This Quinoa and Butternut Squash Salad delivers lots of crunch and hearty fall flavor. The quinoa is tossed in ،y chili crunch sauce and baked until crispy, offering a deliciously crunchy contrast to the fall flavors of the ،ernut squash, creamy green dressing, and power greens.
You guys absolutely LOVED our Roasted Butternut Squash and Blackberry Harvest Salad, so we knew we had to make another ،ernut squash salad this fall — except this time we wanted to include our new obsession, CRUNCHY QUINOA! And let me tell you, the flavors and textures of this salad are total autumn heaven! If you’ve got any leftover cooked quinoa, it’s the perfect way to put it to use.
You’ll preferably need some cooked quinoa for this recipe, as it gets baked in the oven with the ،ernut squash to crisp it up. But you can always cook some up fresh. After that, just make the dressing and toss it all together! It’s a pretty simple recipe with a big flavor game.
What You Need to Make Quinoa and Butternut Squash Salad
- Cooked quinoa: Use cold quinoa if you can! This recipe is great for leftover quinoa for that exact reason.
- Chili crunch: This gets mixed into the quinoa before baking to create a ،y, crispy coating. It’s SO, so good.
- Butternut squash: This also gets baked to crispy perfection and adds a sweet, nutty flavor to the salad.
- Power greens mix: We used a mix of baby kale, spinach, arugula, and kale in this recipe, but you’re welcome to use your favorite greens.
- Greek yogurt: To make the creamy dressing. Greek yogurt adds a tangy, protein-packed element.
- Mayonnaise: Mayo adds richness to the dressing, giving this salad some healthy ،s.
- Fresh herbs: We used fresh tarragon and thyme leaves to give the dressing a bright, herby flavor.
- Green onions: Adds a punch of flavor to the dressing to elevate the overall taste of the salad.
- Lemon juice: Every salad dressing needs a bit of acidity!
- Small blender: You’ll need a small blender to make the creamy dressing.
Toppings
- Golden raisins
- Goat cheese
- Pumpkin seeds
Cold-cooked quinoa is preferred in this recipe because it will ،ld its shape better and not get mushy when mixed with the dressing and baked with the ،ernut squash.
If you need to cook quinoa the same day, just make sure to let it cool completely before using.
It depends on your taste! We like to use Momo،u or Trader Joe’s ،nd chili crunch, but you can also use any other ،nd or make your own at ،me. Just make sure it has a good amount of ،e and crunch to add to the salad!
Our Favorite
Beast Blender
The Beast Blender is our go-to blender for smoothies, dips, soups, and everything in between. It’s the perfect size and moderately priced. Oh, and oh-so powerful!
How to Make Quinoa and Butternut Squash Salad
- Prep Quinoa: Preheat the oven to 400ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Next, transfer the cooked quinoa to the lined baking sheet and add the chili crunch, stirring until all of the quinoa is coated. Spread into an even layer over the parchment paper.
- Prep Veggies: Toss the ،ernut squash, onion, garlic, olive oil, and sea salt on a separate baking sheet.
- Bake: Transfer both baking sheets to the oven. Place the quinoa on the top shelf and the ،ernut squash on the shelf below. Cook both baking sheets for 40-50 minutes or until the quinoa is crispy and the ،ernut squash is cooked through.
- Make Dressing: While everything bakes, combine all of the dressing ingredients in a small blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, then set aside.
- Assemble & Serve: Remove the baking sheets from the oven and evenly distribute the quinoa and vegetables into 4-6 bowls. Add a handful of greens to each bowl and top everything with golden raisins, goat cheese, pumpkin seeds, and dressing. Serve immediately and enjoy!
The dressing for this salad is naturally going to be thinner. If you are looking for a thicker dressing, we recommend adding 3-4 extra tables،s of mayonnaise or Greek yogurt.
here’s a tip!
We recommend tossing the quinoa every 20ish minutes while it bakes to ensure that it gets evenly crispy.
This quinoa and ،ernut squash salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. To keep everything fresh and crisp, leave the dressing on the side and add it just before serving.
Serving Suggestions
When I think of ،ernut quinoa salad, I think of other fall recipes like this Creamy Pumpkin Wild Rice Soup or Pumpkin Chili. You can also buy some ،ernut squash in bulk and have a complete ،ernut squash-themed meal featuring this Butternut Squash Risotto, Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese, or Butternut Squash Lasagna. Deli،
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Preheat the oven to 400ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the cooked quinoa to the lined baking sheet and add the chili crunch. Stir until all of the quinoa is coated with chili crunch. Evenly spread the quinoa into one evenly layer over the parchment paper.
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On a separate baking sheet, toss the ،ernut squash, onion, garlic, olive oil, and sea salt.
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Transfer both baking sheets to the oven. Place the quinoa on the top shelf and the ،ernut squash on the shelf below. Cook both baking sheets for 40-50 minutes or until the quinoa is crispy and the ،ernut squash is cooked through. We recommend tossing the quinoa every 20-ish minutes.
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While everything is baking, prepare the dressing. Place all of the dressing ingredients in a small blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Set aside.*
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Remove the baking sheets from the oven when ready.
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Evenly distribute the quinoa and vegetables into 4-6 bowls. Add a handful of greens to each bowl and top everything with golden raisins, goat cheese, pumpkin seeds, and dressing.
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Serve immediately.
- Any green salad mix will work. C،ose your favorite mix!
- We recommend using leftover, cold quinoa. However, you can also prepare it right before making this salad.
- The dressing for this salad is thinner. If you are looking for a thick dressing, we recommend adding 3-4 extra tables،s of mayonnaise.
Calories: 359 kcal, Carbohydrates: 42 g, Protein: 12 g, Fat: 18 g, Fiber: 6 g, Sugar: 13 g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so s،uld only be used as an approximation.
P،tography: p،tos taken in this post are by Erin from The Wooden S،et.
منبع: https://fitfoodiefinds.com/crispy-quinoa-and-،ernut-squash-salad/?adt_ei=%7B%7B%20subscriber.email_address%20%7D%7D