Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad
Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad is packed with hearty quinoa, roasted butternut squash, crisp apple and tossed in a tangy sweet apple cider vinegar dressing! It's vegan, gluten-free and great for meal prep!
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 241kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups cubed butternut squash cut into 1" cubes; see note 1
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup pecan pieces sub with almonds, walnuts or pepitas
- 1 cup dry quinoa rinsed and cooked according to package instructions, then drain in a colander; yields 3 cups cooked quinoa
- 2 cups chopped baby kale see note 2
- 1 medium apple chopped
- 2 green onions chopped thinly on the bias
- 1/2 cup pomegranate arils sub with dried cranberries if desired
- apple cider vineger dressing
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the butternut squash on a large rimmed baking sheet, and toss with the 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper, to taste. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the squash is tender and caramelized.2 cups cubed butternut squash, 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Toast the pecans in a small skillet over medium to medium low heat, stirring often, for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant. Keep a close eye on them as they can burn very quickly. Set aside to cool.1/2 cup pecan pieces
- Place the cooked and cooled quinoa, roasted butternut squash, kale green onion, pomegranate and pecans in a large bowl.2 cups chopped baby kale, 1 medium apple, 2 green onions, 1/2 cup pomegranate arils, 1 cup dry quinoa
- Toss with the desired amount of dressing until well coated and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve and enjoy!apple cider vineger dressing, Salt and pepper
Notes
- Pro tip: Pre-cut butternut squash is a great time saver, but it's more cost effective to do it yourself. See my easy tutorial on How to Cut and Peel Butternut Squash for more information.
- Sub the baby kale with chopped curly or lacinato kale (see my massaged kale salad to make it nice and tender).
- You can purchase pomegranate arils or see my post on how to cut and deseed a pomegranate to do it yourself!
- This butternut squash quinoa salad is great for meal prep! Store in air tight containers in the fridge for 3-5 days.
- Nutrition information does not include the dressing as that information is calculated in a separate post.
Nutrition
Calories: 241kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 8mg | Potassium: 445mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 6096IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 2mg