Dinner

Apple Quinoa Salad with Sweet Tahini Dressing Recipe

BySophie Carsel December 19, 2025December 19, 2025

Introduction

This Apple Quinoa Salad with Sweet Tahini Dressing offers a delightful blend of textures and flavors. It’s a refreshing, nutritious dish perfect for a light lunch or a vibrant side. The combination of fresh fruit, crunchy nuts, and a creamy, sweet dressing makes it a crowd-pleaser.

In the white bowl sitting on a white marbled surface, there is a salad made of three main layers: the bottom layer is light beige quinoa with small round grains, mixed evenly throughout; the middle layer consists of chopped green apple chunks and sliced celery pieces, adding a fresh green color and crunchy texture; the top layer includes halved red grapes, small pistachios, and bright green mint leaves scattered across for color and decoration. A gold spoon is placed inside the bowl, resting against the left side. Surrounding the bowl are a bunch of red grapes, a green apple, a jar with light brown dressing, and a few mint leaves. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

1 cup Quinoa
2 cups Water
1 Lemon
1 Granny Smith Apple
1 Red Apple
1 1/2 cups Grapes
1 stalk Celery
1/4 cup Raisins
10 Almonds
3 Fresh Mint Leaves
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/3 cup Tahini
2 tablespoons Maple Syrup
1/2 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar

Instructions

Step 1: Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh sieve. In a medium pot, bring 2 cups of water and the rinsed quinoa to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes until the quinoa is cooked.
Step 2: While the quinoa cooks, prepare the dressing by combining tahini, a splash of water, maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl. Mix well until smooth, adding water teaspoon by teaspoon to reach a drizzle-able consistency. Adjust tahini to thicken if needed.
Step 3: Core and dice both the red apple and the Granny Smith apple. Squeeze the juice of one lemon over the diced apples and toss gently to prevent browning.
Step 4: In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, diced apples, grapes, chopped celery, raisins, almonds, fresh mint leaves, and ground cinnamon. Mix thoroughly and adjust cinnamon to taste if desired.
Step 5: Spoon the salad into serving dishes and drizzle generously with the sweet tahini dressing before serving.

Tips & Variations

For extra crunch, lightly toast the almonds before adding them to the salad.
Substitute maple syrup with honey for a different sweetness profile.
Add chopped walnuts or pecans for a richer nutty flavor.
Try adding a handful of arugula or baby spinach for extra greens.
Use lemon juice immediately on apples to prevent them from browning.

Storage

Store the salad and dressing separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Toss the salad with the dressing just before serving for the best texture and flavor. Reheat quinoa if desired, but serve the salad chilled or at room temperature.