Harvest Apple Quinoa Salad

This Harvest Apple Quinoa salad is truly fall in a bowl. Filled with healthy BC Tree Fruits apples, quinoa, nuts, seeds and kale, you can feel good about putting this on the table. I felt even better knowing that it only took me 15 minutes once my quinoa was cooked to put it together!

You can use any type of apple in this recipe, but I highly recommend using the BC Tree Fruits Ambrosia apple if you can get your hands on them! Not only are they perfectly crisp with the right amount of tart-to-sweet balance, they don’t brown like other apples do when cut and exposed to the air. Making them a perfect apple for a salad like this where you want to show the fruit off.  I love them for Charlie’s lunches, as they keep their colour when cut up (no kid digs eating a brown apple, I’ve learned this through many returned and un-eaten apple slices).

In terms of other ingredients, you get a bit of sweetness from the cranberries. You get crunch from pumpkin seeds and pecans. And finally, the feta cheese tops it all off.

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Harvest Apple Quinoa Salad (Gluten-Free)

This salad is perfect for the cooler fall days!

Course Lunch, Salad

Keyword Apple, Harvest, Quinoa, salad

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 6

Author Fraîche Nutrition

Ingredients

Salad Dressing Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sugar or honey
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic (crushed)
• ¼ cup vegetable oil

Salad Ingredients:

• ½ cup quinoa (uncooked)
• 4 cups washed and torn packed kale
• 2 tablespoons finely diced red onion
• 1 large Ambrosia BC Tree Fruits apple (cored and diced)
• ¼ cup roasted pumpkin seeds
• ½ cup toasted pecans (roughly chopped)
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• salt and pepper (to taste)

Instructions

1. Prepare the salad dressing by whisking all of the salad dressing ingredients together in a mason jar or wide large cup (you can also just shake the jar to mix it).
2. Cook the quinoa according to the package directions, fluff, and set aside to cool.
3. Place all of the salad ingredients in a bowl, toss with the dressing, add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Let me know if you try this Harvest Apple Quinoa Salad! It’s one of our favourites year after year and I hope it becomes a staple in your house as well!