: Our spring medley of green, fresh veggies. It sounds unexciting, but in this recipe we’re simply blanching everything in salted, boiling water. I start with the asparagus and then add in frozen peas and finally add the baby spinach only when I’m ready to dig it all out with a fine meshed colander. Full disclosure: I usually make this salad with tatsoi, a member of the bok choy family that has small, spinach-like leaves, mostly because I grow it and have it readily available to me.
- Eggs: There is something magic about watching the golden yellow yolk of a jammy egg (or soft-boiled egg) sort of spill out over the salad as you mix it together on your plate. Or, like my 2-year-old, you can drink the yolk. Not a fan of jammy eggs? Simply cook them for 2-3 minutes longer.
- Parmesan Cheese: I like adding a few ribbons of fresh parmesan to the top of this salad. It is 100% optional, but as my 12-year old likes to say, “More chezz plezz.”
How to Make This Quinoa Salad Recipe
- Make the dressing. First make this creamy dill salad dressing in a small bowl.
- Prepare the quinoa. Quinoa contains a bitter coating called saponin, so you’ll need to place your quinoa in a very fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold water for 1 or 2 minutes. Then place into a medium pot with water and salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat to medium-low for 15 minutes. Cook, uncovered, until quinoa has absorbed all of the water, approximately 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat, cover and let rest for 5 minutes and then fluff with a fork.
- Prepare the greens. Fill a saucepan with 6 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of salt. Bring to a boil. Add asparagus. Set a timer for 1:30 minutes. When the timer goes off, add frozen peas and cook for an additional minute. Then, add spinach and cook for no more than 30 seconds or until wilted. Transfer greens to a colander, reserving water to cook eggs.
- Cook eggs. Bring water back to a boil. Carefully lower eggs into the water using a spoon. Cook for 6 minutes for soft-boiled eggs or 8 minutes for hard-boiled eggs. Transfer eggs to an ice bath and for easy peeling, peel in the cool water. Set aside until ready to assemble salad.
- Assemble the dill quinoa salad. Let quinoa come to room temperature. In a large bowl, combine quinoa and greens. Toss with dressing. Taste, add salt and fresh lemon juice to taste. Cut eggs in half and arrange over the salad. If desired, use a vegetable peeler to shave parmesan to garnish. Also optional: sprinkle with a few green onions to make everything pop!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to a week.
If you like this recipe, try…
- Grilled Romaine Lettuce Greek Salad
- Swiss Chard Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette and Garlic Breadcrumbs
- Roasted Beet and Cucumber Salad
📖 Recipe
Dill Quinoa Salad
In this Dill Quinoa Salad, bright green spring vegetables like asparagus and peas do most of the talking. But creamy dill dressing, quinoa and jammy eggs make this salad filling enough for dinner. Leftovers make for an easy, healthy lunch and this salad is great served warm or cold.
Ingredients
- 1 recipe for creamy dill dressing
- 1 cup quinoa rinsed
- 1 lb asparagus cut into roughly 2 inch pieces
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 cups baby spinach (or tatsoi, chopped)
- 5 eggs
- Shaved parmesan optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Make the dressing. First make this creamy dill salad dressing in a small bowl.
- Prepare the quinoa. Quinoa contains a bitter coating called saponin, so you’ll need to place your quinoa in a very fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold water for 1 or 2 minutes. Then place into a medium pot with water and ½ teaspoon salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat to medium-low for 15 minutes. Cook, uncovered, until quinoa has absorbed all of the water, approximately 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat, cover and let rest for 5 minutes and then fluff with a fork.
- Prepare the greens. Fill a saucepan with 6 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of salt. Bring to a boil. Add asparagus. Set a timer for 1:30 minutes. When the timer goes off, add frozen peas and cook for an additional minute. Then, add spinach and cook for no more than 30 seconds or until wilted. Transfer greens to a colander, reserving water to cook eggs.
- Cook eggs. Bring water back to a boil. Carefully lower eggs into the water using a spoon. Cook for 6 minutes for soft-boiled eggs or 8 minutes for hard-boiled eggs. Transfer eggs to an ice bath and for easy peeling, peel in the cool water. Set aside until ready to assemble salad.
- Assemble the salad. Let quinoa come to room temperature. In a large bowl, combine quinoa and greens. Toss with dressing. Taste, add salt and fresh lemon juice to taste. Cut eggs in half and arrange over the salad. If desired, use a vegetable peeler to shave parmesan to garnish. Also optional: sprinkle with a few green onions to make everything pop!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to a week.
Notes
Taste before serving and adjust seasoning to personal preference (lemon, salt, and pepper)
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
