Arugula Quinoa Salad

This Arugula Quinoa Salad is a versatile and easy-to-make salad that can be served as either a main or side dish. Made with creamy goat cheese, crunchy walnuts, chewy dried cranberries, and roasted sweet potatoes, this healthy salad recipe is jam-packed with flavor.

Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Servings servings

Calories 496kcal

Author Ashley Petrie, RDN, LDN

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Roasted Sweet Potatoes

1 large sweet potato peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

For the Quinoa

1 cup quinoa dry

For the Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic grated or finely minced
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

For the Salad

4 packed cups baby arugula
½ cup crumbled goat cheese
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup chopped walnuts
¼ cup red onion chopped

Instructions

Roast the Sweet Potato Cubes

Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the cubed sweet potatoes with olive oil and seasonings, then spread out them evenly onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Cook the Quinoa

While the sweet potatoes are roasting, cook one cup of quinoa according to the package instructions. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

Make the Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

While the sweet potatoes and quinoa are cooking, whisk together all of the vinaigrette ingredients until well combined. Set aside.

Assemble the Salad

Toss the arugula, quinoa, and sweet potatoes with the maple dijon vinaigrette in a large salad bowl until well coated. Top the salad with goat cheese, dried cranberries, walnuts, and red onion. Serve immediately.

Notes

Rinse the quinoa before cooking. Quinoa is naturally coated in a bitter substance called saponin. Rinsing the quinoa before cooking helps remove this coating.

Adjust the seasoning to taste. Before you mix everything together, taste the salad dressing and adjust it to suit your tastes.

Dress the salad just before serving. To prevent the salad from becoming soggy, it's best to dress it just before serving.
Storage: Store each ingredient separately for best results. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Do not freeze or leave out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours.

Make Ahead. Prepare the quinoa up to one week in advance, the sweet potatoes up to 4 days in advance, and the vinaigrette up to 2 weeks in advance.

Nutrition

Did you try this recipe?Let me know! Comment below, or take a picture and tag me on Instagram @everydayhomemadebyashley.