With Two Spoons

Roasted Squash and Quinoa Salad

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Roasted Squash and Quinoa SaladFirst and Foremost HAPPY NEW YEAR!  We are so looking forward to 2017!  Secondly, if you are looking for a salad you can eat with a spoon, look no further.  Roasted Squash and Quinoa Salad will fill you up while keeping your New Year’s resolutions intact!  Read on for the recipe and for my resolutions…maybe you can help hold me to them!

Roasted Squash and Quinoa Salad

You guys.  Did you all wake up as happy as I did this morning?  Maybe I was still delirious from my late night shift and then being woken up (relatively) early by my teenage daughter’s slumber party guests.  Maybe I was just happy to not be working today.  But really, I woke up SO HAPPY!  I’m chalking it up to the shiny promise of a new year.  Clean Slate.  Do over.  Start again.  And really, doesn’t that sound good?

Roasted Squash and Quinoa Salad

So what does that have to do with Roasted Squash and Quinoa Salad?  Well, you know I always get there eventually.  With my four measly hours of sleep, this is probably not a day to rush things, so I’m going to beg your patience.  In fact, moving forward, one of my goals is to slow down.  Be more intentional.  With my husband.  With my kids.  With my food (hint, hint…we’re getting there).  Maybe I’ll even become more patient.  OK, maybe don’t hold your breath for that!

One of my other goals is to try to get healthier.  Now I’m not talking running a marathon, and I may not even be talking weight loss (although lord knows I could stand to lose more than a few pounds).  After feeling so poorly the last quarter of 2016, I mean eating more healthy, whole foods.  Staying away from processed foods and fast food drive through lanes.  Packing healthy foods to snack on while trying to get through a busy shift.  Drinking more water.  Cutting back on the Diet Coke (you didn’t think I would say I would give it up entirely did you?  Puh-lease, let’s not get all crazy now…).  Trying to get more restful sleep.  More exercise. OK, I better stop there.  This resolution thing is taking on a life of its own.

Roasted Squash and Quinoa Salad

Back to being intentional.  I’ve been throwing a recipe around in my head for about a week now.  A salad.  But a hearty salad.  Maybe one with some roasted butternut squash.  And some crunchy red onion.  And maybe I could use my new obsession-pomegranate seeds.  I’ve added and subtracted ingredients over the past week, but I finally came up with exactly what I had been craving.  Roasted Squash and Quinoa Salad has all of the bold flavors that I crave, protein to keep you full and will not break any New Year’s resolutions.  It also holds up well, so although I made it today, I’ll be able to eat it for lunch for the next few days. Bonus…it looks beautiful!

Roasted Squash and Quinoa Salad

Roasted Squash and Quinoa Salad

Roasted Squash and Quinoa Salad
5 from 2 votes
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Roasted Squash and Quinoa Salad

This is a New Year's Resolution worthy salad full of bold flavors. If you want this to be vegetarian-just substitute vegetable broth or water for cooking the quinoa. If you want a more subtle onion flavor, feel free to cut your onions a little larger and roast them with your apples (Watch carefully to ensure they do not burn!). Although it looks like many steps, they are done simultaneously, therefore cutting down on the total cook time! This salad makes great leftovers!
Course Salad, Vegetarian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Author Lane from With Two Spoons

Ingredients

  • SALAD:
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 pound butternut squash cubed into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 apples cored and cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
  • 1/4 cup Italian parsley chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons pomegranate seeds
  • DRESSING:
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 Tablespoons shallots finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
  2. In a medium sized bowl combine oil and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt.
  3. Add squash to the bowl and stir to coat.
  4. Spread squash over a baking pan lined with a Silpat liner or parchment paper.
  5. Roast squash for 10 minutes.
  6. Remove from oven and add apples to the baking pan.
  7. Return to oven and roast squash and apples for an additional 20 minutes until tender and beginning to brown.
  8. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
  9. Place quinoa and chicken broth in a medium saucepan.
  10. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and allow to cook for 15 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed.
  11. Fluff quinoa with a fork and allow to cool.
  12. In a blender, combine lemon juice, shallots, honey, salt, curry powder, cumin and Tabasco.
  13. Blend until combined.
  14. Slowly add olive oil to create the dressing.
  15. In a large bowl combine roasted squash, roasted apples, sliced red onion, chopped parsley, and pomegranate seeds.
  16. Pour dressing over salad and mix well.
  17. Serve and enjoy.

Roasted Squash and Quinoa Salad

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Comments

  5. Linda patten says

    This looks delish, my great nephew and neice’s are coming to Az. next week and they are vegetarian. I will definitely make this for them, Thanks for the idea! I’m not a great cook!

    Reply

    • Lane says

      So funny, I was going to give you some before you left yesterday! Just use water or vegetable broth to cook the quinoa and keep it vegetarian, it’s delicious!

      Reply

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