Recipe Background
When the wind turns cold and frost lingers on the windows, the right salad can get you feeling warm again! The Winter Quinoa Salad is a burst of color during gray weather, with the orange of buttery, sweet roasted butternut squash and the gold of fluffy, nutty quinoa. With the spiciness of red onion and the tartness of dried cranberries, Winter Quinoa Salad has a delightful variety of textures and flavors that will ignite a fire of joy within you! While snowstorms rage outside, this salad is a rainbow!
When the wind turns cold and frost lingers on the windows, the right salad can get you feeling warm again! The Winter Quinoa Salad is a burst of color during gray weather, with the orange of buttery, sweet roasted butternut squash and the gold of fluffy, nutty quinoa. With the spiciness of red onion and the tartness of dried cranberries, Winter Quinoa Salad has a delightful variety of textures and flavors that will ignite a fire of joy within you! While snowstorms rage outside, this salad is a rainbow!
Ingredients
For the vinaigrette:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic minced
- kosher salt to taste
- fresh black pepper to taste
For the salad:
- 3 cups butternut squash chopped into 3/4-inch-wide cubes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- kosher salt to taste
- fresh black pepper to taste
- 1 cup quinoa
- water to taste
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup red onions finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds toasted
Directions
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the olive oil, the balsamic vinegar, the honey, the mustard, and the garlic until combined.
- Season the vinaigrette with the salt and the pepper. Set it aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, toss the butternut squash cubes with the remaining olive oil.
- Season the squash with the salt and the pepper.
- Arrange the coated squash on a baking sheet in a single layer.
- Roast the squash until tender and lightly browned, about 20-25 minutes.
- Rinse the quinoa under cold water until the water runs clear.
- Place the quinoa in a medium saucepan with enough of the water to just cover it.
- Place the saucepan over high heat, bringing the water to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and partially cover the saucepan.
- Cook the quinoa until the water has been absorbed, about 20 minutes.
- Combine the warm quinoa with the roasted squash, the cranberries, the red onions, and the pumpkin seeds in a large bowl.
- Add the vinaigrette and lightly toss to combine it.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
- Season with the salt and the pepper, as needed. Stir to combine.
- Serve.
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