This Fall Fig & Pear Salad with Crispy Quinoa and a Maple Vinaigrette is one of my favorite fall salads! My recipe is inspired by one that I shared a couple years ago and always make it during this time of year. I usually add regular cooked quinoa to this but have seen so many amazing crispy rice salads lately that I thought I’d try it with crispy quinoa. I also love adding some grilled chicken to this to make it a meal! You have to try it for yourself! I hope you love it as much as I do – enjoy!
How To Make My Fall Fig & Pear Salad
Here’s a video of when I made my Fig & Pear Salad with Crispy Quinoa and a Maple Vinaigrette! For another delicious salad, check out my Crunchy Rainbow Parmesan Salad recipe or my Roasted Broccoli and Honeynut Squash Salad with Maple Dijon Vinaigrette recipe.
Ingredients For The Fig & Pear Salad
- 5 ounces spring mix or chopped kale
- 1 pear, thinly sliced
- 1 cup quartered figs
- 3/4 cup pomegranate arils plus more for serving
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1 1/2 cups cooked crispy quinoa (see instructions below)
- 1/2 cup candied walnuts, coarsely chopped
- Crumbled feta or goat cheese for serving
Ingredients For The Maple Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 small shallot
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Recipe Method
- For the crispy quinoa, place the cooked and cooled quinoa onto a parchment-lined baking sheet in an even layer.
- Bake the quinoa at 425 degrees for 20 minutes or until it’s golden brown and crispy, flipping halfway through.
- Set it aside and let it cool before adding it into the salad.