Through The Fibro Fog

  • Summer Recipes
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Ebooks
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Summer Recipes
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Ebooks
  • Subscribe
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Summer Recipes
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Ebooks
  • Subscribe
×
Home » Recipes » Salads

Apple Quinoa Salad

Published: Jan 30, 2019 · Modified: May 12, 2023 by Claire · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases · 4 Comments

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This apple quinoa salad is a fun flavorful lunch or light dinner recipe, and packed with nutritious ingredients. A very quick and simple salad, it's vegan, gluten free and low histamine and comes together in less than 30 minutes!

apple quinoa salad on a brown plate with a wooden plate of pumpkin seeds next to it.

Love quinoa salads as much as my family does? Perhaps you may like to see my arugula quinoa salad and my quinoa and fennel salad, which feels especially perfect in the fall months.

This apple blueberry salad is fresh and light, mixing sweet fruit with protein-packed quinoa to make it a bit heartier. Lovely as a lunch salad on its own, or as a side in smaller portions for picnics or summer BBQs.

This recipe was updated on 14 February 2022 with an amended recipe, tips and photos.

Jump to:
  • ⭐ Why you'll love this recipe
  • 🍎 Ingredients
  • 📖 Recipe variations
  • 🔪 Step by step instructions
  • 💭 Recipe tips and notes
  • 📋 Frequently asked questions
  • 🥗 More salad recipes
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

⭐ Why you'll love this recipe

  • Fresh and light - the combination of quinoa, fruit, nuts and seeds feels light and is perfect for an easy vegan lunch.
  • Versatile. Add extra veggies, nuts or seeds and those you love best!
  • Quick and simple to make - this quinoa salad requires very little 'hands on' time and comes together in less than half an hour.

🍎 Ingredients

individually labelled quinoa, coriander, apples, blueberries, tahini, nuts and seeds.

This vegan apple quinoa salad comprises fresh produce and pantry staples. You will need:

  • Quinoa - you can use a white quinoa, as in these photos, or a quinoa blend.
  • Apples and blueberries - the sweet fruit of the salad.
  • Pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and pistachios - give such a good crunch, as well as flavor.
  • Coriander / cilantro - for lots of flavor. See below for variations if you aren't a fan!
  • Extra virgin olive oil - I suggest using extra virgin olive oil rather than regular olive oil for a better depth of flavor.
  • Tahini - for the dressing. I suggest to use light tahini, not dark.
  • Salt - to season.

📖 Recipe variations

Swap fruit in and out to preference. You may like to include pears, or other berries. For my low histamine readers, you may wish to avoid strawberries.

A herb-based dressing such as the basil dressing in my asparagus salad can be used in place of tahini.

Swap out coriander for another herb such as parsley if you prefer.

🔪 Step by step instructions

Making this apple quinoa salad is very easy, with just a few steps and a little prep time.

cooked quinoa in a pan on a stove top.
tahini dressing in a glass bowl with a spoon in it next to red apples.
chopped apples, blueberries, herbs and nuts and a bowl of tahini on a wooden chopping board.

Step 1

Cook the quinoa according to packet instructions, and then set aside to cool.

Step 2

Make the tahini dressing by combining tahini and water, and stirring until it becomes a sauce-like consistency.

Step 3

Combine the diced fruit, nuts, seeds, quinoa and herbs in a bowl. Drizzle over the dressing and then stir well to combine. Season with salt, as required.

💭 Recipe tips and notes

  • Ensure the quinoa is fully cooked, and then set aside. I place in a fine mesh sieve over a bowl so that any excess water can drain off.
  • You can use white quinoa or a quinoa blend.
  • Adjust the dressing with more tahini or water to get the consistency you prefer.
  • Swap out coriander for another herb, such as parsley if you prefer.

📋 Frequently asked questions

How do you know when quinoa is cooked?

The seeds will open up so you can see their 'tails' when they are cooked through.

Is this apple quinoa salad gluten free?

Yes, quinoa is gluten free, as are the other ingredients in this recipe.

Can I make this a nut free salad?

Simply swap out the nuts for more seeds if you prefer!

blueberry apple quinoa salad on a brown plate with apples in the background.

🥗 More salad recipes

Find lots of salad recipes here on the site, including my refreshing cucumber beetroot salad and apple cucumber salad, as well as these recent recipes to try out:

  • carrot and apple salad in a bowl with a serving spoon next to apples and a small bowl of pomegranate arils.
    Carrot and Apple Salad with Pomegranate
  • chicken pesto pasta salad in a white bowl next to fresh basil leaves, radishes and salad servers.
    Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad
  • roasted beet and carrot salad on a white plate.
    Beet and Carrot Salad
  • cucumber celery salad on a white plate next to fresh mint leaves and olive oil.
    Cucumber Celery Salad

I’m always in the kitchen, so come join me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to be the first to hear of new recipes. And please do leave a star rating and comment ⭐ if you've tried the recipe!

📖 Recipe

apple quinoa salad on a brown plate next to a red apple and bowl of blueberries.

Apple Quinoa Salad

Claire
A tasty lunch or light dinner, this apple quinoa salad is packed with tasty ingredients. Serves one generously, or two as a side salad.
5 from 4 votes
Prevent your screen from going dark
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 25 minutes mins
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American, British
Servings 2 servings
Calories 334 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • ¼ cup quinoa dry weight
  • 1 apple diced
  • handful blueberries halved
  • 2 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds optional
  • ¼ cup fresh coriander / cilantro finely diced
  • 2 tablespoon pistachios
  • 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon tahini
  • 3 tablespoon water
  • pinch salt
  • pinch black pepper optional

Instructions
 

  • Cook the quinoa according to packet instructions.
  • Make the tahini dressing by combining the tahini with water and stirring until it forms a sauce. Adjust the amount of tahini and water to get the consistency you prefer.
  • Once cooled, combine the quinoa with the apple, blueberries, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, pistachios and coriander. Drizzle over the tahini dressing.

Notes

  • Allow the quinoa to drain of any excess water by setting aside in a fine mesh sieve over a bowl after cooking.
  • Adjust the consistency of the dressing by adding more tahini or water to preference. More tahini will thicken the dressing, and more water will thin.
  • Nutritional information is auto-generated and should be understood to be an estimate
 
Swiss Interest Group Histamine Intolerance (SIGHI) food compatibility list for histamine
All ingredients score 0 on the SIGHI list, with the exception of:
  • tahini (sesame), which scores 1. Please note that it is a potential allergen.
  • black pepper, which scores 2.

Nutrition

Calories: 334kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 11gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.01gSodium: 7mgPotassium: 486mgFiber: 6gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 97IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 57mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @lowhistaminekitchen or tag #lowhistaminekitchen!
Tweet
Share
Pin
Share

More Easy & Flavorful Salads

  • beet kale salad in a light brown bowl next to fresh beets and a bottle of olive oil.
    Roasted Beet Kale Salad
  • cucumber potato salad with dill and radishes on a white plate next to a small bowl of fresh mint leaves and blue cloth.
    Cucumber Potato Salad
  • broccoli pomegranate salad on a white plate with a spoon next to a small bowl of pomegranate seeds and fresh cilantro leaves.
    Broccoli and Pomegranate Salad
  • radish slaw in a cream bowl next to fresh cilantro and a small bowl of radishes.
    Radish Slaw

Comments

  1. Shel says

    June 08, 2024 at 4:11 pm

    What is the actual serving size per serving?

    Reply
    • Claire says

      June 08, 2024 at 4:27 pm

      We use a 1/4 cup of uncooked quinoa, which is typically the amount for one serving as a main meal.

      Reply
  2. Tracey says

    June 15, 2023 at 4:46 pm

    Hi
    What's the green in this recipe please? Is it kale?
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Claire says

      June 15, 2023 at 4:58 pm

      It's coriander / cilantro. Just realised it isn't in the recipe card, will add it now! You can always use a different herb if you prefer as I know some people aren't fans of coriander!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

Recipe Rating




Hi, I’m Claire. After a diagnosis of MCAS I began to follow a low histamine diet, which has helped me manage my symptoms. Here I hope to show that a restrictive diet can still be full of flavourful meals, and help you enjoy being creative in the kitchen.

More about me →

Summer Recipes

  • baked rosemary thyme chicken on a white plate next to arugula.
    Baked Rosemary Thyme Chicken
  • chicken pesto pasta salad in a white bowl next to fresh basil leaves, radishes and salad servers.
    Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad
  • apple and cucumber salad in a white bowl with a spoon in it next to red apples and mint leaves.
    Apple and Cucumber Salad
  • cucumber celery salad on a white plate next to fresh mint leaves and olive oil.
    Cucumber Celery Salad
  • brown bowl of tropical mango coleslaw with mint next to it.
    Tropical Mango Coleslaw
  • two glasses of peach honey mocktail.
    Peach Mocktail

Featured On

collage of featured in brand names including parade, finding vegan, feed feed, food gawker, msn, big oven and trivet recipes.

Popular Recipes

  • chicken thighs on a cream fluted plate garnished with herbs.
    Air Fryer Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
  • stack of grated potato fritters on a white plate with fresh herbs and glass of water in the background.
    Grated Potato Fritters
  • creamy paprika chicken in a light grey skillet.
    Creamy Paprika Chicken
  • cod fillet, roasted potatoes and vegetables on a white plate.
    Air Fryer Frozen Cod

As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Please see my disclaimer. I am not a doctor or healthcare professional. All posts are for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical or dietetic advice in any way.

veda ambassador logo.

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • About Me
  • Disclaimer
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact Me

Copyright © 2025 Through The Fibro Fog

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required