Cran-Apple Harvest Salad
Fall season maybe just around the corner, but here in Las Vegas the 100º+ weather doesn’t agree. Finding recipes that fill my need for harvest season foods while not overheating myself spending too much time in front of a hot stove. This quinoa fruit and vegetable filled salad definitely fits that harvest food spot. Add in some grilled chicken and it goes from being a side salad to a main dish.
If you aren’t a fan of some of the fruits or vegetables I have added to my salad, then exchange them for some in-season produce that you love. Orange slices, dried apricots, raisins, pears, carrots…all of these would be equally tasty in this salad. Additionally, if quinoa isn’t your cup of tea, switch it out for some couscous or barley.
Cran-Apple Harvest Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups tap water
- 1½ cups honey crisp apple chopped
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup walnuts chopped
- ½ cup green onions chopped
- ½ cup celery chopped
- ½ cup radish chopped
Vinaigrette
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium orange zested and then juiced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a sauce pot, add the quinoa and water, cook the quinoa according to the directions on the package. Let cool completely before adding the rest of the ingredients. You could even make the quinoa ahead of time, up to the night before, and then store in the refrigerator until you need it.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, walnuts, apple, dried cranberries, celery, green onions, and radish.
- In a smaller bowl, add in the apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, olive oil, orange zest, orange juice, and salt and pepper. Whisk to combine, then pour over the quinoa cran-apple salad.
- Gently stir the ingredients with the vinaigrette to combine. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until time to serve. Can be in the fridge for up to a week. Add grilled chicken or steak to make it a complete meal.
Nutrition
I love the fruits and vegetables in this salad because they are hearty and don’t become soft and mushy over a few days. If you are planning on adding in other fruits or vegetables, such as pears and spinach, add them in as you serve the salad. Then you won’t run into the problem of wilted spinach and browned pears.
Do you have any go-to autumn recipes that are filled with in season fruits and vegetables? If you are looking for another harvest salad, then you must check out my Autumn Fruit Salsa recipe! That one is definitely a crowd pleaser and a sweeter type harvest salad instead of a savory salad like this Cran-Apple Salad is.
Contains affiliate links
