Fall Cranberry Quinoa Salad with Kale
This delicious fall cranberry quinoa salad with kale is loaded with seasonal autumn ingredients, making it the star dish of your table! It is the perfect 30-minute vegetarian Thanksgiving dish, or simply enjoy a big bowl for lunch or dinner!
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa uncooked and rinsed
- 2 cups vegetable broth (or water)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ yellow onion diced
- 2 celery stalks sliced
- 1 apple chopped
- 1 leek white part sliced
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups kale roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup walnuts chopped
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries (use no-sugar added cranberries if possible)
- 2 to 4 ounces goat cheese crumbled
For the Dressing
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Add the quinoa and vegetable broth (or water) to a medium saucepan. Bring the quinoa up to a boil. Cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Allow the quinoa to cook for 15 minutes or until all of the liquid has been absorbed.
- While the quinoa is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the yellow onion, celery, apple, leek, salt and cinnamon. Sauté for 5-8 minutes until the onion starts to run translucent.
- Add the kale one cup at a time, adding more as it begins to cook down. Sauté for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Turn off the heat when the apple can be pierced by a fork, but still has a solid texture.
- Combine the balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and a tablespoon of olive oil in a small bow. Stir together until smooth.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the cooked quinoa, sautéed apple and veggies, dried cranberries, walnuts, half of the goat cheese and the maple-balsamic dressing.
- Gently toss together until the ingredients are combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Serve the quinoa salad with extra goat cheese crumbles on the side.
Notes
This fall quinoa salad is the stuffing for my stuffed acorn squash recipe!
To make this vegan, omit the cheese or use vegan cheese.
To make this vegan, omit the cheese or use vegan cheese.
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