Whenever juicy figs and winter squash are in season, we get ready to make lots of delicious vegan bowls!
Loaded with textures, flavors, color and essential nutrients, they are everything we want a good lunch or dinner to be! Plus, all of the components are customizable to your preferences or foods that are available to you.
free 7-day vegan meal plan
Your next week of eating is planned out with these quick and delicious vegan bowls, meal prepping steps & full grocery list.
This vegan spinach fig salad is a delicious 30-minute dinner idea, but if you happen to have some pre-cooked grains on hand, it can be even quicker!
With a vibrantly colored, light blueberry yogurt dressing, this recipe has serious potential to get a space in your weekly dinner rotation.
For more seasonal goodness, try our roast pumpkin spinach salad, roasted sweet potato salad and this warm lentil kale salad! We also have a collection of 40+ vegan quinoa recipes.
Recipe overview
- All the fall flavors & textures you’ll ever want
- Beautifully colored & versatile
- Rich in antioxidants, minerals & vitamins
- Ready in 30 minutes
- Super easy to make & highly customizable
- Meal prep-friendly & lunch to-go idea
You’ll simply love this wonderfully colored and textured meal.
Let’s go over how easy it is to make your own vegan fall spinach and fig salad bowl!
Ingredients needed
- Winter squash — this orange veggie gets seasoned and baked to golden perfection.
- Quinoa — in our opinion, any good vegan bowl needs to have some type of grain.
- Spinach & figs— essential for any spinach fig salad and so delicious!
- Red cabbage — bursting with color & antioxidants, cheap and crunchy.
- Red onion — more flavor, zing and health-supporting components for the colder months!
- Fresh parsley — optional but we like it.
- Blueberries, balsamic & soy yogurt — dressing ingredients.
In terms of kitchen equipment, you need a baking sheet, parchment paper, pot, blender, knife, measuring equipment and serving bowls.
How to make spinach fig salad
Roast butternut
Start by lining a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat your oven. Wash and cube your winter squash, then season it with some salt, pepper and thyme.
Arrange the pumpkin cubes in a single layer on your baking sheet and put it into the oven for around 20 minutes, until soft, golden and fragrant.
You can roast other components like red onion or even figs alongside your winter squash for a couple of minutes if you want!
Cook quinoa
In the meantime, cook quinoa on the stove according to the package instructions and set it aside once all of the water is absorbed.
Prepare veggies
Wash and chop the rest of your produce: spinach, red cabbage, onion, figs and parsley. Transfer them into a large mixing bowl.
Make the dressing
Add all ingredients for the easy blueberry yogurt dressing into a blender and blend until smooth. Adjust to taste preferences.
Assemble the salad
Once all of the ingredients are ready, toss them in a bowl and mix with a large spoon or divide them between a couple of smaller bowls.
Storage & serving
Enjoy this spinach fig salad immediately or store the salad and the dressing separately in the fridge for up to 4 days.
The dressing might separate or thicken after 2-3 days, just give it a good stir and add a splash of soy milk if needed!
This vegan spinach fig salad is a complete meal and can be enjoyed on its own. Top with roasted chickpeas or broad beans, crunchy nuts or seeds or drizzle with tahini.
It’s also delicious alongside vegan bread, creamy vegan mac and cheese or a warming lentil soup.
Tips & FAQs
Meal prep tips
This recipe is meal prep-friendly even though it contains both warm and cold ingredients. You can use any pre-cooked grains for this meal and store the salad separately from the dressing in the fridge for a quick lunch!
Just make sure to add the blueberry dressing right before serving the salad to avoid a soggy mess.
Suggested swaps
- Quinoa: use couscous, bulgur, farro, millet, buckwheat or rice instead
- Butternut: any winter squash or sweet potatoes can be used
- Figs: use pear, grapes, apple or cranberries instead
- Spinach: lamb’s lettuce, romaine, arugula or mixed leafy greens
- Dressing: honey mustard, tofu ranch, balsamic date or garlic yogurt sauce
Add-ins
If you’re not keen on some of the ingredients or happen to have any of the following plant-based goodness on hand, feel free to add them to your vegan salad!
- Brussels sprouts
- Beetroot
- Carrots
- Avocado
- Baked sweet potato fries
- Walnuts or pecans
- Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds
- Croutons
- Lentils or chickpeas
- Vegan feta
- Grilled tempeh or tofu
More vegan salads
If you liked this recipe, be sure to try these delicious salads and bowls next!
- Rainbow Buddha bowl
- Quinoa Veggie Bowl
- Mediterranean Pasta Salad
- Tofu Nourish Bowl
- Creamy Vegan Potato Salad
Did you make our vegan spinach fig salad and like it? Share with us in the comments below, rate our recipe and don’t forget to Pin this recipe here.
Colorful Vegan Spinach Fig Salad
This beautifully colored and textured vegan spinach fig salad features everything you love about fall! Ready in only 30 minutes, it’s really healthy, satisfying and easy to make. Great for weight loss or meal prep, too!
Ingredients
- 1 lb butternut squash, peeled and cubed (450 g)
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 1 cup dry quinoa (170 g), rinsed
- 4 cups baby spinach (120 g)
- 3 medium figs, sliced
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cups red cabbage (140 g), thinly sliced
- ½ cup fresh parsley (14 g), roughly chopped
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 batch blueberry dressing
Instructions
Roast the squash
- Preheat your oven to 375°F/190°C and line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
- Toss the butternut squash cubes with dried thyme and a pinch of salt and pepper, then transfer them to the prepared baking sheet. Roast for around 20 minutes until the butternut squash is tender and lightly golden-brown.
Cook the quinoa
- Meanwhile, cook quinoa according to package directions. Once done, set aside.
Make the dressing
- Put all of the ingredients for the dressing in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble the salad
- Get two serving bowls, place the cooked quinoa at the bottom and layer with fresh spinach, figs, onion, red cabbage and parsley.
- Toss to combine and top with roasted butternut squash. Drizzle with the creamy blueberry dressing and garnish with more fresh blueberries if you like! Enjoy.
Notes
- You can use any winter squash you like for this recipe.
- Feel free to roast the onion and figs alongside your butternut squash if that’s your preferred texture and taste!
- Find many more ideas for add-ins in the article above.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: ½ recipeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 566Total Fat: 6.6gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 275mgCarbohydrates: 115gFiber: 20gSugar: 26gProtein: 19g
Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated automatically, their accuracy is not guaranteed. Just focus on whole plant-based foods and eat until satiety!
Alena Schowalter is a Certified Vegan Nutritionist who has been a vegetarian since childhood and vegan since 2012. Together with her husband, she founded nutriciously in 2015 and has been guiding thousands of people through different transition stages towards a healthy plant-based diet. She’s received training in the fields of nutrition, music therapy and social work. Alena enjoys discussions around vegan ethics, walks through nature and creating new recipes.
This beautifully colored and textured vegan spinach fig salad features everything you love about fall! Ready in only 30 minutes, it’s really healthy, satisfying and easy to make.