This simple butternut squash quinoa salad combines roasted squash, crispy sweet apples, toasted pecans and greens for a hearty and delicious meal-sized salad.
This butternut squash quinoa salad is all about the fall produce. The sweet and tender roasted butternut squash pairs perfectly with the crisp apples; along with the toasted pecans, the apples add a much-needed crunch to this simple fall quinoa salad. Plus, with those little specks of red from the skins, it makes the salad pop with color! Doesn't it look festive!?
Why You’ll Love This Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad
- A salad worth getting excited about. This fall quinoa salad is not your average lackluster greens and dressing. It’s something you’ll find yourself craving—it’s that delicious!
- Easily customizable. Feel free to add in your favorite protein, swap out the pecans for almonds or walnuts, or toss in some dried cranberries for a touch of sweetness. You can make this salad your own!
- Great for parties and for weeknights. This butternut squash quinoa salad is versatile! It’s delicious and fancy enough for a holiday meal, but I also love having it as a light weeknight dinner.
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Quinoa – Here are some additional tips on how to cook quinoa.
- Butternut squash – You can buy pre-cut squash from the produce section for a shortcut.
- Spinach or chopped kale – Or another fall green you like! Shredded Brussels sprouts would be fantastic too.
- Apple
- Chickpeas – Cooked green or brown lentils would also be excellent!
- Pecans
- Dressing – Olive oil, ACV, lemon juice, maple syrup, cinnamon, sage, salt and pepper.
How to Make Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad
- Roast the squash. Toss the squash with olive oil and season with pepper. Roast in a 400ºF oven for 30 to 40 minutes, flipping halfway through the cooking time.
- Cook the quinoa. Add it to 2 cups of boiling water and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Prep the add-ins. Chop the apple and pecans, then toast the pecans.
- Assemble. Let the squash and quinoa cool for 15 minutes, then toss them with the greens, apple, chickpeas, and nuts.
- Dress it. Whisk together the dressing ingredients, pour over the salad, and toss again.
Tips for Success
- Cut the squash into even pieces. This ensures that they’ll all finish roasting at the same time and every piece will be perfectly tender and caramelized.
- Don’t use soggy quinoa. Quinoa should be light and fluffy, not mushy. Be sure to cook it until it absorbs almost all of the water, and let it rest for a few minutes to absorb the rest before fluffing with a fork.
- Make it ahead. If you’re planning to serve this butternut squash quinoa salad at a gathering, prepare all the components in advance but keep them separate until just before serving. If this isn’t an option (if you’re bringing the salad to someone else’s house, for example), at least store the greens and dressing separate from the other components.
Variations
- Switch up the squash. You can use other varieties of squash like delicata, honeynut, or kabocha. Each brings a slightly different flavor to the table!
- Add another protein. Add grilled chicken, tempeh bacon, or crispy baked tofu.
- Roast the apples. Try roasting the apples along with the squash for a more caramelized flavor and tender apples instead of crisp.
How to Store Leftovers
Transfer leftover butternut squash quinoa salad to an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you use spinach in this salad, you can expect that it will wilt a bit in the fridge. You can enjoy leftovers cold or warm them up in the microwave.
More Fall Side Dishes to try
- Simple Fall Salad with Roasted Acorn Squash + Pomegranates
- Butternut Squash & Sage Cornbread
- Fall Harvest Mason Jar Quinoa Salad
- Spaghetti Squash Fritters
- 5-Ingredient Quinoa Mac and Cheese
Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad
This simple butternut squash quinoa salad combines roasted squash, crispy apples, pecans and spinach for a hearty meal-sized salad.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 5 cups chopped butternut squash from 1 small squash, or the neck of 1 medium
- 4 cups spinach or chopped kale
- 1 medium apple
- 1 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon dried sage
- Salt + pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Toss the chopped butternut squash in one tablespoon of olive oil in a medium bowl and add pepper for extra flavor. Place the coated squash on a baking sheet and let them roast for 30 – 40 minutes, flipping half way through.
- Once you flip the squash, start your quinoa. Bring 2 cups of water to boil, add your dry quinoa and let simmer for 8 – 10 minutes.
- While the squash and quinoa are cooking, prepare your apple and pecans. Core the apple first then chop it into mini bite size pieces. Chop your pecans and toast them in a toaster over or small fry pan.
- Allow the squash and quinoa to cool for 15 minutes before assembling the salad. Add quinoa, squash, spinach, apple, chickpeas and pecans into a large bowl and toss together.
- Whisk together the remaining ingredients, pour over the salad and toss again to coat. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Calories: 415kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 76mg | Potassium: 954mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 14315IU | Vitamin C: 33.4mg | Calcium: 131mg | Iron: 5mg
Tasty and healthy.
Thanks.
Woud this be good with roasted sweet potatoes instead of the butternut squash?
Yes that would be delicious!
Yummy! And easy weeknight dinner.
Love this recipe. So good. Thanks for sharing!
I’m so happy to hear that!
I made this tonight and loved it. I am so excited because it’s just me (I am vegetarian!) and I have a lot of leftovers. Yum!!
So glad you enjoyed it!! xo
I made this last night and it was awesome! Even better the next day!
Glad you enjoyed it, Cindy! I’m bringing it to Thanksgiving this year 😉
This come out great! I grilled chicken with a little pesto and put it on top of the salad. It made for a great dinner 🙂
Mmm love the addition of chicken! Glad you enjoyed it, Tara 😉
I don’t necessarily want to see a recipe from the archives updated; although, the two you mentioned seem like they would be great to update. I would please like to be able to access any recipes in the archives that you have on the Balanced Platter. I’m not sure what they all are, but one is for the Mini Gluten-Free Pumpkin Donuts. When I click on the Balanced Platter link for the recipe, it does not come up. Thank-you!
I’ve had some issues finding those recipes since they’re old and stored on a computer that crashed. I’m still trying to dig them up and will certainly update the posts when I find them!
OK; great! If I come across any more, I will email them to you.
PS….my son who I can’t get to eat quinoa loved it…guess he didn’t realize there was quinoa in it!!! 🙂
This is delightful! Just finished making it and will use leftovers in my salad for lunch this week….I like it cold as well as hot! Thanks again for another amazing recipe!
So happy you ladies are enjoying! This is definitely one of my favorite recipes 🙂 super healthy, sweet and so delicious. Enjoy!
Eating this as we comment. Delicious and easy to make for a great lunch or dinner! Amazing lunch for work, just make and reheat for the work week. Mmmm…scrumptious!