Apple Walnut Quinoa Salad

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Apple Walnut Quinoa Salad with spinach, dried cranberries, goat cheese, and a simple maple mustard dressing is the perfect salad for fall. It goes great with any meal. 

Apple Walnut Quinoa Salad with spinach, dried cranberries, goat cheese, and a simple maple mustard dressing is the perfect salad for fall. #salad #glutenfree

I have been baking up all of my favorite fall recipes…pumpkin cinnamon cookies, apple slab pie, pumpkin cream cheese muffins, and salted caramel apple crumb bars. Our kitchen has been smelling so good and I have been enjoying every bite, but my jeans have been feeling a little tight…ha! I decided it was time to take a break from fall baking and make a healthy fall salad. I am all about balance:) I made this easy Apple Walnut Quinoa Salad and it is fall perfection!

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Apple Walnut Quinoa Salad is the perfect side dish for fall and Thanksgiving!

I eat apples every single day, no matter what time of year it is, but I usually eat more than one apple a day during the fall because they are SO good. I HAD to put them in this salad because I can’t get enough. I love apple season.

This easy salad recipe has all of my favorite ingredients:

  • spinach
  • quinoa
  • apples
  • walnuts
  • dried cranberries
  • goat cheese

The quinoa salad is finished with a maple mustard dressing that pulls all of the fall flavors together. Don’t skip the dressing, I promise it is easy to make. You can whisk it up in just a few minutes.

Apple Walnut Quinoa Salad with maple mustard dressing is an easy side dish for the holidays!

This loaded salad is filling enough to be a meal, I love eating it for lunch, or it can be served as a side dish to any meal. You will love all of the textures and flavors… protein-packed quinoa, leafy green spinach, crisp apples, sweet dried cranberries, crunchy walnuts, creamy goat cheese, and that amazing maple mustard dressing.

This easy Apple Walnut Quinoa Salad would make a great side dish to your Thanksgiving meal too. I know it will be making an appearance at our holiday meal, but I can’t wait that long to enjoy it again so it will be lunch today! I love this salad and I hope you do too!

Apple Walnut Quinoa Salad with spinach, dried cranberries, goat cheese, and a simple maple mustard dressing is the perfect salad for fall.

Apple Walnut Quinoa Salad

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This is the perfect salad for fall! Enjoy it for lunch, dinner, or serve it as a side dish for Thanksgiving.

Yield: Serves 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

For the maple mustard dressing:

  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

For the quinoa salad:

  • 3 cups fresh spinach leaves
  • 2 cups cooked quinoa
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped apples (Honeycrisp, Gala, or Fuji are my favorite)
  • 1/3 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

 

 

Directions:

  1. First, make the maple mustard dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, add the spinach, cooked quinoa, apples, dried cranberries, goat cheese, and walnuts. Toss until salad is combined. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
  3. Drizzle with dressing and toss again. Serve.
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posted on October 11, 2017 by Two Peas
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