Free Kitchen Hacks eBook

30-Minute Quinoa Arugula Salad

on January 5, 2023
last updated April 11, 2025
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This delicious and fresh Quinoa Arugula Salad is packed with flavor and nutrients and comes together in 30 minutes or less!
Quinoa Arugula Salad with Apple Slices

Looking for a crisp, fresh and filling salad to feed a crowd? This 30-Minute Quinoa Arugula Salad hits the spot with the perfect balance of sweet and savory.

Vibrant in both flavor and color, this refreshing yet hearty salad tops a leafy green and nutty quinoa base with fruit, nuts, and a quick and easy homemade vinaigrette to bring a variety of flavors and textures to each bite.

I absolutely love a sweet and savory moment, and fruit in salad is one of my favorite wats to get it! The contrast of flavors comes together amazingly, like with the blackberries in this salad or the strawberries in this Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad.

Because as a mom-on-the-go who doesn’t settle for boring when it comes to food, I love a satisfying meal with homemade elements that doesn’t even require I turn on my oven!

Large Quinoa Arugula Salad

Arugula Quinoa Salad Ingredients


Here’s everything you need:

  • Quinoa. You can use leftover or pre-made cold quinoa or you can make the quinoa fresh for this dish and use it hot! Using hot quinoa will give you a warmer, comfort meal while using cold quinoa will give you a crisper, more refreshing salad.
  • Arugula. Other leafy greens work here too, but arugula (aka rocket) has a distinct peppery flavor that makes it especially delicious in this salad.
  • Craisins, raisins, or golden raisins. Or any other dried fruit.
  • Apple. Any variety of apple works. I recommend an extra crispy apple like Granny Smith, Fuji, or Ambrosia.
  • Berries. Choose what’s in season! Blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries are all delicious in this salad.
  • Nuts. My favorites for this salad are walnuts, almonds, and pecans, but truly any nuts will do. It adds extra texture to your bite.
  • Apple cider vinegar. Or champagne vinegar, white wine vinegar, or sherry vinegar to act as the base for your quick vinaigrette.
  • Dijon mustard. It can be grainy or smooth, up to you!
  • Honey. Or maple syrup or agave nectar. Just a little sweetness to cut the acidity of the vinegar.
ingredients for quinoa arugula salad - craisins, berries, arugula, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, apple, nuts, cooked quinoa

Additional Optional Add-in Ideas:

  • Bell peppers
  • Snow peas
  • Goat Cheese or Feta Cheese
  • Avocado
  • Red onion
  • Grapes
  • Chickpeas
  • Hemp seeds or Chia seeds
  • Capers or Olives

Quinoa Arugula Salad Tips and Tricks


Prep Your Ingredients

Chop your nuts and your berries (unless you are using blueberries) and core and slice your apple thin. You can leave the apple slices as is (this makes for a gorgeous presentation!) or you can cut the slices in half.

The idea is for each element to be bite-sized, making your salad easy to eat and giving you a better chance to get a little bit of everything in every forkful.

Prepping fruit and nuts for Quinoa Arugula Salad
Prep your salad ingredients

Toss the Quinoa and Arugula Together

You can either make your quinoa ahead of time and add it to your arugula cold, or you want a warm salad, you can use the freshly cooked hot quinoa.

Using cold quinoa makes for a crisper, more refreshing salad. Using warm quinoa slightly wilts the arugula, leaving you with a cozier dish.

Add the quinoa and arugula to a large bowl and toss together to evenly distribute the grains and greens. This step is especially important if you are using warm quinoa. It will allow the quinoa to wilt the arugula.

Once your quinoa and arugula are mixed together, add the nuts, apple, and berries.

Use salad tongs or two large spoons to toss all the ingredients together, so that the fruit and nuts are evenly distributed throughout the quinoa and arugula mixture.

Tossing arugula and quinoa together for the base of a salad
Toss together the quinoa and arugula first
Adding all ingredients to Quinoa Arugula Salad
Then, add your salad mix-ins.

Whip Up Your Honey Dijon Vinaigrette

My favorite way to whip up this quick vinaigrette is by adding the apple cider vinaigrette, Dijon mustard, and honey (or maple syrup or agave nectar) to a a jar with a lid.

Tightly secure the lid on the jar and shake vigorously to combine.

Whipping up quick Dijon Vinaigrette for Quinoa Arugula Salad
Add vinaigrette ingredients to a glass jar and shake vigorously to combine.

Dress Right Before Serving

I highly recommend serving the vinaigrette on the side and allowing everyone to dress their own individual salad. For starters, some people may like more dressing than others.

Additionally, the longer the salad sits with the vinaigrette on it, the more chance it has to get soggy.

And lastly, leftover salad without the dressing will last much longer in the fridge.

If you do wish to dress the entire salad, you can use up all of the vinaigrette. This recipe is designed to make just the right amount for this salad.

Pouring honey Dijon vinaigrette over Arugula Quinoa Salad
Add the dressing right before serving

How to Serve Arugula Salad with Quinoa

If you want this Quinoa Arugula Salad to be elevated to a main dish status, consider adding an additional hot and extra-filling element.

My favorite ways to make this salad a main is by adding either roasted vegetables or fish (or even both!).

A couple of favorites include these Roasted Honey Gold Potatoes and these Roasted Asparagus and Carrots.

For fish, I love adding this Blackened Cod!

Two fresh plates of Arugula Quinoa Salad

Storing Leftover Quinoa Arugula Salad

This salad without the vinaigrette will last on the counter at room temperature for about four hours. In an airtight container, it will last for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

If you have leftover vinaigrette, it can last in a sealed jar for up to 3 months.

If your salad is already dressed with vinaigrette on it, it’s best to enjoy it within a couple of hours. Otherwise, it tends to get too soggy.

Want to sharpen your kitchen skills?

Download My Free eBook
Quinoa Arugula Salad with Apple Slices

30-Minute Quinoa Arugula Salad

5 from 1 vote
Marley Goldin
SAVE RECIPE TO COLLECTION
PIN PRINT RATE
This delicious and fresh Quinoa Arugula Salad is packed with flavor and nutrients and comes together in 30 minutes or less!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
 
 

Arugula Quinoa Salad

  • 1 ½ cups cooked quinoa
  • 10 ounces arugula
  • ¼ cup Craisins, raisins, or golden raisins
  • 1 large apple of any variety (like Granny Smith, Fuji, or Ambrosia)
  • ¾ cup nuts of choice (like walnuts, pecans, or almonds)
  • 6 ounces berries of choice (like blackberries, blueberries, or raspberries)

Quick Small-Batch Honey Dijon Vinaigrette

  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (or white wine or sherry vinegar)
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (grainy or smooth)
  • 1 tablespoon honey, agave nectar, or maple syrup

Instructions
 

Simple Honey Dijon Vinaigrette

  • Add the vinegar, mustard, and honey (or agave nectar or maple syrup) to a jar fit with a lid. Close the lid tight and shake vigorously until well-combined.
    Shaking up a quick small batch Honey Dijon Vinaigrette in a jar

Arugula Quinoa Salad

  • Cook quinoa according to instructions on the packaging to yield 1 ½ cups of cooked quinoa. You can cook the quinoa ahead of time or use leftover quinoa. This salad is delicious with the quinoa hot or cold! In a large bowl, toss the quinoa and arugula together.
    Mixing together quinoa and arugula together to make the base of a salad
  • Chop the nuts, core and slice the apple, and chop the berries into bite-sized pieces if necessary. Add them to the bowl with the quinoa and arugula and toss to evenly distribute.
    Mixing Quinoa Arugula Salad in a large bowl
  • Add the Simple Honey Dijon Vinaigrette to the salad just before serving or serve the vinaigrette on the side. Enjoy!

Pro Tips

  • This recipe works with any apple variety and any type of berry. See post for a list of additional add-in ideas to help make this salad your own!
  • If you want to add a warm element to this salad, but keep it vegetarian, consider adding these Roasted Asparagus and Carrots. 
  • If you want to add protein to this salad, consider adding this Blackened Cod.
Course Dinner, Lunch, Sides
Cuisine American
Diet Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword 30 Minutes or Less, Arugula Salad, Healthy, Quinoa Arugula Salad, Vegan Salad
Did you make this recipe?Leave a comment and let me know what you think! And if you really enjoyed it, help power this website and buy me a coffee!

GET OUR FRESHEST RECIPES STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX

You'll Also Love

Comment on & Rate this Recipe

I very much hope you enjoyed this recipe!

If you did, please give it a star rating, which will help other people just like you find and enjoy the recipe too 😊

If you have any comments, questions or thoughts on the recipe, be sure to let me know in the comments as well. I read each and every one and would love to hear from you!

5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.