Quinoa Cranberry Salad

This Quinoa Cranberry Salad is full of fresh, feel-good flavours that everyone will love! With nutrient-rich spinach, sweet dried cranberries and a zippy lemon dressing, it is able to stand alone as a protein-packed, healthy meal, or can be served as a side. It's easy to make ahead of time and is naturally gluten-free.

This super yum Quinoa Cranberry Salad with Lemon and Spinach is what we need to talk about. Nutty quinoa, fresh, green spinach, chewy, sweet, dried cranberries and a really fresh and zippy lemony dressing to bring it all together in a very happy way.

Jump to:

• What is quinoa?
• What ingredients do you need?
• How to make Quinoa Cranberry Salad
• How to cook quinoa
• Success tips
• How to serve
• What extras to add to quinoa salad
• Making ahead and storage
• Hungry for more?
• 📖 Recipe
• Recipe FAQs
• Comments

I know quinoa salads aren't always top of everyone's list, because you know ... Q-U-I-N-O-A. That healthy, superfood, vegan stuff.  But this is quinoa salad for quinoa salad and non-quinoa salad people and the rule for my salads ... Must. Taste. Amazing.

Bathe that quinoa in zingy lemon dressing and holy moly it's good. It's citrusy, grainy and totally satisfying. Anytime you are craving a healthy and zesty quinoa salad, this (or my quinoa-based gluten-free tabbouleh)is your friend.

What is quinoa?

Quinoa is a gluten-free, nutrient-rich seed that is high in protein and easy to cook. It's often mistaken for a grain because it is prepared and eaten in the same way.

Quinoa seeds come from a plant called goosefoot which is closely related to amaranth, and although it is technically a seed it can be classified as a wholegrain because of its high fibre and protein content.

What ingredients do you need?

Our ingredients list is pretty short and simple with a base of protein-rich and filling quinoa, leafy green spinach, fresh lemon for zippy flavour and dried cranberries for bursts of chewy sweet texture. That's pretty much it. Simple, hearty and so good.

How to make Quinoa Cranberry Salad

(For detailed measurements and instructions, see the printable recipe card).

This quinoa cranberry salad is really easy to make. Here's how it's done:

• Step 1 - Cook the quinoa and allow it to cool completely. If you aren't sure how to cook quinoa, I've included instructions.
• Step 2 - Shred the spinach.
• Step 3 - Mix the spinach together with cooled quinoa and the dried cranberries.
• Step 4 - Add all of the lemon dressing to a jar with a lid, shake them up, then pour over the quinoa and toss together. And just like that, you have a Quinoa Cranberry Salad!

How to cook quinoa

Instant Pot Method

1. Rinse the quinoa in a sieve. Once rinsed, tip the wet quinoa into the insert of your Instant Pot and saute over medium heat for a few minutes, stirring frequently until it starts to smell nutty. Once it does turn the Instant Pot off.
2. Cover the quinoa in the same volume of water or broth/stock as there is quinoa, so for every 1 cup of raw quinoa, you need 1 cup of water or stock. Add a little salt if you want to, stir, then put the lid on and seal the vent. Set to 2 minutes high pressure and leave the pressure to naturally release. Remove the lid, fluff with a fork and you have perfectly cooked quinoa!

Stovetop method

1. Rinse the quinoa in a sieve. Once rinsed, tip the wet quinoa into a pan and saute over medium heat for a few minutes, stirring frequently until it starts to smell nutty. Once it does, remove it from the heat.
2. Add water or broth/stock to the quinoa. For every 1 cup of quinoa add 2 cups of liquid. Add a pinch of salt too if you want to.
3. Now here's where my method differs from others. Cook uncovered on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes until the water has been mostly absorbed. Then turn off the heat, cover, and leave to steam for at least 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and you have perfectly cooked quinoa!

Success tips

• It's important to cook the quinoa and allow it to cool completely before you start. I find it easiest to cook the quinoa the day before I actually want to make the salad or to make extra for another meal and save the leftovers. If you are in a hurry though, cook it then spread it in a thin layer on a plate or baking tray so that it cools quickly.
• Follow my instructions for cooking the quinoa and don't overcook it.
• Make sure the spinach is nice and fresh
• Fresh lemon and not lemon juice from a bottle gives a much better flavour.
• Don't use fresh cranberries in this recipe. They are way too sour. Dried cranberries work best.

How to serve

Serve this tasty quinoa cranberry salad as a side or as a light lunch or dinner. It is really good with:

• Vegan Crab Cakes
• Baked Tofu
• Black Bean Burgers
• White Bean Artichoke Burgers
• Easy Homemade Pita Breads
• Easy Flatbread Recipe

What extras to add to quinoa salad

With quinoa salads just about anything goes because quinoa is a bit of a blank slate. Additional ingredients that I think would work really well in this quinoa salad are:

• toasted nuts or seeds. Pecans or walnuts in particular
• other dried fruit like raisins or chopped dried apricot
• greens like spinach, kale and arugula instead of the spinach or as well as
• vegan feta cheese
• fresh herbs like parsley and cilantro
• vegan ricotta
• diced apple
• diced pear
• broccoli florets
• fresh orange pieces
• green onions
• ground cumin
• finely minced fresh garlic
• roasted vegetables, squash would be great

Feel free to use my recipe as a base and switch it up with any or all of the above! If you want to make life easy though, just follow the recipe as stated, and know that it will be just perfect.

Making ahead and storage

This quinoa cranberry salad can easily be made ahead of time so is perfect for taking along to picnics or potlucks. It's also a great accompaniment to grilled food and packs up really well for packed lunches.

You can make it up to 2 days ahead but you must be sure to use very fresh spinach. If you want to keep the spinach extra fresh and textured, make the rest of the salad as instructed and shred and stir the spinach through just before serving.

Individual components of the salad can be made ahead too to save you time on the day you want to make it. You can cook the quinoa and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days before and the dressing can be mixed and kept in a jar in the fridge for a few days too before using.

Store quinoa salad leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Hungry for more?

For more vegan salad recipes, check out these great options:

1. Cranberry Pecan Brussels Sprout Salad
2. Green Bean Potato Salad
3. Pear Walnut Salad
4. Vegan Broccoli Salad
5. Peanut Crunch Salad in a Jar

📖 Recipe

This recipe was originally published in July 2015. I've updated the post and now I am republishing it for you. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for following A Virtual Vegan!

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