This is the BEST Roasted Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad that’s creamy and has a surprise spice that makes this side dish pop with flavor. This Quinoa Salad is a rock star gluten free and vegetarian recipe you need on your table this fall!
If you liked this easy quinoa salad recipe, you should also try my Southwestern Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad with Poached Egg and my Crunchy Thai Quinoa Salad.
Roasted Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad
Sooo … much … stuff!
My mind is whirling with all the amazing nuggets I downloaded this weekend from Chopped Conference!
I started out the weekend with a Food Photography session led by author and professional food editorial photographer Matt Armendariz ..WHAT?!
Someone pinch me!
Ya’ll I was just sitting there in awe. He had props set up with different food arrangements and would just take pictures from different angles, while using simple tricks to reflect light and then put those pictures up on the overhead. Um.. every one was perfect. I still have SOOO much to learn, but watching him made me excited about the learning journey! I LOVE photography and how everyone can create their own story that’s personal to them!
I have always struggled with the photography I put on JHE. I adore moody photography, you know the photos that have dark shadows in certain areas. I think it just makes the food pop off the screen. However, I am a healthy food blogger and when you think of “healthy” most of time people think bright and white instead of dark and moody. Ugh….
What do you guys think?
So that’s one of my “take away” thoughts from the conference. The other main one is how do I engage my audience on Facebook and Instagram more? I really want to grow both of those social media channels but sometimes it’s a struggle! It just seems like a slow locomotive train climbing up a very large hill, it takes FaEVA!
Amanda, from I am Baker gave some really good practical tips at the conference for growth and engagement strategies (basically “forget the rules”) so I am going to start there and think positive thoughts!
This Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad Recipe Is Perfect For Meatless Monday
While I’m thinking “positive thoughts” and aiming for growth I’ll be chowing down on this fall inspired Harvest Roasted Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad … and believe me you should too!
Not only is this dish killer in taste but it’s gluten free, vegetarian (ahem… hello Meatless Monday), and packed with fall flavors you’ll love! The twist of Cinnamon in the dressing is a fun surprise and compliments the butternut squash perfectly!
I served this dish with the Pan Seared Salmon and Sage Brown Butter Sauce I made last week…. one word. Ah-mazing!!!!
Can’t wait to hear what you think. Bon Appetite!
Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Category: Side Dishes
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups butternut squash, cut into 1/2″ cubes (about 1 half butternut squash)
- 1 1/2 cups red onion, cut into 1/2” cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 1/3 cup dried cherries
- 1/4 cup pepitas
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 oz. crumbed goat cheese
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons raw honey
- dash of ground cinnamon
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Add the butternut squash and red onion to a baking sheet. Season with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of sea salt. Toss to coat.
- Bake the mixture for 20 minutes.
- In the meantime add quinoa and water to a small saucepan. Stir and bring mixture to a boil. Cover and reduce to simmer for 15 minutes until the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat, let the quinoa sit for 2 minutes then fluff the quinoa with a fork.
- To make the dressing: in a small bowl, mix the apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons of olive, raw honey, ground cinnamon, and salt to taste.
- To a large bowl add cooked quinoa, butternut squash, red onion, dried cherries, pepitas, parsley, goat cheese, and dressing. Gently toss to mix everything together.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 241
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 452 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 7 g
