Cranberry Quinoa Salad

Cranberry Quinoa Salad is a healthy recipe that involves simple ingredients like fresh herbs, almonds, and feta cheese. With a delicious lemon dijon dressing, it’s the perfect refreshing side dish or main course! Ready in less than 30 minutes.

Watch cranberry quinoa salad come to life

A delicious (and extra easy) salad recipe

That’s it. I could’t wait any longer to share this cranberry quinoa salad recipe with you! It’s easily my favorite go-to side dish for any main course. Plus, it makes a great dish for taking to potlucks or gatherings.

One of the reasons this salad is so easy to make is because it’s really just about assembling the ingredients after you’ve cooked your quinoa. When cooked correctly, it’s full of flavor and is über fluffy.

The dish itself is refreshing, light, and full of honey dijon garlic flavor. The saltiness from the feta amplifies the sweet cranberries and all of the fresh parsley and green onion, making every bite that much more delicious.

The lemon dijon dressing is one of my favorite parts. Made with dijon mustard, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt, it is simple, full of flavor and adds the perfect zing to the quinoa salad.

Ingredients included in this quinoa salad

For this salad we’ll be mixing ingredients like quinoa, cranberries, scallions, almonds, and feta cheese to form the salad base. For the dressing, we’re making a delicious olive oil and lemon-based honey garlic mustard vinaigrette. It makes the perfect addition in this recipe and leaves the salad tasting rich, tangy, and refreshing!

Salad:

• Quinoa (rinsed)
• Veggie broth
• Cranberries
• Chopped green scallions
• Slivered almonds
• Feta cheese
• Chopped parsley

Dressing:

• Olive oil
• Lemon juice
• Honey
• Garlic
• Dijon mustard
• Salt
• Pepper

Pro Tip: I love to make extra dressing to have on hand for green salads during the week!

What you need to make this quinoa recipe

To create this salad you’ll need a handful of kitchen tools. Nothing too complicated, though!

• Mesh strainer
• Sauce pan
• Fork
• Large mixing bowl
• Medium mixing bowl
• Whisk

You’ll need these sizes for measuring: 1/4 tsp, 1 tsp, 1 tbsp, 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup, 3/4 cup, and 1 cup.

How to make cranberry quinoa salad

For this cranberry salad, you’ll need no more than 30 minutes to prep and cook. You’ll cook the quinoa, make the dressing, and then mix everything together!

Start by rinsing your quinoa in a fine mesh strainer. Then, add it to a saucepan.

Add the vegetable stock and turn on the heat.

Bring to a rolling boil, and then stir. Turn the heat down to low and cover.

Cook for 15 minutes covered.

Turn off the heat and let it sit for about 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, open the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork.

Your quinoa should have absorbed all of the water, if not, return it to the heat for a few more minutes.

Pour the quinoa into a bowl to cool.

While you wait, assemble the dressing.

Whisk together the oil, lemon juice, garlic, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in one bowl.

Once the quinoa has completely cooled, add the cranberries, green scallions, almonds, feta cheese, and parsley.

Add the dressing on top and mix together.

Serve immediately for a warmer salad, or let it chill in the fridge and then serve cold. In my experience, the salad tastes even better the longer it sits in the fridge! This allows all of the flavors to truly mix together.

Is quinoa gluten free?

Yes, quinoa is gluten free, making it a wonderful option for anyone who prefers or needs to stay away from gluten. It’s a great alternative to rice and provides a wide range of nutrients. Each serving is full of fiber, iron, and calcium, as well as large amounts of protein!

How to store extra quinoa cranberry salad

Extra salad can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. If possible, I recommend storing the salad ingredients separate from the dressing, as this will keep it from getting watery or mushy.

Reasons to make cranberry quinoa salad

Just incase the rest of this post didn’t convince you, there are so many reasons why this recipe should be on your list of attempts for this week.

1. It’s so easy. Seriously, just chop the fresh herbs, cook the quinoa, and then dump everything into a bowl. Whisk the dressing, and stir!
2. You can prep it ahead of time! This is one of those meals where the final result tastes even better if it’s prepped ahead of time. We’re talking a real trip to flavor town if you give this salad ample time to “soak.”
3. Guests are guaranteed to love it. I’m telling you, anyone who tries this salad is going ot be begging you for the recipe.

It’s seriously an all around crowdpleaser!

More salad recipes to try

Need some more greens in your life? I know the feeling! Here are some more delicious salads to try out. The pear salad is always a winner!

• Pear Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette
• Avocado Corn Salad
• Mexican Quinoa Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
• Zucchini Noodle Caprese Salad with Walnut Pesto

Recipe by Erin Morrissey and Photos by The Mindful Hapa