Description
A vibrant and nutritious salad featuring ruby-red cranberries, crisp green apples, and golden quinoa, perfect for fall gatherings or as a refreshing side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 cup fresh cranberries, halved
- 1 large apple, chopped (Honeycrisp or Fuji recommended)
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- ½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped (optional)
- ¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons orange juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 tablespoon honey (or maple syrup for vegan option)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse 1 cup of quinoa under cold water using a fine mesh sieve. Place it in a medium saucepan with 2 cups of water, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and let it cool.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 3 tablespoons of orange juice, 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Dice the apple and celery, halve the cranberries, and roughly chop the walnuts and parsley.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked quinoa, cranberries, apple, celery, walnuts, and parsley. Pour the dressing over and toss gently until everything is well coated.
- Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with extra parsley or walnuts if desired.
Notes
Rinse the quinoa to remove bitterness, let it cool completely before mixing, and keep the dressing separate if prepping ahead to maintain freshness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 10
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 12
- Saturated Fat: 1.5
- Carbohydrates: 30
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 6
Keywords: quinoa salad, cranberry apple salad, fall recipe, healthy salad, gluten-free salad, vegan salad