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Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad

Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad

A delicious and nutritious Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad with roasted butternut squash, quinoa, cranberries, and a tangy dressing.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Resting Time 5 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings
Calories 261 kcal

Equipment

  • oven
  • baking sheet
  • medium pan
  • small bowl
  • large serving bowl
  • measuring cup

Ingredients
  

For the Butternut Squash Salad

  • 0.5 cups red onion diced (about ¼ cup)
  • 2 pounds butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cut into ¾-inch chunks (about 3 ½ cups)
  • 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 0.5 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 0.5 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1.5 cups reduced-sodium chicken stock or vegetable stock or water
  • 0.75 cups uncooked quinoa
  • 0.5 cups reduced-sugar dried cranberries
  • 0.5 cups toasted pepitas pumpkin seeds, or roughly chopped toasted walnuts or pecans
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

For the Dressing

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1.5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • 0.5 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 0.25 teaspoon ground black pepper

Optional Add-Ins

  • 2 cups kale finely chopped, massaged
  • 0.5 cups crumbled goat cheese or feta
  • 1 medium honeycrisp apple diced or thinly sliced
  • Roasted Chickpeas

Instructions
 

Instructions

  • Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the red onion in a small bowl and cover with water. Set aside.
  • Place the butternut squash in the center of a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and maple syrup, then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Toss to evenly coat, then spread the squash into a single layer. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until tender. Remove from the oven and set aside.
  • While the squash is baking, bring the broth (or water) and quinoa to a boil in a medium pan. If you are using water, add ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and let cook 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and let stand with the lid on for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, then transfer to a large serving bowl.
  • In a small bowl or large measuring cup (or a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid), combine the dressing ingredients: olive oil, vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Drizzle enough of the dressing over the warm quinoa to moisten it, then stir to combine.
  • Scrape the roasted butternut squash and any pan juices into the bowl with the quinoa. Add the cranberries, pepitas, and thyme. Drain the red onion then add it to the bowl. Toss to combine, adding more dressing as desired.

Notes

You can enjoy this salad on its own or try mixing it with arugula or spinach for an extra serving of greens. For the sake of streamlining the ingredients, I omitted the cheese, but if you feel so called, feta, goat cheese, or even a mild blue cheese such as gorgonzola would be delightful additions too. No butternut squash? Try swapping diced, cubed sweet potatoes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 261kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 5gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 339mgFiber: 7gSugar: 7g
Keyword Butternut Squash, Fall Recipes, healthy salad, Quinoa Salad, vegan salad, vegetarian salad
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