This Cranberry Apple Quinoa Salad is filled with bursts of sweetness, texture, and nutrients. The quinoa soaks up a delicious Maple Dressing and the arugula gives just a hint of a peppery note. What’s best is it’s great to eat for lunch, or have as a side dish.
This salad is not only delicious, but beautiful and nutritious. It’s ready within 15 minutes and couldn’t be easier to make. I recently made it and took it to my sister-in-law Shivani’s house. You can easily take this for a Thanksgiving, Holiday, or any kind of dinner party or simply have it at home for lunch or a side with your dinner.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE THIS SALAD:
QUINOA – packed with protein and a great base and grain to add that actually fills you up
ARUGULA: a nutrient dense leafy green that is filled with protein, fiber, and iron, I love the peppery flavor it adds
APPLES: Sweet and crunchy (I use Honeycrisp but you can use Granny Smith for a less sweet flavor), they are filled with fiber
CRANBERRIES – I use dried cranberries for a little bit of sweetness but they also are full of Vit. C and antioxidants
WALNUTS – the perfect crunch, these nuts help give the salad an earthy flavor and add plenty of protein
CRUMBLED FETA – I love the addition of the crumbled feta because it gives a tangy flavor to balance all the sweet in the salad. It is also a good source of protein, calcium, and sodium.
For the Maple dressing, I kept it simple and I love that I can combine the ingredients in a jar. This helps me to not only shake the dressing until it emulsifies, but if I need to take it to a dinner or party, it’s easily transportable.
All you need for the dressing is:
Maple Syrup
Apple Cider Vinegar
Olive Oil
Stone Ground Mustard
Garlic
Salt
Pepper
To make this Vegan, simply omit the Feta.
If you don’t have arugula, simply replace it with spinach. This recipe is not only quick and simple to make but nutrient dense too.
Want more salad ideas? Check out some of these:
Quinoa Fiesta Salad
Crispy Goat Cheese Salad with Arugula and Figs
Butternut Squash and Lentil Salad
Microgreens Salad
Springtime Lentil Salad
Cranberry Apple Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
For the Cranberry Apple Quinoa Salad:
- 3 c fresh arugula
- 1 c dry quinoa
- 2 med apples, chopped
- 1/3 c dried cranberries
- 1/3 c crumbled feta
- 1/2 c walnuts
For the Maple Dressing:
- 1/3 c Olive Oil
- 1 Tbsp Pure Maple Syrup
- 2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 tsp stone ground mustard
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 c water
Instructions
- Thoroughly wash the quinoa so the saponins have been cleaned through.
- Combine water, washed quinoa, and 1/2 tsp salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer for 10 minutes uncovered.
- When it is done cooking, remove from heat and cover for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, chop apples, and combine the rest of the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside.
- In an airtight jar, combine all of the ingredients for the dressing. Shake vigorously until emulsified.
- When the quinoa has cooled, add it to the salad and toss to combine. Pour dressing over salad and toss to mix. Serve immediately.
Here are the tools I used for this recipe:
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Healthy and delicious