Fall Harvest Quinoa Salad
This Harvest Quinoa Salad is a delightful mix of texture and flavors of autumn and fall. Made with roasted roasted sweet potatoes, dried cranberries, red apple, spinach, sunflower seeds, protein-rich quinoa, and an apple cider vinaigrette, this gluten-free, plant-based recipe is a show-stopper!
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This Harvest Fall Quinoa Salad is a delightful mix of texture and flavors of autumn and fall. Made with roasted sweet potatoes, dried cranberries, red apple, spinach, sunflower seeds, protein-rich quinoa, and an apple cider vinaigrette, this gluten-free, plant-based recipe is a show-stopper!
Why I love this recipe
This delightful fall salad is loaded with all sorts of fall goodies such as protein rich quinoa, butternut squash, spinach, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, an apple and then it’s dressed in my favorite fall apple cider vinaigrette.
While many of the traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas foods are beige (turkey, and mashed potatoes I’m looking at you), this salad brings a pop of color to your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
More reasons to love this salad
- Hearty and filling – This salad is the perfect comfort food. The quinoa and sweet potatoes will fill you up and keep you satisfied for hours.
- Loaded with superfoods – Sweet potatoes, quinoa, and spinach are all superfoods making this a salad chock full of vitamins and minerals.
- Bright and colorful – Orange, green, and red – this salad will bring a pop of color to your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
RELATED: Corn and Black Bean Quinoa Salad Recipe
What you’ll need to make this Fall Quinoa Salad
This Autumn Quinoa Salad is loaded with all sorts of everything delicious and healthy. There’s quinoa in here (obviously) but it doesn’t play the leading role. Do you know how some quinoa salads are just too quinoa-y? Not this one. This is the right balance so that the quinoa blends in rather than takes over.
Ingredients for the harvest salad:
- Cooked quinoa
- Sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- Olive oil
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Red apple, cored and diced (I prefer honey crisp apples)
- Green onion, sliced
- Baby spinach
- Dried cranberries
- Sunflower seeds
Ingredients for apple cider vinaigrette:
- Olive oil
- Apple cider vinegar
- Honey
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
How to make quinoa fall salad
If you are looking for a meatless meal, make this easy Fall Quinoa Salad and eat it for lunch throughout the week. It’s also delicious alongside grilled chicken, or salmon. This easy to make and healthy side dish recipe is perfect for fall and comes together in thee 6 easy steps:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2: Place the sweet potatoes onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Toss to distribute the oil and seasonings.
Step 3: Bake in the oven for 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the size of the cubes, flipping once. Cook until tender and caramelized.
Step 4: In a large bowl, toss together the cooked quinoa, sweet potatoes, apple, green onion, and spinach. If the salad is served immediately, add the dried cranberries and seeds.
Step 5: In a small jar, shake together the ingredients for the dressing.
Step 6: Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
Make this hearty fall quinoa salad, then check out my Montreal Steak Salad with Pears, Cranberries and Honey Mustard Dressing, Roasted Asparagus Caesar Salad, and Classic Waldorf Salad and more of my healthy salad dressing recipes.
TIPS AND FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Read on for tips and substitution ideas on how to make this recipe, and how to avoid making it a disaster.
- Adding a touch of maple syrup to the sweet potato prior to roasting gives it a subtle sweetness and autumn coziness.
- If you want to save time, you can purchase the sweet potato precut into cubes, though I find that a Y-shaped vegetable peeler like this one makes the job fairly quick and easy.
- A handful of feta or goat cheese is ultra yummy if you have some on hand or want to add a dimension of creaminess.
How to store this salad
If preparing this salad ahead, wait until just before serving to add the cranberries and seeds.
Other Quinoa Salad recipes to try
- Corn and Black Bean Quinoa Salad Recipe – This delicious and healthy corn and black bean quinoa salad is the perfect summer salad! It can be eaten alone, as a side dish, or in a wrap. Add chicken for some extra protein, avocado for some healthy fats or enjoy as is!
- Walnut Quinoa Stuffed Peppers – These stuffed peppers work great as a stand-alone lunch dish or as a side dish. The combination of textures – juicy pepper, soft quinoa, crunchy walnuts and gooey melted cheese really make for an enjoyable eating experience.
- Easy Greek Quinoa Salad Recipe – This Greek Quinoa Salad combines my favourite Greek Salad Dressing recipe with protein packed quinoa for the perfect make ahead lunch, side or main dish!
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Harvest Quinoa Salad Recipe
Equipment You’ll Need
Ingredients
For the harvest salad:
- 4 cups cooked quinoa (about 1 cup uncooked)
- 1 pound sweet potatoes (peeled and cubed)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- Salt and black pepper (to taste)
- 1 large red apple (cored and diced)
- 1 green onion (sliced)
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
For the dressing:
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Salt and black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the sweet potatoes onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Toss to distribute the oil and seasonings.
- Bake in the oven for 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the size of the cubes, flipping once. Cook until tender and caramelized.
- In a large bowl, toss together the cooked quinoa, sweet potatoes, apple, green onion, and spinach. If the salad is served immediately, add the dried cranberries and seeds. If preparing ahead, wait until just before serving to add the cranberries and seeds.
- In a small jar, shake together the ingredients for the dressing. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
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