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September 16, 2020

Vegan Cranberry Quinoa Salad

Dairy Free Gluten Free Vegan Vegetarian Main Dishes Side Dishes Vegetarian Christmas Thanksgiving
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One of my all-time favorite blog recipes is this delicious vegan cranberry quinoa salad.

Those of you have been reading for a long time may recall that this dish first made its debut at our wedding in 2012, and has since made many appearances as a side dish at our holiday gatherings – especially Thanksgiving!

This recipe has always been delicious, but I wanted to refresh the post with new photos, a bit more recipe instructions/details, and so forth – so here you go! Our old favorite classic with a little upgrade, just in time for fall.

Looking for more ideas? Here are some of my favorite quinoa recipes!

vegan cranberry quinoa salad in a bowl with pecans

Back when we first met with our wedding caterer (Celebrations Catering) many years ago to figure out our reception menu, I mentioned that I’d like to have some sort of vegan quinoa salad on the buffet line, as some of our attendees were vegan and I wanted something for them to eat other than the usual plain pasta.

I told them I was thinking something fall inspired, with nuts and dried cranberries, because our wedding was in October. 

They said they would see what they could do, and at our wedding food tasting the spring before our wedding, we got our first taste of what they had come up with for us.

It was delicious, and proved to be an even bigger hit on the big day at our wedding! I had so many guests asking for the recipe that I emailed our caterer and asked if they’d let me share it here on the blog. 🙂 Thankfully, they said yes!

When I made the recipe again the following month for Thanksgiving (and for many more holiday dinners after that), it was just as delicious as we all remembered.

Fall Quinoa Salad Ingredients

I love how refreshing, simple, and tasty this recipe is. It’s an easy side dish for Thanksgiving, or really for any fall meal! Plus, it’s easy to store and transport if you’re going to a family gathering or holiday potluck.

The cranberries give it a little sweet & tangy flavor, while the pecans give it a bit of crunch. And you all know I’m a big fan of quinoa. 🙂 The fresh herbs and chopped green onions are the (metaphorical) icing on the cake!

To make this recipe, you’ll need:

  • dry quinoa
  • vegetable stock/broth (I recommend low sodium)
  • fresh parsley
  • fresh chives
  • chopped pecans
  • dried cranberries
  • lemon juice
  • olive oil
  • garlic powder/granulated garlic
  • chopped green onions

Of course, if you already have cooked quinoa to use up, you can totally use that in this recipe!

vegan quinoa salad ingredients

Feel free to also throw in some arugula, spinach, and/or goat cheese (if you aren’t trying to keep this recipe vegan, obviously).

Vegan Cranberry Quinoa Salad Recipe

Now, let’s get into how to make the recipe! Fortunately, it comes together in less than 30 minutes, because I like to keep things quick and easy!

Start by cooking your dried quinoa. Rinse it in a strainer, then place it in a medium sauce pot with the vegetable stock/broth.

Cover the pot and bring to a full boil. Then, reduce to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. I like to fluff it with a fork at this point.

Next, combine all the other ingredients (except for the optional green onion garnish) in a bowl. Pour on top of your cooked quinoa and mix. Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste.

how to make quinoa salad

Serve immediately, or cover and chill in the fridge.

You’ll find the full vegan cranberry quinoa salad recipe at the bottom of this post!

How to Store Quinoa Salad

One of the best things about this recipe: you can easily make it ahead of time!

Once the quinoa salad is cool, place in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. When you’re ready to serve, eat the quinoa salad cold, or reheat in the microwave if desired.

vegan quinoa salad with cranberries and pecans in a bowl with a wooden spoon

Looking for more delicious fall recipes? Check these out:

  • Comforting Pumpkin Quinoa
  • Savory Cranberry Stuffed Acorn Squash
  • Spiced Mashed Sweet Potatoes
  • Gluten Free Spiced Pumpkin Pancakes
  • Black Bean Vegan Burgers with Pumpkin
  • Leftover Mashed Potato Pancakes
  • Leftover Turkey and Wheat Berry Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette
  • Healthy Pumpkin Muffins (or Bread)

Vegan Cranberry Quinoa Salad Recipe

Vegan Cranberry Quinoa Salad Recipe
May 5, 2019

This easy vegan quinoa salad recipe is delicious and really easy to make, too. It was originally created by Celebrations Catering for our wedding reception and it was such a hit they agreed to let me share it with all of you! Enjoy.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Yield
Serves 4 as a side dish, 2 as an entrée
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Ingredients:

  • 1 cup dry quinoa
  • 1 & 1/2 cups vegetable stock/broth (low sodium if possible)
  • 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh chives
  • 1/3 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/3 cup dried cranberries
  • 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 large lemon’s worth)
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped green onions (optional garnish)
  • Fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Place quinoa in medium sauce pot with the vegetable stock/broth.
  2. Cover the pot, bring to a full boil, then reduce to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
  4. Combine all other ingredients except for the optional green onion garnish in a bowl. Pour on top of quinoa and mix together.
  5. Serve immediately or cover and chill in the fridge. Enjoy!

Notes:

In the original recipe the pecans were roasted and spiced. Plain pecans work just as well, but spiced pecans are definitely an added bonus if you have some on hand.


Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

- anne
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58 comments
  • Lauren
    November 26, 2012 · 10:36AM:
    I love that you had this at your wedding! It looks delicious! Happy Monday girl!
    Reply
  • Haley @ The Saucy Apple
    November 26, 2012 · 10:50AM:
    Hey Anne! So I just recently found your blog, and I missed all of your wedding posts. I love the mini-mini-recap here though. Love your dress! And I'm excited to try this recipe. :)
    Reply
    • Anne P
      November 26, 2012 · 11:02AM:
      You can see my previous recaps here - more to come! http://www.fannetasticfood.com/category/wedding/
      Reply
  • Rachel (Two Healthy Plates)
    November 26, 2012 · 10:50AM:
    Everything about this sounds great - would have loved to have a dish like this at my wedding! Yum!
    Reply
  • Elle
    November 26, 2012 · 11:03AM:
    Lovely! I would love this too. Quinoa is so versatile. Thanks for sharing and your pictures are beautiful!
    Reply
  • Stefanie @ Thin Vegetarian
    November 26, 2012 · 11:03AM:
    I never seem to like sweet elements in my savory dishes. The closest I will go is beets or a caramelized pear in a salad with some goat cheese or Gorgonzola.
    Reply
  • Erica @ For the Sake of Cake
    November 26, 2012 · 11:30AM:
    Yum! I've been wanting to try out more quinoa recipes! Definitely going to pin this for future reference!
    Reply
  • Megan
    November 26, 2012 · 12:04PM:
    This recipe seems so simple and looks delicious!! I definitely am going to have to make this very soon (I have dried cranberries with orange flavoring from Trader Joe's that'd be perfect!)!
    Reply
    • Anne P
      November 26, 2012 · 12:17PM:
      Mmmm that would be delicious!
      Reply
    • Karlene April 17, 2013 · 2:11PM:
      Yes, those TJ's orange cranberries would be perfect in this.
      Reply
  • Gena
    November 26, 2012 · 1:10PM:
    YUM! Pinning!
    Reply
    • Anne P
      November 26, 2012 · 1:44PM:
      I was thinking I should make this for you for our next dinner get together, since it will be my turn to feed you! :)
      Reply
  • Kris S November 26, 2012 · 1:29PM:
    Yum! :)
    Reply
  • Charlie (The Runner Beans)
    November 26, 2012 · 1:43PM:
    That looks delicious, and I bet it would go really well with the Salmon I'm having tonight!
    Reply
  • Michelle @Peachy Palate
    November 26, 2012 · 2:37PM:
    Delicious! Love cranberries and pecans together! Very pretty pics!
    Reply
  • Shay @ Whine Less, Breathe More
    November 26, 2012 · 2:46PM:
    I need this!!
    Reply
  • Renie November 26, 2012 · 2:47PM:
    Anne, I noticed a picture of Jenna Bush's wedding dress and it looked like yours except it was sleeveless.
    Reply
  • Aurora Gesni November 26, 2012 · 2:50PM:
    YES!!!! I'm so excited you got the recipe!! I think that was my favorite dish at your wedding. I'll let you know how it turns out. :) Thank you!
    Reply
    • Anne P
      November 26, 2012 · 3:54PM:
      Yay! Enjoy :)
      Reply
  • Leslie November 26, 2012 · 3:47PM:
    I made a recipe similar to this for thanksgiving but added roasted sweet potatoes to it. It was delish and would be totally filling as lunch!
    Reply
    • Anne P
      November 26, 2012 · 3:54PM:
      Yum sounds great!
      Reply
  • Caitlin
    November 26, 2012 · 4:05PM:
    Hahaha love the pic of you hitting the buffet hard. This sounds like a great Thanksgiving-appropriate dish with the cranberry and pecans!
    Reply
  • T.G.I.F!!! (the goal is fitness) November 26, 2012 · 4:10PM:
    That was one of my favorite dishes at your wedding, too! :-) Thx for sharing the recipe.
    Reply
  • Erin @ Girl Gone Veggie
    November 26, 2012 · 6:14PM:
    Oh I need to make this for Josh! I'm trying to compile all the awesome vegetarian recipes I find online so that when I'm making dinner for the two of us I can make good stuff! Thanks!
    Reply
  • Pamela November 26, 2012 · 7:13PM:
    I'm making this for my husband. He loves salads with nuts & fruits, cancer runs in his family and I'm determined to up that daily veggie & fruit count. I wish I could eat this, the curse of severe food allergies, no quinoa, no nuts etc, etc, etc. Thank you for sharing!
    Reply
  • Shirley Godbold November 26, 2012 · 7:40PM:
    This looks great, but what about people who are allergic to NUTS - not peanuts, but nuts? Most people don't realize that nuts and peanuts are not the same thing and people who are allergic to nuts can still eat peanuts. Peanuts are a legume or a bean and nuts grow on trees.
    Reply
    • Anne P
      November 27, 2012 · 8:51AM:
      So anyone who is allergic to nuts but not peanuts can use peanuts instead of pecans!
      Reply
  • Tina @ Best Body Fitness
    November 26, 2012 · 8:39PM:
    This sounds like a perfect fall side dish! Love quinoa and cranberries + pecans sound like great additions.
    Reply
  • Zulma November 26, 2012 · 9:21PM:
    wow! looks delicious. I ate quinoa in my country birth (Peru), but in Costa Rica it's difficult to get. My mother cooked like a stew ("guiso" in spanish). Thanks for sharing this recipe I will try to do it. I'll be waiting for the "recap" of your wedding. Have a lovely week!!
    Reply
  • Kimberly November 27, 2012 · 9:23AM:
    Yum! I will def be trying this soon! Thanks for the recipe! :)
    Reply
  • Healthy Eater November 27, 2012 · 9:24AM:
    Good -- and tasty, too. Great combination... Thanks for sharing.
    Reply
  • Jessica Locke
    November 27, 2012 · 5:51PM:
    I've had a salad very similar to this before and its wonderful! Its such a nice addition to a fall mealtime celebration. Yummy!
    Reply
  • Alexis @ Hummusapien
    November 29, 2012 · 9:52AM:
    This looks super fresh and delish...I love that you had it at your wedding :)
    Reply
  • mel December 3, 2012 · 11:52AM:
    Well, I made this! Thought you'd like to know. It was delicious - and I find that quinoa recipes are very hit or miss for me. I have leftovers with me today. I actually used the green onions, the granulated spices you mentioned, and instead of cayenne I had toasted the pecans (to make them 'spiced') with a brown sugar bbq dry rub that my husband uses on the smoker. I thought it was really delicious - what main dish do you think would go well with this?
    Reply
    • Anne P
      December 3, 2012 · 11:55AM:
      Sounds awesome! And it would go well with any main dish - chicken, seafood, even steak. Get creative!
      Reply
  • Maria @ Little Miss Cornucopia
    December 9, 2012 · 12:12AM:
    This dish screams perfection! The only thing I changed was that I toasted the pecans just slightly, and omg! Superb!! Thanks so much for this! I'll definitely be making it again :D
    Reply
  • Kathleen
    December 11, 2012 · 2:30PM:
    I made this for a dinner party Sunday night. Everyone loved it and it was so easy to make. I will definitely do it again. Thanks so much for sharing.
    Reply
  • BB December 12, 2012 · 10:26AM:
    I made this over the weekend with blood orange infused olive oil. It was delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
    Reply
    • Anne P
      December 13, 2012 · 9:02PM:
      Mmm I love infused oils!
      Reply
  • LiveFreeAndRun
    November 19, 2013 · 8:19PM:
    Have you made it with fresh cranberries?
    Reply
    • Anne
      November 20, 2013 · 3:17PM:
      No, I haven't - the fresh cranberries might be too tart on their own? You could try it, though!
      Reply
  • Amy November 27, 2013 · 1:01PM:
    Hello :) I would like to make this for Thanksgiving day dinner. Is it best to make it the day of or can you make it the day before? Thank you :) Amy
    Reply
    • Anne
      November 27, 2013 · 3:48PM:
      Either works fine. Enjoy it!
      Reply
  • Karen December 24, 2013 · 3:11PM:
    I just made this to bring along to my SIL's house tomorrow. There are a couple vegans and vegetarians in the family. It will be a big hit. I hope there's some left by tomorrow. It is absolutely delicious!!!!! I tripled the recipe, used roasted almonds instead of pecans and also added the optional ingredients. Used garlic powder vs granulated garlic as that is what I had on hand. It is my new favourite quinoa dish, and I've tried many. Thank you for sharing!
    Reply
    • Anne
      December 24, 2013 · 4:23PM:
      Yay I'm so glad you like it! :)
      Reply
  • Lisae October 9, 2014 · 1:14PM:
    What could I substitute for the pecans (nut allergy)? Would cheese be good to add, like goat cheese? Thanks
    Reply
    • Anne
      October 9, 2014 · 1:32PM:
      You could do seeds or leave them out entirely! And goat cheese would definitely be good.
      Reply
  • Francesca
    December 21, 2015 · 8:30AM:
    Hello Anne ♥ Just thought I'd leave a massage to let you know I've loved this amazing recipe and I've included it in my 50 Epic Vegan Christmas recipes' roundup: http://sevenroses.net/2015/12/50-epic-vegan-christmas-recipes/ Thank you & happy holidays! =)
    Reply
    • Anne
      December 21, 2015 · 9:13AM:
      Thank you!
      Reply
  • Robin November 26, 2017 · 3:31PM:
    I made this receipe for Thanksgiving this year. I added the optional ingredients and a little extra craisins as well. I think golden raisins would be good too. I served it cold - it was so convenient to make ahead and it was delicious. Now I'm eating the leftovers heated up and I love it warm too. Definitely a keeper, thanks for sharing.
    Reply
    • Anne
      November 29, 2017 · 8:17AM:
      I'm so glad it was a hit!
      Reply
  • Alison June 29, 2018 · 5:57PM:
    I've made this recipe about 10 times and it is AWESOME. Such a crowd pleaser, so easy to make, and healthy too! Just had to thank you for sharing this recipe.
    Reply
    • Anne
      July 1, 2018 · 5:22PM:
      I'm so glad to hear you've been enjoying it - thank you for taking the time to let me know! :)
      Reply
  • Kim September 17, 2020 · 12:34PM:
    I'd like to make this dish tonight. Are the pecans a sweet flavor? Or what spices are in the pecans? Thank you!
    Reply
    • Anne
      September 17, 2020 · 1:57PM:
      You can just roast them in a little olive oil, salt, and pepper! Or leave them raw, that works too. Let me know what you think!
      Reply
  • Roadrunner September 19, 2020 · 8:26PM:
    This looks fantastic, thanks!
    Reply
  • Kim December 3, 2020 · 2:22PM:
    I made this (again) for dinner tonight. It is in my refrigerator now cooling. Excited to eat this tonight!
    Reply
    • Anne
      December 3, 2020 · 5:36PM:
      Yay! Enjoy it :)
      Reply
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anne mauney fannetastic food
Hi, I’m Anne! I'm a Washington D.C. based Registered Dietitian, mother, runner, and lover of travel, adventure, and the great outdoors. I've been blogging since 2009, sharing a mix of lifestyle content, recipes, and fitness tips. Come for the recipes – stay for the fun!
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I’m Anne, a Registered Dietitian and mother. I've been blogging since 2009 and love showing others that eating nutritious foods and staying active can actually be fun rather than overwhelming!

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