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    Home » Diet » Gluten Free Recipes

    Sweet & Spicy Quinoa Salad

    5 from 1 vote
    Posted March 25, 2015 (last updated August 14, 2018) by Wendy Polisi

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    This post may contain affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

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    This Sweet & Spicy Quinoa Salad is a fun vegan quinoa salad that is packed with nutrition.  With oranges, apples and grapes, this is one the whole family will love.

    Sweet & Spicy Quinoa Salad - WendyPolisi.com

    Normally in the contest between sweet and spicy, spicy always wins with me.

    These days, however, my taste buds are more than a little finicky. Thanks to the pressure that baby is putting on my stomach, eating has become kind of...difficult. For the foodie in me, this means I've got to make it count.

    I feel like I'm that neurotic friend in a restaurant who can't order without calling the server back to change their order three times. (As if national security is dependent on making the correct order.) Only I do this in the privacy of my own kitchen and its just myself I'm driving crazy.

    Do I want something sweet? Spicy?

    Hmmm...how about both?

    This quinoa salad gives you just that.

    sweet-spicy-quinoa-salad-3

    The homemade sauce is packed with flavor, and you can even amp things up a bit by doubling the crushed red pepper if you like things fire engine hot. Or if are, say, trying to test the theory that spicy food brings on labor.

    Not that I would have done that mind you. Just like I haven't been putting balsamic vinegar on everything and hubby is most definitely NOT at the grocery store buying eggplant and pineapple right now...

    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Sweet & Spicy Quinoa Salad

    This Sweet & Spicy Quinoa Salad is a fun vegan quinoa salad that is packed with nutrition.  With oranges, apples and grapes, this is one the whole family will love.
    Prep Time20 minutes mins
    Cook Time3 minutes mins
    Total Time23 minutes mins
    Course: Main Course, Side Dish
    Cuisine: American, Gluten Free, Healthy, Quinoa
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 333kcal
    Author: Wendy Polisi

    Ingredients

    • 1 orange peeled and segmented
    • 1 granny smith apple cored and chopped drizzled with
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1 shallot chopped
    • 1 roasted red pepper chopped
    • 1 cup seedless grapes halved
    • 1 cup arugula chopped
    • 2 cups cooked quinoa
    • ¼ cup cashews chopped
    • Sweet and Sour Sauce
    • 1 ½ teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
    • ¼ cup maple syrup
    • ¼ cup coconut palm sugar
    • ⅓ cup rice vinegar
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt
    • 8 cloves garlic minced
    • Dressing
    • ½ cup Sweet and Sour Sauce one recipe, above
    • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce or gluten free tamari

    Instructions

    • Make the Sweet and Sour Sauce
    • In a small saucepan, toast the red pepper flakes over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add maple syrup and coconut palm sugar and stir to combine. Add vinegar and salt and cook over medium low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in garlic and remove from heat. Allow to cool completely.
    • Make the Dressing
    • In a small bowl, combine sweet and sour sauce, lime juice and soy sauce.
    • Make the Salad
    • In a large bowl, add orange, apple, shallot, green pepper, grapes, arugula and quinoa. Toss with ½ of the dressing and sprinkle with cashews to serve. Drizzle with additional dressing if desired. Reserve any unused dressing for another use.

    Notes

    Servings 6, Calories 227, Fat 4g, Carbohydrates 43.6g, Protein 4.5g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 359mg, Fiber 3.5g, Sugars 23.5g, WW Pts 6

    Nutrition

    Calories: 333kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 5g | Sodium: 702mg | Potassium: 524mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 290IU | Vitamin C: 31.8mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 2.5mg

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    Sweet & Spicy Quinoa Salad

    Filed Under:

    Gluten Free RecipesQuinoa RecipesSalad RecipesVegan RecipesVegetarian Recipes

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    About Wendy Polisi

    Hi, I’m Wendy! I’m a cook, 5 time cookbook author, blogger, natural health enthusiast…and most importantly a mom. My boys are 16 & 17 and my late life princess is 9.

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      Your support means the world to me! If you loved this recipe, I would be grateful if you left a star rating while leaving a comment. Star ratings go a long way in helping other food enthusiasts discover and enjoy my recipes online.

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    1. Shannon Graham

      December 29, 2017 at 6:59 pm

      5 stars
      This sounds like a delicious alternative to Chinese!

      Reply

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