Fall Quinoa Salad

This fall quinoa salad is inspired by all the flavors of the season! The star of this salad is the fruit: crispy apple, juicy orange, and tart cranberries give each bite bright, fresh, delicious flavor.

About This Recipe

This fall harvest quinoa salad is completely autumn themed! It's tasty, festive, and even uses autumn colors (red + orange).

We love to pair this salad with chicken as a lunch, dinner, or meal prep. This is also a perfect recipe for Thanksgiving or any fall get-together because it can be made ahead of time and always looks impressive!

One of the best parts of this salad is that it tastes delicious as leftovers and will stay good in the fridge for about 4-5 days. You can cook it once and enjoy it all week.

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this recipe:

• Quinoa
• Apple
• Orange
• Green onions
• Cranberries
• Pecans
• Goat cheese

For the dressing:

• Olive oil
• Lemon juice
• Apple cider vinegar
• Honey
• Dried thyme

See recipe card at the bottom of the page for full recipe.

Instructions

Step 1: Cook the Quinoa

Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer. Add it to 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, cover, and turn the heat to low. Let the quinoa simmer for 15 minutes, until cooked.

Step 2: Make the Dressing

While the quinoa cooks, in a small bowl, mix together the ingredients for the dressing. Taste and season with additional salt, pepper, or honey as desired.

Step 3: Mix

Let the quinoa cool and then add it to a large bowl with the remaining salad ingredients. Drizzle the dressing on top and stir to mix.

Step 4: Serve

For best flavor, chill your salad for 10 minutes or more (covered, in the fridge) before serving. You can also make this recipe ahead of time and store it in the fridge (covered) overnight.

Ingredient Notes

Here's a few popular ingredient additions and substitutions to this recipe:

Orange: use any type or orange or clementine. If you use a clementine there's no need to cut it into chunks because the pieces are already small.

Pecans: swap these out for almonds or walnuts.

Goat cheese: you could also use gorgonzola or parmesan cheese.

Honey: use pure maple syrup as an alternative.

Thyme: this is a tasty addition but not necessary. Skip it if you don't have it!

About The Dressing

This recipe includes a simple, 5-ingredient homemade vinaigrette that's made with olive oil, lemon juice, honey, thyme and apple cider vinegar. It's sweet, fresh, and light.

You can also skip making your own dressing and use a store-bought one. This salad would be tasty with an apple vinaigrette or apple cider vinaigrette.

Frequently Asked Questions

Storage

Store your leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 - 5 days.

More Fall Salad Recipes:

For more fall-inspired favorite salads, check out these top picks:

• Fall Cobb Salad
• Autumn Pear Salad
• Top 35 Fall Salad Recipes

If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment & rating at the bottom of this page!

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