Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad with Cranberries
This festive quinoa salad with roasted butternut squash, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, and baby kale, tossed with an orange-cinnamon dressing, is sweet and savory, healthy and delicious!
Quinoa Salad with Butternut Squash
You’ll want to bookmark this butternut squash quinoa salad for the next autumn holiday potluck or get-together. It’s a colorful, festive main or side dish for the table, and I know your family and friends will love it!
This fall-flavored quinoa salad is nutrient-dense and satisfying to keep you feeling your best. It’s gluten-free, grain-free, and low-fat. Fill up on the good stuff and enjoy every minute!
The recipe I have for you today is adapted from my Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Butternut Squash w/ Cranberries & Pecans. I simply omitted the Brussels sprouts and included the quinoa, making a perfect salad for a light lunch or dinner!
Ingredients You’ll Need
This recipe is very simple and can be switched up easily to suit your taste. Here is everything you will need, including a few ingredient variations:
- Quinoa – I’ve used tri-color quinoa here, but feel free to use your favorite or what you have on hand.
- Butternut Squash – Use about 2 lbs of squash. To save time, use pre-cut squash, which most grocery stores carry these days.
- Cranberries – The recipe calls for dried cranberries that will be added to the butternut squash once it is pulled from the oven. This will warm and soften them. If you prefer fresh cranberries, I would suggest using 1 cup and adding them to the sheet pan when baking.
- Pecans – The pecans will be toasted, but feel free to use them as is (I found both ways great). They can burn easily when toasting, so keep an eye on them. You can substitute the pecans with walnuts or pistachios.
- Baby Kale – Baby kale is soft and tender, unlike its full-grown version. If using regular kale, chop it up and put it in a large bowl with a big squeeze of orange or lemon juice to soften for about 10 minutes, tossing well a few times. You can also use chopped baby spinach or regular spinach. Even arugula or 50/50 spring mix will work well.
- The Dressing – I used a simple orange-and-cinnamon dressing that’s wonderful. And it’s made even better with a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. Feel free to eat the quinoa salad without any dressing, it’s delicious with just salt & pepper too!
How To Make Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad
Here’s a quick look at the process of making quinoa salad with butternut squash. The full printable recipe is at the bottom of this post.
Roast the butternut squash. On a lined sheet pan, toss the butternut squash and onion with olive oil. Add a sprinkle of garlic powder and salt on top, arrange in a single layer (as shown above), and bake for 25 – 30 minutes, stirring once or twice. Pull the sheet pan from the oven, and add the cranberries to the pan to soften.
Prep the quinoa & pecans. While the butternut squash is cooking, make the quinoa and toast the pecans.
Assemble the salad. In a large mixing bowl (shown above), add the cooked quinoa, butternut squash mix, pecans, and baby kale. Drizzle with orange juice and cinnamon, and toss well to coat (shown below). Finally, add a generous pinch of salt and pepper to taste. When in season, pomegranate seeds add more flavor, texture, and a nice pop of color!
And that’s it – it’s as easy as can be!
Storage & Freezing
Refrigerator: Leftovers can be stored in a covered container for 4-5 days. This salad makes for great make-ahead meals and can be served chilled, at room temperature, or gently warmed.
Freezer: Quinoa salad is freezer-friendly and will last 2-3 months. To freeze, let cool completely, then store in freezer-safe containers (affiliate link) or large baggies. Let thaw in the refrigerator before serving or warming.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this quinoa salad slightly warmed or at room temperature. Enjoy as a main or side. For a delicious pairing, this Walnut Lentil Loaf would be just perfect!
More Easy Fall recipes!
- Roasted Butternut Squash Salad + Shallot Vinaigrette
- Autumn Wheat Berry + Butternut Squash Salad
- Creamy Butternut Squash + Sage Pasta Sauce
- Butternut Squash + Red Lentil Soup
- Butternut Squash and Black Bean Chili
- Apple Harvest Quinoa Salad + Tahini Maple Dressing
- Sweet Potato & Quinoa Chili
If you try this quinoa salad recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love hearing what you think or any changes you make.
Print Recipe
Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4 – 6 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This easy roasted butternut squash quinoa salad with dried cranberries, toasted pecans, and baby kale tossed with an orange-cinnamon dressing is simple, healthy, and delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) dried quinoa (I used tri-color)
- 1 3/4 (394 ml) cup water
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder, divided
- 1 small butternut squash (about 2 lbs (.90 kg) or 6 cups), peeled, seeded, and diced, 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 medium red onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup (100 g) dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup (100 g) raw pecans
- 2 handfuls of baby kale (about 3 ounces)
- 1/4 cup (56 ml) orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- mineral salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste
- a handful of pomegranates, when in season (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. (204 c). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, a silpat or lightly grease with oil.
Quinoa: In a medium pot, bring the quinoa, water, and 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover, and let rest 10 – 15 minutes, fluff with a fork. Or make this perfect every time, Instant Pot Quinoa.
Butternut Squash: Place the butternut squash and onion on the prepared sheet pan, drizzle with oil, then toss with your hands or utensils to coat. Spread across a sheet pan in a single layer, sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder and mineral salt. Place on a rack in the center of the oven and roast for 20 – 30 minutes, stirring once or twice. It will be done when the butternut squash is just fork-tender, not mushy.
When done, remove from oven and sprinkle dried cranberries overtop, let cool a few minutes. Cranberries will soften and warm.
Toast Pecans: Heat a small pan over medium-low heat, add pecans, and stir often until fragrant for 2 – 3 minutes, careful not to let them burn. This step is optional, pecans are great un-toasted too.
Dressing: In a small bowl, combine the orange juice and cinnamon.
Assemble: In a large mixing/serving bowl, add the quinoa, butternut squash mixture, kale, and pecans, then drizzle with the dressing and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve: Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled. When in season, it pairs great with pomegranate seeds!
Notes
Store: Keep leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 – 6 days.
When peeling the butternut squash, a vegetable peeler works great! Here’s a quick guide on How To Peel & Cut Butternut Squash.
This can easily be made a day ahead, stored in the refrigerator, and served chilled, at room temperature, or warmed. It holds up extremely well, looking just as fresh as if you’ve just made it!
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT: For roasting butternut squash, I love using a Silpat or these parchment liners for lining this rimmed baking sheet (affiliate links).
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: Entree, Salad, Side
- Method: mix, roast, Simmer
- Cuisine: American
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I took this salad to an omnivore thanksgiving and Christmas last year as my main. It’s so good. I sent the recipe to many folks who tried it!
I really love it with the addition of fresh cranberry sauce on top for an extra tangy kick.
So glad they all loved it! Thanks for sharing and happy holidays to you and yours! Cheers :)
love it, love you recipes, thanks.
Thank you so much! Enjoy, this was delicious, I’m finishing the leftovers as I type! Cheers :)