Roasted butternut squash quinoa salad is the quintessential fall salad, and also makes a perfect Thanksgiving side dish!
Fluffy quinoa gets a fall makeover! This roasted butternut squash quinoa salad is full of every fall ingredient I could get my hands on.
I love cooking withquinoa. Not only is it good for you - being a complex carb and all - but I find that it's much easier to prepare than regular long-grain rice. Here's the sad truth: I had to invest in a rice cooker.
Every time I try to make rice on the stovetop, it ends up mushy in a pool of liquid, with the exception of thiscranberry orange rice pilaf- the rice gods had my back that day.
I've tried every trick in the book and followed every bit of advice from friends and family, but my rice skills refused to improve. So, I bought a rice cooker. Now life is one giant peach!
With quinoa, I don't have to travel to the depths of the basem*nt pantry to dig out my rice cooker. I just rinse it, toast it, and simmer until light and fluffy. It turns out great every. single. time.
Good-bye rice. Hello, quinoa!
I loaded thisquinoa saladwith every fall ingredient at my disposal. I even added a little something special: pomegranate seeds.
I worked very hard to remove the pomegranate arils from my pomegranate, like, too hard. I tried breaking it apart, plucking out each individual pomegranate--which resulted in a ruined shirt and splattered walls--and beating the pomegranate in order to loosen the arils, but nothing worked.
Yes, they're POM Wonderful, but they're also a big POM in the booty. My suggestion: by the pre-seeded package of pomegranate seeds. Problem solved!
Roasted Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad Ingredients
- Butternut squash - Peel and chop into cubes roughly 1/2" in size before roasting
- Olive oil - Oil is drizzled over the squash and used to toast the quinoa
- Quinoa - Delicious, hearty quinoa is the star of this salad
- Chicken or veggie stock - Opt for the vegetable stock to make this dish truly vegetarian
- Dried cranberries - Don't love cranberris? Try golden raisins or dried cherries instead!
- Chopped parsley - Fresh parsley is best, but used dried if that's all you can find
- Scallions - The mild onion flavor of scallions perfectly balance this dish
- Pumpkin seeds - Save and clean them when carving pumpkins or find them at the grocery store in the nuts/seeds section
- Feta cheese- Feta lends a brightness and just a tiny hint of tartness to this salad
- Pomegranate seeds - To save time, buy pomegranate seeds separately at the grocey store
- Salt and pepper - To season the final dish
- Pomegrante molasses - You can makepomegrante molasses homemade or find it at the grocery store
This quinoa salad screamsfall! And, it just so happens to be gluten-free (again, thank you, quinoa) andvegetarian.
The roasted butternut squash gets folded into the fluffy quinoa with the addition of dried cranberries, roasted pumpkin seeds, fresh parsley, scallions, and salty feta cheese.
I couldn't stop scooping forkfuls of this salad right into my face. If you love quinoa and fall squash, I also highly recommend thissausage & quinoa stuffed acorn squash.
How to Make Roasted Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad
- Place peeled and chopped butternut squash on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes.
- Heat the remaining olive oil in a skillet, then add the quinoa and toast.
- Add vegetable stock, bring to a boil then simmer, covered for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remove quinoa from the heat, keep covered for another 5 minutes. Then fluff with a fork.
- Transfer quinoa to a large bowl. Fold in roasted squash, cranberries, parsley, scallions, pumpkin seeds, feta cheese, and pomegrante seeds.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with pomegrante molasses.
What to Serve with Roasted Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad
This quinoa salad is hearty enough and packed with enough wholesome nutrition to stand as a meal on its own. Or you can serve it as a dinner side dish or add it to your Thanksgiving menu. Here are a few pairing suggestions:
- Slow cooker meatloaf
- Slow cooker turkey breast
- Instant Pot turkey with mushroom gravy
- Dutch oven roast chicken with lemon
- Roasted tahini maple sweet potatoes
- Instant Pot pork tenderloin
Planning a dinner party and need some inspiration?
How about looking for a new slow cooker dinner idea?
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FAQs
While butternut squash skin is edible and it can even turn nice and crisp when roasted, many people prefer to peel it first so it's easier to eat. Butternut squash skin is smooth and thin and the best way to peel it is by using a sharp vegetable peeler.
Why is my roasted butternut squash mushy? ›
Squashes behave very differently when cooked in the oven or on the stovetop. Generally, a squash that is roasted in the oven is going to have a much softer texture, one that can get mushy if mixed with other ingredients, but making it ideal for a purée, soup, or being mashed.
How to roast butternut squash Jamie Oliver? ›
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Wash and dry the whole squash, then place on a baking tray. Pierce once or twice with the tip of a sharp knife, then bake in the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until golden and very soft.
Why is my roasted butternut squash watery? ›
The key to avoiding watery butternut squash is to roast it rather than steam it. Steaming butternut squash causes the vegetable to absorb more water and doesn't impart much flavor. Roasting the squash prevents this and caramelizes the vegetable's natural sugars, adding another layer of flavor to your dish.
Do you eat the skin of roasted butternut squash? ›
You can eat the skin, so there's no need to peel it. Simply halve it, scoop out the seeds and chop it into chunks, then roast it and add it to a warm winter salad or throw it into curries, stews or soups. You can also roast the seeds and eat them as a snack or sprinkled over a finished dish.
Should you wash butternut squash before cooking? ›
That's why it's important that you wash all winter squash with warm water and soap before you place it on the cutting board for prep. When you place an unwashed squash on your cutting board or cut through the potentially contaminated surface with your knife, you're pulling germs right into the part you're going to eat.
How does Gordon Ramsay cook butternut squash? ›
In a large bowl mix the cubed squash, garlic cloves and ginger with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the spice mix. Season with salt and pepper and scatter in a single layer in a roasting tray. Place in the preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes until tender all the way through.
Is there a difference between roasting and baking squash? ›
Most recipes say to either bake or roast butternut squash—but what's the difference? While both cooking methods will turn the tough, raw gourd into a soft, sweet ingredient, roasting butternut squash is the more common process for achieving browned, crispy edges and a creamy interior.
How do you know when butternut squash is done roasting? ›
Butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes, should be perfectly roasted after about 25 to 35 minutes in an oven heated to 400 degrees F. When it's done, the squash should be lightly browned and easily pierced with a fork.
What is the clear stuff coming out of my butternut squash? ›
Butternut squash contains a sticky, sap-like substance that is released when the fruit (squash is technically a fruit) is cut. The liquid is so strong that it can harden into protective scab if the squash becomes cut or damaged—much like a tree.
Start with salt and pepper. As always, go slowly when seasoning, but you may well find that squash requires a little more salt and pepper than usual. You'll also get better results by seasoning before cooking, so the flavor can better permeate the squash.
Why does my butternut squash taste weird? ›
Extreme cold, heat, drought or too much irrigation, or even a lack of plant nutrients, excessive pest infestation or disease can all create these elevated levels of cucurbitacin in the squash resulting in a bitter flavor.
Should skin be removed from butternut squash? ›
Use a sharp knife (or a sturdy vegetable peeler) to carefully remove the skin. Alternatively, the skin can stay on because it's edible when roasted! But if adding to a soup (or recipe where it won't be roasted), remove and discard.
Should squash be peeled before cooking? ›
Some squash skin is edible, while other types of squash have tough skin that can be removed before cooking. Remove the skin of butternut, hubbard, buttercup, and turban squash. If you enjoy the taste, leave the skin on acorn, spaghetti, kabocha, and zucchini squash.
How do you peel a butternut squash without cooking it? ›
Instead of trying to peel it like a potato, think of squash like a melon: When you cut up a honeydew or watermelon for a salad, you start by cutting it into to smaller sections, and then use a sharp chef's knife to remove the peel. You can do the same thing with a butternut.
What is the best tool to peel butternut squash? ›
In the case of one of our top picks, the Kuhn Rikon Piranha Y Peeler, its serrated edge was particularly helpful during the butternut squash test. It was able to catch onto the thick, tough skin immediately and peel it away smoothly and without much resistance.
