Fall Quinoa Salad

This fall quinoa salad with roasted sweet potatoes, crispy chickpeas, apples, grapes, pomegranate, baby spinach, and walnuts is packed with flavor and healthy ingredients. It’s topped with an easy maple mustard dressing and makes the perfect lunch or light dinner for fall!

Why This Recipe Works

If you’re looking for a healthy and filling salad that is packed with fall flavors, you will love this fall quinoa salad! It’s colorful, fresh, hearty, and incredibly delicious.

Quinoa makes the perfect base for this salad. It’s filling, nutritious, and a great source of plant-based protein. Plus, its slightly nutty flavor goes perfectly with the roasted sweet potatoes and crispy chickpeas.

And the sweet potatoes and chickpeas are so easy to prepare in the air fryer! The sweet potatoes become perfectly tender on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside, while the chickpeas turn wonderfully crunchy. It’s such an easy way to prepare them without having to turn on the oven.

For some freshness and natural sweetness, I added crisp apple, juicy grapes, and pomegranate seeds. I absolutely love the combination of sweet and savory flavors in this salad. Baby spinach adds some greens, while walnuts provide a nice crunch and make the salad even more satisfying.

And let’s not forget about the dressing! It’s a simple combination of olive oil, white wine vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, and fresh lemon juice. It’s tangy, slightly sweet, and pairs perfectly with the fall flavors in this salad.

This salad is also great for meal prep. Just store the dressing separately and add it right before serving. It makes a delicious lunch to take to work or school and it’s also a great addition to a fall potluck or holiday table.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Quinoa – I used white quinoa, but red, black, or tricolor quinoa also works well.
• Sweet Potato – cut it into small, evenly sized cubes so it cooks quickly and evenly in the air fryer.
• Chickpeas – canned chickpeas work perfectly. Drain and rinse them well and pat them dry before air frying. This helps them get nice and crispy.
• Apple – use a crisp and slightly sweet variety. Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Gala apples are great choices.
• Pomegranate Seeds – they add a delicious sweet flavor and make this salad look so pretty.
• Grapes – I like to use seedless green grapes, but red grapes work as well.
• Baby Spinach – you could replace it with arugula or mixed greens if you prefer.
• Walnuts – they add lots of crunch and a slightly nutty flavor. Pecans are also a great choice.

For the Dressing

• Olive Oil – use a good-quality extra virgin olive oil.
• White Wine Vinegar – adds acidity and balances the sweetness of the maple syrup.
• Maple Syrup – for a subtle sweetness. Make sure to use pure maple syrup.
• Mustard – Dijon mustard works best for this dressing.
• Lemon Juice – use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor.
• Salt & Pepper

How To Make This Recipe

1. Step: Cook the quinoa according to the instructions on the package. I cooked it in my Instant Pot with 1 cup of water for 1 minute (with natural pressure release). Once it’s cooked, fluff it with a fork and let it cool.

2. Step: Drain and rinse the chickpeas and pat them dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Place them in a bowl and add one tablespoon of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon paprika powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.

3. Step: Stir well until they are evenly covered with olive and spices and place them in an air fryer. Air fry for 12 minutes at 392 °F until golden and crispy.

4. Step: Peel the sweet potato and cut it into small cubes. Place the sweet potato cubes in the air fryer and toss them with a little olive oil. Air fry for 10-12 minutes at 392 °F until tender and lightly browned and crispy on the outside.

5. Step: While the sweet potatoes and chickpeas are in the air fryer, prepare the remaining ingredients. Roughly chop the walnuts, dice the apple, and cut the grapes in half.

6. Step: Make the dressing. Place the olive oil, white wine vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, and lemon juice in a small bowl or jar. Season with salt and pepper and whisk until well combined.

7. Step: Place the cooked quinoa, baby spinach, apple, grapes, pomegranate seeds, roasted sweet potatoes, and walnuts in a large bowl.

8. Step: Drizzle with the dressing and gently toss until everything is well combined. Serve immediately.

Tips & Tricks

• Make sure to let the quinoa cool before adding it to the baby spinach. If it’s still hot, the spinach will wilt quite a bit.
• Pat the chickpeas as dry as possible before placing them in the air fryer. The drier they are, the crispier they will get.
• Cut the sweet potato into small and evenly sized cubes. This way, they will cook faster and more evenly.
• I recommend adding the crispy chickpeas just before serving so they keep their crunch.
• If you are making this salad ahead of time, store the dressing separately and add it just before serving.
• For even more flavor, you can lightly toast the walnuts in a dry pan for a few minutes.

Storing

Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, this quinoa salad will last for about 3 days.

For the best results, store the dressing and crispy chickpeas separately and add them just before serving. This prevents the salad from becoming soggy and helps the chickpeas stay crispy.

If you have already added the dressing, the salad will still taste great the next day, but the baby spinach will become softer.

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I Like To Hear From You!

I hope you like this fall quinoa salad as much as we do around here.

If you give this recipe a try, I’d love to know what you think about it. Just leave me a comment and a star rating below. Your comments really make my day!

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Sina