Cranberry Apple Quinoa Salad Recipe (with Walnuts)

This cranberry apple quinoa salad is made with walnuts and a light vinaigrette for a delicious and easy side dish or lunch! It’s a customizable recipe with endless variations and is ideal for meal prep.

Its slightly tangy dressing pairs perfectly with the natural sweetness of fruit to create a vibrant salad! This salad is way better than anything you can buy in grocery stores.

Get the Veg Out newsletter for vegan recipes + nutrition content!

This post contains affiliate links (including Amazon Associates) and I earn from qualifying purchases.

Is Quinoa Apple Salad Vegan?

Many quinoa salad recipes are vegan, but certainly not all. Dairy ingredients, like cheeses, are quite common and honey is often used in salad dressing.

Beyond that, there are plenty of recipes that use eggs and/ or meat products, although these tend to be easy to skip or replace with vegan alternatives.

This vegan quinoa salad is easy to make and creates a simple, delicious salad that’s nutritious, satisfying and ideal for meal prep! Just remember to also pack a spoon if you’ll eat this away from your house.

Ingredients for this Cran-Apple Quinoa Salad

This is a simple recipe that uses ingredients you may already have on hand! I often make this quinoa apple cranberry salad as an easy lunch to take on the go (with the addition of chickpeas).

Quinoa Salad

• Quinoa: I often use tri-color quinoa, but regular white quinoa is perfectly fine. Leftover pre-cooked quinoa is even better because it’ll already be chilled and you can eat the salad right away!
• Apples: You’ll also need a large apple, or two small apples. Any variety you enjoy should work. Check out the “variations” section below for some ideas of other fruits you could try in place of apples.
• Dry cranberries: For a burst of color and flavor, I love using dry cranberries in this quinoa salad. It’s a great ingredient because there’s no prep required!
• Onion: For some added flavor, I can’t resist adding onion. I used red onion in these pictures, but any type works great. If you want a milder flavor, green onion is a good choice.
• Cilantro: This may be my favorite herb and I love to load it into quinoa salad. Adding herbs is the perfect way to boost flavor and prevent bland or boring salads. Use however much you like or substitute for another herb you enjoy (parsley is great too).
• Walnuts: For some delicious crunch and loads of nutrition, throw in some walnuts!

Vinaigrette

• White wine vinegar: To create a delicious and simple vinaigrette that pairs great with the salad ingredients, use white wine vinegar. Its tanginess pairs great with the recipe’s sweet apples and cranberries. See the variation section below for some other tasty vinegar options!
• Olive oil: The vinaigrette also uses olive oil which provides some flavor (depending on the olive oil you choose) and adds healthy fats for a satiating and filling salad.
• Onion and garlic powder: The vinaigrette for this quinoa salad is mild in flavor but onion and garlic powder really take it to the next level.
• Salt and pepper: As with any recipe, add salt and pepper to your taste!
• Dijon mustard: For some zing, Dijon mustard makes a great addition to the dressing. If you like more of a kick, use extra Dijon.

How to Make Cranberry Apple Quinoa Salad

Apple quinoa salad is easy to prepare with cranberry and walnuts! After cooking the quinoa, let cool, then add other salad ingredients and whip together a quick vinaigrette.

Step 1: Prep Quinoa

If your quinoa has directions on the package, follow those! I buy quinoa in bulk, without directions, and prepare it by adding one part quinoa to two parts water in a large pot (1 cup quinoa, 2 cups water).

Bring your quinoa and water to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn the heat down until simmering (usually medium-low heat). Place a lid on your pot and allow it to simmer until the quinoa has absorbed all the water.

This takes 12-15 minutes if cooking 1 cup of quinoa; longer if you cook a larger amount.

Once the quinoa has absorbed all water, remove the pot from heat and use a fork to “fluff” it (stir around to remove clumps). Place the quinoa into a mixing bowl or salad bowl and refrigerate to chill completely.

Step 2: Prep Other Salad Ingredients

While your quinoa chills, prep the other salad ingredients. Start by finely dicing onion. Add the diced onion to a large mixing bowl, or the chilled quinoa.

Wash your cilantro and remove large stems. Finely chop this cilantro and add it to the mixing bowl with the onion.

Add the dry cranberries and walnuts to your bowl as well.

Chop the apple last, ideally right before tossing with the vinaigrette otherwise it’ll start to brown.

Step 3: Make Vinaigrette

Also, while chilling your quinoa, prep the vinaigrette by whisking together all its ingredients. I prepare vinaigrettes in a small jar and simply place the lid on the jar to shake everything together.

Step 4: Toss, Chill and Serve

When you’ve chilled the quinoa and tossed with other salad ingredients, add the vinaigrette and serve!

How to Create a Balanced Vegan Meal

To create a nutritionally balanced meal, you should include a source of plant-based protein, carbohydrates (from grains or starchy veggies), healthy fats and plenty of vegetables and/ or fruits!

This quinoa salad offers all the above! Plant-based protein is available through walnuts and there’s some in quinoa too. For a quick and delicious boost of protein, you may want to add some cooked chickpeas as well.

You’ll get plenty of delicious, nutritious carbohydrates from the quinoa and fruits (apples and dry cranberries). The fruits and vegetables (onion and cilantro) check off those boxes too. To add extra veggies, serve the quinoa salad over a bed of lettuce!

Lastly, the olive oil and walnuts provide healthy fats to help keep you feeling full and satisfied!

If you add chickpeas and/ or serve over leafy greens, you may want some additional vinaigrette. Keep this in mind when prepping the salad!

Apple Quinoa Walnut Salad Variations

Quinoa salads are such a versatile recipe! There are endless variations you could try since you can use any fresh fruit, dry fruit, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, vinegars or oil – pretty much every ingredient is customizable!

Some of my favorite fresh fruits to use in place of apples are:

• Peaches
• Pears
• Mango
• Strawberries

Other options for dried fruits to replace the cranberries are:

• Apricots
• Raisins
• Figs

Also, there are so many substitutions for nuts and/ or seeds in place of walnuts. Some of my favorites are:

• Pumpkin seeds
• Pecans
• Almonds (sliced are my favorite)
• Sunflower seeds

You can also use any herbs you like instead of cilantro. Parsley is a great alternative!

If you’re feeling even more adventurous, use another vinegar for a completely different flavor; or simply use any type of vinaigrette you like! White balsamic or apple cider vinegar are great choices to try.

How to Store Leftovers

Refrigerate leftover quinoa salad in an airtight container for up to a week (best eaten within 5 days). Quinoa salads often taste better the day after you make them because the flavors have time to come together!

This is a great recipe for meal prep since it creates a delicious, nutritious and filling lunch option that’s easy to transport.

If you make this recipe, please rate and comment below to help others benefit from your experience!

More Vegan Salad Recipes

Like this recipe? You should also try:

---