Not your average Greek salad, this flavorful Greek spinach salad features fresh spinach, fluffy quinoa, chickpeas, fried feta, crunchy veggies and a sun-dried tomato vinaigrette. It is a fabulous twist on a traditional Greek salad and perfect for a meal prep lunch or easy weeknight dinner.
My husband and I had our first baby in February 2020 and the world shut down a month later (cough cough, COVID). Before that, we vowed to take a fun international trip every year until kids. In 2019, we went to Barcelona and Greece, which was by far one of my favorite trips ever.
I honestly think going to Greece was when my love for feta was born. Before I was kinda like feta? Meh, okay cool. But now? Now, it is one of my most used and loved cheeses. And while I can’t say I learned to fry feta in Greece (that’s not really traditional) I can say that I ate the best Greek salads of my life there and had the most delicious Greek feta cheese.
There is a reason Greek salads are popular. The combination of salty feta, crisp cucumber, juicy tomatoes and briny olives is just delicious. I wanted to make this recipe a bit different than a classic Greek salad and more of a full, complete meal vs a side salad.
What makes this Greek spinach salad a lil’ unique:
- I added fluffy quinoa and chickpeas for a boost of satisfying high fiber carbohydrates and plant-based protein.
- We’re frying up the feta into irresistible salty, crispy chunks, almost like the best kind of crouton.
- The homemade DRESSING y’all. A luscious sun-dried tomato vinaigrette made with extra virgin olive oil, jarred sun-dried tomatoes, red wine vinegar, dried oregano and a garlic clove. It is bold, balanced and full of Mediterranean flavor.
- Of course, we load up our salads with lots of nutrient powerhouses like a bed of baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, pine nuts, kalamata olives, red onion and lots of fresh herbs.
I just spent a week in Arizona and let me just say, I am SO looking forward to spring weather. This Greek spinach salad is helping me channel spring and summer and is a satisfying main dish or perfect side dish that even the biggest meat eater will enjoy!
Everything you’ll need to make fresh Greek spinach salad:
Quinoa: quinoa is a fabulous source of plant-based protein, fiber and B vitamins. As a shortcut you could buy the pre-cooked quinoa packets.
Chickpeas: also called garbanzo beans, you can find these at any grocery store in the bean/rice aisle.
Feta: you will need a block of feta, not the pre-crumbled kind. I like to buy mine at Costco because it’s a great price but you can find block feta at most regular grocery stores.
Cornstarch: cornstarch helps coat the feta and prevent it from melting. It also helps it crisp up into lovely crunchy, cheesy chunks!
Spinach: you could honestly use any salad greens, but I love simple and nutritious fresh baby spinach.
Red onion: pungent red onion pairs perfectly with the other flavors in this Mediterranean spinach salad.
Cherry tomatoes: we’ve got double the tomatoes in this recipe! Sun-dried tomatoes in the dressing and fresh tomatoes in the salad.
Cucumber: crunchy cucumbers are a must! I like to get the smaller-size Persian or English cucumbers.
Kalamata olives: I get the pitted olives for ease and so I don’t chip a tooth accidentally biting down on an olive pit. Trader Joe’s has excellent olives but you can find them in any grocery store in the condiments aisle.
Pine nuts: toasted pine nuts from Trader Joe’s are the best price I’ve found. You can also sub pumpkin seeds, sliced almonds or sunflower seeds.
Sun-dried tomato vinaigrette: whip together this homemade vinaigrette with a handful of pantry ingredients!
How to make:
Blend together sun dried tomato vinaigrette and transfer to a jar or small bowl. Set aside.
Bring a small saucepan of salted water to a boil. Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh sieve and then add it to the boiling water. Cook uncovered for 12-15 minutes until the quinoa is tender, drain and return to the hot saucepan to let the heat evaporate the remaining moisture. Fluff with a fork.
Slice a block of feta into ¼-inch planks. Then slice the planks in half so you have square planks of feta that are about 1 ½ inch x 1 ½ inch. Place cornstarch in a shallow dish or plate and coat each piece of feta in cornstarch, tapping off the excess. If you have time, place the feta in the freezer for 10-30 minutes before frying.
Heat a large ceramic-coated nonstick skillet over medium-high and add a swish of olive oil, enough to coat the bottom of the pan. I cannot emphasize this enough, the oil must be HOT before adding the feta. When the oil is hot, add the feta pieces in an even layer and take care not to crowd the pan. The trick here is to get a good, quick sear on the feta before it melts. Fry the feta for 90-120 seconds per side until golden brown, immediately remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
Tips for perfectly fried feta:
- A good-quality nonstick pan– if the feta sticks to the pan, it’s game over. So use a ceramic-coated cast iron pan that can withstand high heat and maintain nonstick integrity.
- Enough oil- make sure there is a very thin layer of olive oil covering the entire bottom of the skillet. Two tablespoons is usually the perfect amount for me.
- High heat- we want the feta to crisp up and brown without melting which means we want to reduce the amount of time it’s on the heat. High heat will provide maximum color/crispiness while maintaining the texture and shape of the feta. And remember, do NOT add the feta until the oil is hot!
- Work quickly- as previously mentioned, we want to work quickly so the feta isn’t sitting in a hot pan for an extended amount of time. Add the feta, let crisp and quickly flip all the pieces. Let cook another minute or so and then quickly remove to a paper-towel-lined plate.
- Freeze it- if you have time, pop the cornstarch-coated feta chunks in the freezer for 10-30 minutes before frying.
- Lower moisture feta- don’t buy the feta in the brine. Try to find a block that is lower moisture (I like the President brand) because it will fry up quickly and evenly without melting.
In a large mixing bowl add the spinach, red onion, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, chickpeas, quinoa and fresh herbs. Drizzle with vinaigrette and gently toss together. Divide salad into serving bowls. Top with fried feta, toasted pine nuts, more dressing and more herbs.
Invite me over so we can have a salad party please.
Variation ideas:
- As always, the sky is the limit with fresh veggies! Make this salad with sweet bell peppers, arugula, romaine lettuce, baby kale, pearl onions, artichoke hearts, red cabbage, celery, pepperoncini and/or radishes!
- You can always up the protein by adding grilled salmon, chicken breasts, shrimp or thinly sliced steak.
- Swap out the quinoa for farro, brown rice, rotini pasta or bulgur.
- Add a splash of balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze.
- For a shortcut use your favorite store-bought Greek salad dressing.
FAQs
I would make the components ahead of time. For example, make the dressing, cook the quinoa, rinse the chickpeas and chop the veggies. When you’re ready to serve toss everything together and fry the feta!
A couple of options here. 1) store all of the components (dressing, spinach, chopped veggies, chickpeas, quinoa) separately in airtight containers in the fridge up to five days. 2) store the salad components minus the dressing in one big airtight container with the spinach on top. Toss with dressing when you’re ready to serve.
Halloumi is a sturdy cheese that fries up beautifully. If you don’t care about fried cheese you can use goat cheese or mozzarella cheese. (I wouldn’t try frying these due to their high moisture).
Simply omit the feta and use maple syrup in the dressing instead of honey.
If you love this Greek salad recipe you’ll love my other delicious salads!
Crispy chicken kale salad with parmesan vinaigrette
Kale and spinach salad with basic vinaigrette
Arugula salad with citrus and beets
If you try and like this recipe please don’t forget to leave a comment and star rating down below! If you love more lifestyle, behind the scenes and ‘eating in real life’ type of content come find me over on Instagram, @itsaflavorfullife, I love connecting with you all there!
Gimme a bite.
PrintGreek spinach salad with quinoa and fried feta
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 salads 1x
Description
Satisfying, balanced and full of flavor, this Greek spinach salad is a crave-able easy lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup quinoa, uncooked, rinsed
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 6 oz feta, from a block (not pre-crumbled)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Olive oil or avocado oil, for frying
- 4 cups spinach, chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1 small cucumber, diced
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives, sliced in half
- 1 cup fresh herbs (parsley, basil, mint, oregano), roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
- Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
- Sun-dried tomato vinaigrette
Instructions
Blend the sun-dried tomato vinaigrette.
Quinoa: bring a small saucepan of salted water to a boil. Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh sieve and then add it to the boiling water. Cook uncovered for 12-15 minutes until the quinoa is tender, drain and return to the hot saucepan to let the heat evaporate the remaining moisture. Fluff with a fork.
Fried feta: Slice a block of feta into ¼-inch planks. Then slice the planks in half so you have square planks of feta that are about 1 ½ inch x 1 ½ inch. Place cornstarch in a shallow dish or plate and coat each piece of feta in cornstarch, tapping off the excess. If you have time, place the feta in the freezer for 10-30 minutes before frying.
Heat a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat and add a swish of olive oil, enough to cover the bottom of the pan. I cannot emphasize this enough, the oil must be HOT before adding the feta. When the oil is hot, add the feta pieces in an even layer and take care not to crowd the pan. The trick here is to get a good, quick sear on the feta before it melts. Fry the feta for 90-120 seconds per side until golden brown, immediately remove to a paper towel-lined plate. (refer to ‘tips for perfectly fried feta’ in the above blog post!)
Salad: in a large salad bowl add the spinach, red onion, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, chickpeas, quinoa and fresh herbs. Drizzle with vinaigrette and gently toss together. Season everything with pinches of salt and pepper. Top with fried feta, toasted pine nuts, more dressing and more herbs. It’s salad o’clock friends.
Notes
Refer to above blog post for expert tips, variation ideas and answers to frequently asked questions9
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Chop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keywords: salad, meal prep, vegetarian, healthy, easy
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