Vintage Population Grain Salad
A refreshing salad with quinoa, roasted beets, and a honey-mustard vinaigrette, perfect for a light meal. This Mediterranean-inspired salad recipe, ready in about 40 minutes, pairs quinoa, beets, walnuts into a side that holds its own next to almost any main — bright, balanced, and quick enough to slot into a weeknight plate. Each serving lands at about 390 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly next to roasted proteins, grain bowls, or weeknight mains. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 3 medium beets
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp mustard
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cups arugula
- 1/4 tsp salt
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Equipment for this recipe
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Instructions
- Step 1: Preheat oven to 400°F. Peel and dice 3 medium beets into 1/2-inch cubes. Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1/4 tsp salt, then roast for 20 minutes until tender.
- Step 2: Cook 1 cup quinoa in 2 cups water for 15 minutes until fluffy. Let cool completely.
- Step 3: Whisk together 2 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp mustard, 3 tbsp olive oil, and 1/4 tsp salt to make the dressing. In a large bowl, combine cooled quinoa, roasted beets, 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, and 4 cups arugula. Drizzle with dressing and toss gently.
