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Cherry Pistachio Quinoa Salad – Quinoa tossed with juicy cherries, nutty pistachios, and fresh mint and dressed with a simple apple cider dressing. It tastes AMAZING and is super easy to make!
If you love quinoa salads, then I’ve got something wonderful to share with you today!
With plenty of cherries leftover from the previous recipe, Summer Cherry-Berry Fruit Salad, I wanted to put them to good use. This recipe has been on my to-do list for a few years now and I’m happy to finally add it to the recipe collection.
Why We Love This Recipe!
- It’s full of flavor and texture. Bursting with juicy cherries, nutty pistachios, and fresh mint, all tossed together with a simple apple cider dressing, it’s a flavor combination that I know you’ll love!
- It’s quick and easy to make. This is one of the reasons I love quinoa salads. They take about 30 minutes from start to finish and prep can be done while the quinoa is cooking.
- It’s healthy. Made with only whole-food plant-based ingredients, it’s 100% vegan and contains plenty of protein, fiber, and other essential vitamins. Plus, it’s gluten—and oil-free!
Ingredient Notes
Start with gathering the ingredients, all of which are simple and should be easily accessible.
- Quinoa – You can find it almost everywhere these days, and it’s fairly inexpensive. Once cooked, let it cool a bit before assembling the salad. This will take the longest, but be patient. It will be worth the wait!
- Cherries – I used plump, juicy fresh cherries. If out of season, dried cherries will do fine too (see notes in the recipe card below). You can also use frozen cherries that have been thawed.
- Pistachios – Their distinctly rich flavor and crunch are perfect with the other flavors. Feel free to substitute using almonds, roughly chopped or slivered. Pecans would be great here as well!
- Red Onion – You can substitute with shallots which are a little sweeter and slightly milder than other onions.
- Mint – Adds a pop of color and refreshing note.
- Apple cider vinegar and lemon – Both are healthy additions and add zestiness, finishing off the quinoa salad nicely.
How To Make Cherry Pistachio Quinoa Salad
The only real work is removing the cherry pits, for which I finally bought a cherry pitter (above left). It’s a handy little tool to help get the job done easily.
If you’re going to be pitting a lot of cherries, you may consider one for yourself. They are available on Amazon or directly from the brand OXO.
Tip: When working with cherries, I suggest prepping them on a large plate or glass dish instead of using a wooden cutting board since the cherry juice may stain it. The stain will eventually go away, but it’s something to consider.
Once the quinoa is cooked and the cherries pitted, combine the quinoa with the cherries, pistachios, red onion, mint, salt, pepper, apple cider vinegar, and a squeeze of lemon.
And voila – a flavorful, healthy quinoa salad that you’ll probably finish before the day is done!
And yes, I am speaking from experience. I had this two days in a row for testing purposes and it was gone before 6 p.m. All to myself, I might add. :)
Top Tips
- Use a cherry pitter.It makes pitting cherries super simple. You can find them on Amazon (affiliate link) or OXO.
- Add arugula. For variation, add a large handful of baby arugula to the mix. This bitterness of these greens is a nice compliment to the cherries and pistachios.
- Add chickpeas. If you’re looking to add a little extra protein, a can of chickpeas will do the trick!
Serving Suggestions
Serve this healthy cherry quinoa salad as a meal or side dish. Take it to share at gatherings and get-togethers, or make it ahead for quick-to-go lunches.
More Quinoa Salad Recipes!
If you love quinoa salads as much as I do, you’ll love these different variations.
- Apple Quinoa Salad + Tahini Maple Dressing
- Strawberry, Apple + Quinoa Spinach Salad
- See all Vegan Quinoa Salad recipes on TSV!
If you try this easy salad recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.
CHERRY, PISTACHIO + MINT QUINOA SALAD
Plump juicy cherries, rich flavored pistachios, and refreshing mint tossed with heart-healthy quinoa and a light apple cider vinegar dressing. Simple and flavorful!
- Author: Julie | The Simple Veganista
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4 – 6 1x
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients
Units Scale
- 1 cup dried quinoa
- 1 3/4 cups water
- 1 lb. cherries (about 2 cups), pitted and sliced in half
- 1/2 cup pistachios
- 1/4 red onion (or 1 small shallot), minced
- 1/4 cup mint, chopped
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- juice of 1 lemon
- mineral salt & fresh cracked pepper, to taste
- a handful baby arugula, optional
Instructions
In a medium-size pot/pan, add quinoa and water, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer, at a gentle boil, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover, and let set 10 – 15 minutes, fluff with a fork. Let cool almost completely before assembly.
In a large mixing bowl or pot/pan the quinoa was in, add the cherries, pistachios, shallot, mint, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Toss well to combine, adding in the optional baby arugula if desired.
Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Servers 4 – 6
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 – 6 days.
Notes
Use dried cherries, about 1 1/2 – 2 cups, if fresh cherries are not available. Roughly chop them before adding to salad. I haven’t made this using dried cherries, so you’ll have to use your best judgment on how much to add. If you make this with dried cherries, it would be great to share with us how much you used.
Change up the pistachios using raw or toasted, chopped, or slivered almonds. Chopped pecans would also be great!
Want to add a little extra protein? Try adding a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas to the mix.
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