Fall Quinoa Salad
This post may include affiliate links. Thank you for your support.
This fall quinoa salad is loaded with roasted butternut squash, crisp apples, and dried cranberries over a bed of spinach. Each serving packs 23 grams of protein and 15 grams of fiber, all from plants.
Every fall I end up with butternut squash, apples, and greens in the fridge at the same time, and this fall quinoa salad is what came out of finally throwing them all in one bowl!
The roasted squash turns sweet and caramelized, the apple and pepitas bring the crunch, and the quinoa gives it enough substance to actually work as dinner rather than something you eat before dinner. What surprised me most is how filling it is for something with no meat in it, and the tahini apple cider vinegar dressing is the piece that ties it together.
If you like this style of meal, my roasted harvest bowls are the warm version.
Table of Contents
“This is THE BEST salad – such a crowd pleaser. I bring it to all the holidays and potlucks September-March!”
Why You’ll Love This Fall Quinoa Salad
- 15 grams of fiber per serving: The squash, quinoa, apple, and pepitas add up fast. That is more than half a day’s worth in one bowl, which is a big part of why it keeps you full for hours.
- The oven does most of the work: The squash and pepitas roast on the same pan while you make the dressing and chop everything else. By the time the squash is done, the rest of the salad is already waiting in the bowl.
- Hearty enough to be dinner: This is a full plant-based meal on its own, but it also holds up as a side. It is especially good next to a bowl of my mushroom barley soup on a cold night, or alongside my lentil loaf if you are putting together a plant-based holiday plate.
Ingredients Needed
- baby spinach – the base of the salad. Chop it so you get a bit of everything in each forkful rather than wrestling with whole leaves.
- quinoa – cooked and cooled. This is what turns a salad into a meal, and it brings a good amount of the protein. If you have not made it before, my guide to cooking quinoa walks through it.
- butternut squash – roasted until sweet and caramelized at the edges. Cut the pieces the same size so they cook evenly, and buy it pre-cut if you want to skip the peeling entirely.
- apple – Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Fuji are my picks. You want something firm and sweet that will not go soft against the dressing.
- pepitas – pumpkin seeds without the shell. Toast them on the same sheet pan as the squash and they pick up a deeper, nuttier flavor. Pecans work if that is what you have.
- dried cranberries – a little chewy sweetness against all the savory. Raisins or dried cherries work too.
- tahini apple cider vinegar dressing – tahini, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, tamari, nutritional yeast, garlic, and a touch of maple syrup blended smooth. The tahini makes it creamy without any dairy and the nutritional yeast adds a savory, almost cheesy depth that is doing more work here than people expect.
Find the full ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card below.
Variations
- Add a protein: One reader meal prepped this with rotisserie chicken and said it made a perfect week of lunches. Grilled chicken, roasted chickpeas, or white beans all work if you want more staying power than the quinoa gives you.
- Change the green: Kale, collard greens, or arugula all work in place of spinach. If you go with kale, massage it first so it softens.
- Swap the squash: Roasted sweet potatoes are the easiest substitute and a reader who used them said it worked beautifully. Maple roasted kabocha squash is another good option.
- Add roasted Brussels sprouts: A reader threw these in alongside the squash and I think that is a great call. They roast in about the same time on the same pan.
- Change the fruit: Pears work in place of apple, and dried cherries or raisins can stand in for the cranberries. One reader also recommends adding an extra half apple, which I would not argue with.
How to Make Fall Quinoa Salad
Step 1: Roast the butternut squash on a lightly oiled sheet pan at 400°F for 30 to 40 minutes, turning once or twice, until tender and lightly browned. Add the pepitas to a separate pan for the last 5 to 10 minutes if they are raw.
Step 2: While the squash roasts, blend all the dressing ingredients until smooth.
Step 3: Toss the spinach, cooked quinoa, apple, and cranberries together in a large bowl.
Step 4: Let the squash and pepitas cool, then add them to the bowl. Pour the dressing over the top and toss to coat.
Brittany’s Tips
- Let everything cool before it goes in the bowl: This is the tip that makes or breaks the salad. If the squash, quinoa, or pepitas are still warm, the spinach wilts and the apple goes soft. Give them time to come to room temperature and the texture holds up completely differently.
- Cut the squash pieces the same size: Uneven cubes mean some pieces are caramelized while others are still firm. It takes an extra minute and it is the difference between good roasted squash and great roasted squash.
- Watch the pepitas closely: They toast much faster than the squash and go from golden to burnt in under a minute. Pull them at 5 minutes and check.
- Do not judge the dressing on its own: Tahini dressings taste sharp straight from the blender and more than one reader has second-guessed it at that stage. Trust it. On the salad, with the sweet squash and the apple, it comes together exactly right.
What to Serve With Fall Quinoa Salad
For me, this is a meal-sized salad I would eat on its own. But it would also make a great side salad if you want to serve it to more people! Here are some great ideas to serve alongside this salad:
- With chicken: My apple cider vinegar chicken is the one I make with this most often. Same tangy apple cider vinegar that’s in the dressing, so the flavors just work together.
- With salmon: Maple glazed salmon is my pick here. The sweetness works with the roasted squash.
- With soup: A bowl of butternut squash soup alongside makes a genuinely cozy dinner, though you will have squash twice, so turkey chili is the better call if you want contrast.
- On a holiday table: Split four ways it works as a side, and it holds up next to heavier dishes without needing anything done to it at the last minute.
How to Store and Meal Prep
- Meal prep: Roast the squash and pepitas and cook the quinoa ahead, then store all three together in one container in the fridge. Keep the spinach, chopped apple, and dressing separate and combine everything when you are ready to eat.
- Fridge: Dressed leftovers keep for up to 2 days in an airtight container. The spinach will soften but the flavor is still good, and several readers say they prefer it cold the next day.
- Dressing: It keeps in a sealed jar for up to a week. Give it a shake before using since it will thicken and separate as it sits.
- Do not freeze: The spinach and apple will not survive it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, though it is worth knowing that most soy sauce contains wheat, so the salad will no longer be gluten-free if you make that swap. The flavor is nearly identical, just slightly saltier, so use a little less than the recipe calls for. If you need it gluten-free, stick with tamari or use coconut aminos, which are naturally gluten-free and a little sweeter.
Make sure the roasted squash, the quinoa, and the pepitas are all fully cooled before they go in the bowl. Warm ingredients are the entire reason a salad like this goes limp, and it is the most common mistake with this recipe.
It adds a savory, almost cheesy depth that is hard to replicate, so I would not skip it if you can help it. Without it the dressing still works, it just tastes sharper and less rounded. A tablespoon of grated parmesan gets you close if you are not keeping it vegan.
It is genuinely nutrient dense. Each serving has 23 grams of protein and 15 grams of fiber, entirely from plants. Quinoa is one of the few plant foods that contains all nine essential amino acids, and it also delivers magnesium, iron, and B vitamins. (Source: Healthline) Between that, the squash, the spinach, and the tahini, this is a salad that actually holds you over.
More Fall Salads to Try
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Fall Harvest Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped
- 1 ½ cups cooked quinoa, cooked according to package directions (1/2 cup dry quinoa)
- ¾ cup butternut squash, chopped
- 1 medium apple, peeled and chopped
- ⅓ cup pepitas, pumpkin seeds or pecans
- 3 Tablespoons dried cranberries
Tahini Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing
- 2 Tablespoons tahini
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons low sodium tamari or aminos
- 4 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic, about 2 cloves
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
Instructions
- Prepare the squash by peeling it, cutting it in half and scraping out the seeds.
- Cut the squash into bite-size cubes, place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and roast at 400° for 30-40 minutes, turning once or twice, until all the pieces are tender and have a few small brown spots.¾ cup butternut squash
- If your pepitas or pecans are raw, you can toast them in the oven with the roasting squash. Spread seeds/nuts on a separate baking sheet and add to the oven with the butternut squash for 5 to 10 minutes or until the seeds/nuts are golden and crunchy, then remove from the pan to cool. Be sure to watch the seeds/nuts carefully because they can burn quickly. The pepitas will take less time to toast than the pecans because they’re smaller.⅓ cup pepitas
- While roasting the squash, toss together spinach, cooked quinoa, apple and cranberries in a large salad bowl. Add cooled pepitas (or pecans) once they’ve been toasted.4 cups fresh baby spinach, 1 ½ cups cooked quinoa, 1 medium apple, 3 Tablespoons dried cranberries
- Prepare dressing by placing all remaining ingredients (tahini through maple syrup) in a blender and blend until smooth.2 Tablespoons tahini, 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, 2 Tablespoons low sodium tamari or aminos, 4 Tablespoons nutritional yeast, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- Once the butternut squash is done roasting, allow it to cool and then place into the salad bowl with the other ingredients. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Cool everything first: Let the squash, quinoa, and pepitas come to room temperature before combining. Warm ingredients wilt the spinach and soften the apple.
- Tamari: Most soy sauce contains wheat, so swapping it in means the salad is no longer gluten-free. Coconut aminos are a gluten-free alternative.
- Add protein: Grilled or rotisserie chicken, chickpeas, or white beans all work if you want more staying power.
- Meal prep: Store the squash, quinoa, and pepitas together, with the spinach, apple, and dressing kept separate until serving.
- Storage: Dressed leftovers keep for up to 2 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This Recipe? Rate & Comment Below!
This looks yummy
Could I substitute soy sauce for Tamari without changing the flavor too much?
Yes, soy sauce will work just fine in place of tamari. The flavor will be almost the same, just slightly saltier, so you may want to use a touch less.