This vibrant quinoa salad with orange, fresh herbs and almonds is one of those feel-good dishes that looks as good as it tastes. Nutty quinoa is tossed with naturally sweetened dried berries, juicy oranges and plenty of fresh mint and flat-leaf parsley, then brought together with a bright orange vinaigrette. A handful of toasted almonds on top adds just the right amount of crunch.
It’s perfect as a fresh side dish, a light main or something easy to share at a picnic or party. Best of all, this healthy quinoa salad is simple to make, endlessly versatile and the kind of recipe you’ll find yourself coming back to again and again.
What You’ll Need for This Quinoa Salad with Orange & Fresh Herbs
This quinoa salad is all about bright flavours and simple, wholesome ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Quinoa – light and nutty, the base of the salad
- Red onion – mild, slightly sweet and colourful
- Organic orange – zest and juice add freshness; a juicy navel, Valencia or even a Cara Cara orange are especially good.
- Radicchio – crisp, slightly bitter and full of character
- Fresh herbs – mint and flat-leaf parsley for a fresh finish
- Dried cranberries – lightly sweet and ideally naturally sweetened
- Almonds – flaked or slivered, for crunch
- Leafy greens – arugula, lamb’s lettuce or a mesclun mix
- Orange dressing – olive oil, red wine vinegar, orange juice, garlic, salt and pepper
Quinoa Salad with Orange & Fresh Herbs – So Easy to Make
This quinoa salad with orange and herbs comes together in no time at all! There are just three simple steps to a fresh, feel-good meal:
- Cook the quinoa: Simmer the quinoa in water until tender and fluffy. It doesn’t take long and makes the perfect base for the salad.
- Mix the dressing: Stir all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Assemble the salad: Toss the warm or cooled quinoa with the dressing, then gently fold in the remaining ingredients. Finish with a sprinkle of toasted almonds and you’re done!
You’ll find the exact ingredients and quantities in the printable recipe card below.
Why You’ll Love This Fresh Orange & Herb Quinoa Salad
Healthy eating doesn’t have to be complicated, and this quinoa salad with orange, mint, parsley and almonds is proof of that. Fresh, vibrant ingredients come together in a way that tastes great and feels both nourishing and genuinely satisfying.
Plus this quinoa salad recipe is also wonderfully flexible. You can easily swap the quinoa for couscous if that’s what you have on hand, and despite its fresh, layered flavours, this salad comes together in an easygoing 35 minutes from start to finish, making it ideal for anyone who wants wholesome cooking without spending hours in the kitchen.
If you’re in the mood to explore more quinoa salads, you might also enjoy one of these easy and delicious quinoa salad recipes:
- Moroccan-style Quinoa Salad
- Quinoa Salad with Za’atar, Herbs & Pistachio
- Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
- Quinoa Salad with Roasted Eggplant and Cherry Tomatoes
All of them are full of flavour, simple to prepare and perfect for adding a little extra variety to your weekly meal rotation.
Quinoa Salad with Orange, Mint, Parsley & Almonds
Healthy, light salad or side dish featuring quinoa, mint and parsley, orange and almonds.
I’d love your feedback – just click on the stars to rate this recipe! ⭐
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa (200 g)
- 1 small to medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest (from an organic orange)
- 1 Navel orange, peeled, segmented and diced
- handful radicchio, chopped
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves
- 3-4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/4 cup organic dried cranberries (25 g)
- 1/4 cup flaked or slivered almonds, lightly toasted (25 g)
- 4 handfuls mixed salad greens
For the dressing:
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Method
-
Rinse the uncooked quinoa in a fine mesh strainer. Drain well. Place in a medium saucepan and cook according to package instructions, in double the amount of water for about 20 minutes. Once most of the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is light and fluffy, remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and let stand for another 5 minutes. Transfer to a large salad bowl to further cool.
-
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, orange juice, vinegar and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
-
Add the dressing to the quinoa along with the red onion, zest, orange, radicchio, mint, parsley, cranberries and salad greens; gently combine.
-
Garnish with the toasted almonds and enjoy!
Notes
- This salad recipe is also tasty made with couscous. For an extra healthy couscous salad, look for whole grain spelt couscous at your local organic food market.
For a relaxing atmosphere in the kitchen I recommend my personal Elle Republic: Chilled Out Kitchen Tunes Playlist on Spotify.
Did you try this Quinoa Salad recipe?
Did you try this Quinoa Salad recipe?Then tag @ellerepublic on Instagram and hashtag it #ellerepublic
How did you like it?
Please let me know how this Quinoa Salad with Orange, Mint, Parsley & Almonds recipe turned out for you! I would love to hear how you liked it. Simply rate it with the stars above ⭐or leave me a comment and rate it below.
Did you make any changes to this recipe?
If you have tips for other readers, let me know! It helps me and other readers so much. Sharing is Caring :-).
This post contains affiliate links. If you decide to make a purchase through my link, Amazon will pay me a commission for it. This doesn’t cost you anything additional and the price remains the same.
This is an unbelievable delicious salad. I make it once or twice a month. I’m asked to bring this to gatherings, my 93 year old mother who never had quinoa before can’t stop eating this.
I’ve used balsamic vinegar when out of red wine vinegar and also a balsamic reduction. No complaints from anyone. Sometimes I add more orange zest. I grow parsley and mint so I finally have something to make using both at the same time. I really can’t say enough about this except that it gets better and better as leftovers. Never lasts more than three days in my home but that almost my favorite. I use fresh spinach and romaine lettuce most of the time. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
Thank you Barbara for the 5 stars! So glad to hear that this recipe is such a hit. Also, for your mother who has discovered a love for quinoa! 🙂