Butternut Squash Cranberry Quinoa Salad

Krista Brickbauer

Ingredients
3 cups butternut squash, chopped into 3/4-inch wide cubes
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups water
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
3 Tbsp. toasted pumpkin seeds
Kosher salt and fresh black pepper

Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. honey
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
Kosher salt and fresh black pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large bowl, toss the butternut squash with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Arrange coated squash on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until tender and lightly browned.
While the squash is roasting, rinse quinoa under cold water until water runs clear. Place quinoa and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook partially covered until liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
To assemble the salad, combine the cooked quinoa while still warm, roasted squash, cranberries, red onions, and toasted pumpkin seeds in a large bowl. Add the vinaigrette and lightly toss until combined. Refrigerate 2 hours up to overnight. Before serving, taste for salt and pepper.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Whisk all the ingredients in a small bowl until combined. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Notes: One of the biggest tips when it comes to making this salad is to toss the salad with the vinaigrette while the quinoa is still warm. Second tip is to chill the salad. At first it will look like there’s too much dressing but after the salad has been chilled the quinoa will soak up majority of it. It’s a great salad to make ahead. It holds up amazing! A take on littlebroken.com/butternut-squash-cranberry-quinoa-salad

Krista Brickbauer is from Facilities & Operations Management.

License

Butternut Squash Cranberry Quinoa Salad Copyright © 2020 by Krista Brickbauer. All Rights Reserved.