Warm Quinoa Butternut Salad (Printable)
Fluffy quinoa mixed with roasted butternut, cranberry bursts, and crunchy nuts in a warm, nourishing dish.
# What you'll need:
→ Grains
01 - 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
02 - 2 cups water or vegetable broth
→ Vegetables
03 - 1 small butternut squash (about 1.5 lbs), peeled and diced
04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
05 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
06 - 2 cups baby spinach
→ Fruits & Nuts
07 - 1/2 cup dried cranberries
08 - 1/3 cup pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped
→ Dressing
09 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
10 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
11 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
12 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss diced squash with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on baking sheet and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing halfway through, until golden and tender.
02 - Rinse quinoa under cold water. Combine with water or broth in a saucepan, bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let rest covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork.
03 - Whisk olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until emulsified.
04 - In a large bowl, mix cooked quinoa, roasted squash, baby spinach, red onion, dried cranberries, and nuts.
05 - Drizzle dressing over salad and toss gently to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- It fills you up without weighing you down, and tastes just as good the next day for lunch.
- The warm squash against cool spinach creates this perfect temperature dance in your mouth.
- You can make it on Sunday and honestly, it gets better as it sits.
02 -
- If your quinoa tastes bitter, you skipped the rinsing—it matters more than you'd think.
- Toss the warm squash with the spinach first and let it wilt slightly before adding the quinoa, so the textures stay distinct and nothing gets soggy.
03 -
- Make your dressing first and taste it while it's just oil and vinegar—you can adjust before the sweetness and mustard complicate things.
- Dice your squash on the smaller side so it roasts faster and caramelizes more intensely.