Crispy Quinoa Apple Salad with Spiced Tahini Dressing

This Crispy Quinoa Apple Salad with Spiced Tahini Dressing is a balanced and beautiful vegan side dish that everyone will love.

This plant-based meal combines healthy greens, fresh apples, nourishing chickpeas, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, and crispy quinoa for a satisfying and wholesome meal. All topped with a spiced tahini dressing that’s creamy, dreamy and so damn good you are going to want to start drizzling it on everything. A delicious blend of flavors and textures.

The best apple salad with the best ingredients:

Nutrient-Packed Greens: Arugula and spinach provide a robust base of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Fresh Apples: Crisp apples add a natural sweetness and refreshing crunch.
Protein-Rich Chickpeas: Boost protein content for a satisfying meal.
Dried Cranberries: Add a touch of sweetness and antioxidants.
Toasted Pecans: Infuse a buttery crunch and healthy fats.
Crispy Quinoa: The star ingredient, provides a nutty flavor and unique texture.

If you haven’t tried roasting quinoa yet, you are missing out. It’s so addicting. The crunchy texture and nutty flavor make it the perfect addition to (almost) everything! It’s a delicious high-protein, high-fiber topping for your favorite meals. Think salads, soups, buddha bowls, avocado toasts, pastas, roasted vegetables, stir-fries… Have you tried it yet? I’m obsessed with it and I think you are going to love it too!

This fall recipe is ideal for sharing at gatherings or dinner parties, it’s a great side dish that everyone is going to love. I also love having this salad as a main dish, it combines vegetables, fruit, legumes, whole-grains and nuts, so it’s a well-rounded nutritional choice that’s loaded with so much goodness. Packed with vitamins, minerals, and essential nutrients, it caters to a balanced and health-conscious palate.

Suitable for vegans or anyone seeking to add more plants to their diet, this beautiful salad proves that nutritious food can be both simple and enjoyable.

If you try this simple plant-based recipe, let us know what you think, leave a comment below or tag us on Instagram @mondaydreamsblog. We love hearing from you!

Crispy Quinoa Apple Salad with Spiced Tahini Dressing

Easy, fresh and oh-so-flavorful Crispy Quinoa Apple Salad with Spiced Tahini Dressing. This crowd-pleasing salad is gorgeous and full of good stuff! A delicious blend of flavors and textures.

Course Mains, Salads, Sides

Cuisine Mediterranean, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword apple salad, crispy quinoa, healthy salads, vegan sides, vegetarian food

Prep Time 15

Quinoa Cooking Time 50

Servings 2 mains - 4 sides

Ingredients

CRISPY QUINOA:

¼ cup uncooked quinoa
1 Tbsp olive oil

SALAD:

2 cups arugula, roughly chopped
2 cups spinach, roughly chopped
1 big Cripps Pink apple, thinly sliced
½ cup cooked chickpeas
¼ cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped*
3 Tbsp dried cranberries
Sea salt and pepper to taste

SPICED TAHINI DRESSING:

2 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp apple cider Vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp coconut nectar or maple syrup
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cardamom

Instructions

To cook the quinoa, rinse well and place it in a small pot with lots of water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes, until tender. Drain well and let cool completely.
Preheat the oven to 375 °F / 190 °C.
Add quinoa to a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Mix (using a spoon or your hands) until the quinoa is well coated in the oil.
Bake, stirring every 10 minutes, for 20 – 30 minutes, or until the quinoa is golden and crispy.
While the quinoa is in the oven make the dressing. Place all the dressing ingredients in a small jar, close the lid and shake until combined. Or add ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until combined.
To serve the salad, I like to layer all the salad ingredients (arugula, spinach, apple, chickpeas, pecans, cranberries and crispy quinoa) in a pretty way, see picture. Then drizzle the salad with the spiced tahini dressing. Alternatively, you can place all the salad ingredients in a medium bowl, add the creamy dressing, sea salt and pepper and gently toss to combine.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
This salad is best enjoyed right away. If you don’t want to use all the crispy quinoa, you can store the leftovers in a jar in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Notes

* To toast the pecans, place them on a baking sheet (no oil) and roast in the oven for 7-10 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Remove and let cool. Then roughly chop the pecans.

Gaby

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