I made this salad for dinner tonight and it was amazing! The colors and flavors are so appealing, and I can’t wait for leftovers for lunch tomorrow! This says fall to me, it’s my comfort food.

Quinoa Salad with Butternut Squash, Dried Cranberries & Pepitas

Yield: Serves 8-10

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 60 minutes

Quinoa salad with roasted butternut squash, dried cranberries, pepitas and a simple citrus honey dressing.
Ingredients:

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, for seasoning squash
2 cups quinoa
4 cups water
Pinch of salt
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup pepitas

For the Citrus Honey Dressing:

Juice of 3 large oranges
Zest of 1 large orange
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place butternut squash on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Toss until squash is well coated. Season with salt and pepper. Roast the squash for 30 minutes, turning once, until tender.

2. While the butternut squash is roasting, cook the quinoa. Add quinoa, water, and salt to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Let cool quinoa cool to room temperature.

3. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, butternut squash, dried cranberries, and pepitas. In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, zest, olive oil, and honey. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Drizzle over quinoa salad. Toss until ingredients are well dressed. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Note-you can use agave instead of the honey to make a vegan salad.