Up your salad game with this apricot and feta quinoa salad, tossed in a lemon curry dressing. Loaded with sweet and savory flavors, this vegetarian salad is also very nutritious and naturally gluten-free. Enjoy as is, or pack it up to make a salad jar!
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Directly inspired from my Curried Apricot Quinoa Salad Jar, this wonderful salad had to have its own recipe, scaled to four servings (rather than two as stated in the Salad Jar version). I’ve been making it for years, and every time it’s a big hit among whoever tries it.
Yet, the recipe is super simple, packed with nutritious ingredients, and absolutely delicious! So, make yourself a favor and go grab these gorgeous dried apricots, cook up some quinoa, and get ready to add some sunshine into your meal.
Apricot and feta quinoa salad is:
- Loaded with sweet and savory flavors ✔
- Healthy and nutritious ✔
- 100% Vegetarian ✔
- Naturally gluten-free ✔
- Also available in a mason jar version ✔
Ingredients for apricot and feta quinoa salad
- Quinoa. This is the grain used in the recipe. It’s vegetarian, nutritious, and a great source of protein. You can cook it up to a few days in advance if needed.
- Dried apricots. They are the sweet addition to the salad, bringing some summer flavors, Moroccan-style, or almost. Don’t have dried apricots? Replace with raisins, cranberries, or other dried fruits of choice.
- Feta cheese. Alternatively, you could also use fresh goat cheese (crumbled) too.
- Sliced almonds. They add some crunchiness to the salad, don’t skip them (unless of course you don’t like them or are allergic). Almonds also work very well with apricots!
- Baby spinach. It’s the green touch of the salad. It’s good for you and I promise it will be delicious in the salad as well, once tossed with the other ingredients and the dressing.
A subtle lemon curry dressing
The lemon-curry dressing is the little something that takes the salad to the next level, with slightly spicy flavors and some refreshing lemony flavors. Here’s what you need to make it:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Apple cider vinegar
- Fresh lemon juice
- Dijon mustard
- Curry powder
How to make this apricot quinoa salad?
- First, you will need to cook the quinoa and allow it to cool.
- Then, you can add dried apricots, feta and red onions to the quinoa.
- Add the baby spinach, and mix.
- Prepare the curry dressing, pour over the ingredients, and toss well.
Easy ingredient swaps and recipe variations
This apricot and feta quinoa salad is delicious just as it is. But like for any salad recipe, I like to have options and be able to play with the ingredients depending on what I have at hands. Find below a few suggestions, but feel free to try your own version and give me your feedback!
- You can replace the quinoa with couscous, and the recipe will look like this incredible vegetarian tagine I’m obsessed about, although it will be served cold.
- Instead of feta cheese, use fresh goat cheese, or if you’re into stronger flavors blue cheese!
- The sliced almonds can be replaced with toasted pistachios (they pair very well with apricots), but you could also use toasted hazelnuts.
- Dried apricots can be replaced with raisins, pitted dates or dried figs. Fresh apricots work too when in season!
- A few other possible add-ons: avocado slices, chickpeas, or arugula would also go perfectly in this salad.
- And if you’re not into spicy food, just skip the curry in the dressing!
Storing instructions
Ideally it’s best to eat the salad the same day, once all the ingredients are tossed and combined with the dressing. Leftovers can keep in the refrigerator up to two days.
If you plan to make the salad ahead of time, I recommend you store the quinoa-apricot-feta salad separately from the baby spinach and the curry dressing. This method, similar to the one I use with the salad jar version, will enable you to keep the salad for up to 4-5 days.
Other salad recipes you should try:
- Avocado Raspberry Quinoa Salad
- Spiced Chickpea Sweet Potato Buddha Bowl
- Roasted Squash, Fig and Spinach Salad
- Lentil Salad with Zucchini, Feta and Mint
- Cumin-Roasted Cauliflower Tabbouleh Salad
For the apricot lovers:
Apricot and Feta Quinoa Salad with Curry Dressing
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings. 1x
- Category: Salad
- Diet: Vegetarian
Up your salad game with this apricot and feta quinoa salad, tossed in a lemon curry dressing. Loaded with sweet and savory flavors, this vegetarian salad is also very nutritious and naturally gluten-free.
Email me this recipe
We’ll send it straight to your inbox, along with weekly food inspiration!
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 2 cups (360g) quinoa, uncooked (or 4 cups cooked quinoa)
- ½ red onion, minced
- 7 ounces (200g) dried apricots, chopped roughly
- 7 ounces (200g) feta cheese, crumbled
- ⅔ cup (100g) sliced almonds
- 8 ½ cups (7 ounces/200g) baby spinach
For the dressing:
- ½ cup (120 ml) olive oil
- 5 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ¾ teaspoon curry powder
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Start with the dressing. Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl or shake in a sealed glass jar until emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.
- Prepare the quinoa salad. On a medium pot placed over high heat, add quinoa and double its volume of water. Bring mixture to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff quinoa with a fork. Cover and allow quinoa to sit in the pot for 10 minutes. Allow to cool.
- Transfer cooked and cool quinoa to a large mixing bowl. Add onions, apricots, feta, almonds, and baby spinach. Pour the dressing over* and toss until combined. Serve, and enjoy!
Notes
* I recommend using half or two thirds of it to begin with. Toss well, and taste. Add more if needed, depending on your own tastes.
Did you make this recipe?
Lastly, if you make this Apricot and Feta Quinoa Salad with Curry Dressing, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!
