Quinoa Salad with Butternut Squash

Delicious Details at a Glance

Cuisine Inspiration: American
Primary Cooking Method: Oven, Stovetop
Dietary Info: Gluten-free, Nut-free, Vegan option
Skill Level: Easy

Why You’ll Love this Quinoa Salad

Quinoa is a healthy gluten free whole grain packed with fiber and protein. However, if your family is anything like mine, sometimes it can be a challenge to get them to eat it. While it can be kind of boring on its own, it’s truly a blank slate.

That’s why I decided to pair it with two ingredients I obsess over in the fall and winter – pomegranates and butternut squash! Toss it all in a simple balsamic dressing, and it becomes hard to resist. Here’s why we love this butternut squash quinoa salad and why you will too.

• Naturally gluten free. This recipe was inspired by the Farro Salad with Pomegranate, Goat Cheese and Walnuts from Carrie’s Experimental Kitchen. When I first saw the recipe, I fell in love with the flavors, colors, and textures she used. But with the wheat allergy, farro isn’t something I can eat. So I thought I would just make the exact recipe, but sub in quinoa.
• Prep the way you want to. Quinoa is super simple to make in a pot on the stove, as instructed on most packages. But it can also be made in your Instant Pot, slow cooker, rice cooker, or even the microwave. And you can roast your squash in the oven or air fryer. Do any of this when you have time, then just toss it together to serve.
• Enjoy it warm or cold. You can enjoy it right away as a hot side dish. Or store it in the fridge to have for lunch all week because it makes a delicious cold salad. The flavors blend and mellow as it sits in the fridge.
• Dairy free and vegan option. The quinoa can be cooked in vegetable or chicken broth, or just water. And while I like to sprinkle it with a little goat cheese, that’s completely optional.

Quinoa Salad Ingredients

Here is a quick overview of what you’ll need to make this recipe. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card for the full amounts and instructions.

• Butternut squash. Cut into cubes and roasted in the oven or cooked in the air fryer. Use a whole squash or buy pre-cut cubes from the grocery store.
• Uncooked quinoa. Rinsed and drained
• Stock or broth. You can use chicken or vegetable, depending on whether you want to make it vegetarian. Cooking the quinoa in salted water is fine too, but the broth adds more flavor.
• Pomegranate. Remove the seeds or just buy a container of pomegranate arils.
• Balsamic vinegar.
• Olive oil.
• Fresh sage. You can use a pinch of dried sage, if that’s what you have.
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. To taste
• Crumbled goat cheese. Optional to sprinkle on top before serving.

Variations

• Make it nutty: throw in a handful of toasted pecans or walnuts, or even pumpkin seeds/pepitas.
• Add some protein: mix in leftover rotisserie chicken or cooked turkey, or chickpeas for a plant-based option.
• Eat your greens: stir in arugula, kale, or spinach, or just spoon it over a salad.
• Get cheesy: stir in goat cheese while it is warm to make it creamy. I love goat cheese sprinkled on top, especially when eating it cold, but feta would be great too.

How to Make Butternut Squash Quinoa

This quinoa salad comes together in a flash, especially if you use leftover Honey Roasted Butternut Squash and cooked quinoa you have in your fridge. But if you start from scratch, you can assemble everything while the squash is roasting.

Roast the squash. Cut the top and bottom off of the squash, and peel with a vegetable peeler. Cut into 3/4-inch cubes. Toss it with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and spread into a single layer on an oiled baking sheet. Roast at 400°F for 35-40 minutes, tossing once.

Cook the quinoa. You can use any of five ways to cook quinoa (stovetop, microwave, slow cooker, Instant Pot, or rice cooker), substituting chicken or vegetable broth for the water to infuse more flavor.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

This dish can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. So you can save any leftovers or make it ahead for meal prep if you want to enjoy it for lunch all week. I do not recommend freezing it, as the texture may become mushy.

You can enjoy it cold as a salad. It is quite delicious this way. The quinoa has absorbed even more of the flavor of the balsamic vinegar, and when cold it gets a little more of a chewy, nutty texture.

However, you can also reheat it in the microwave or in a pot on the stove. If cooking on the stove, you may want to add a splash of broth. And be sure to stir it gently so the squash doesn’t get, well, squashed.

Make it a Meal

This butternut squash quinoa salad is extremely versatile. It’s fancy and festive to enjoy for the holidays, but quick and easy enough for weeknight meals. It’s even great to make in advance for lunches throughout the week Here are a few ideas.

• Meal prep lunch. Serve it over salad greens with Creamy Maple Dijon Dressing. And you can even add some leftover Herb Marinated Chicken.
• Weeknight dinner. Use it as an extra flavorful base for grain bowls with Honey Balsamic Steak Bites or serve it alongside a pork tenderloin.
• Holiday meal. Have Cider Glazed Ham as your main dish and Bacon Green Beans for a simple veggie.

More quinoa side dishes

• Cheddar Cheese Quinoa
• Asparagus Mushroom Quinoa Pilaf
• Bacon Ranch Quinoa Chicken Salad
• Avocado Quinoa Salad
• Cheesy Quinoa Bites with Veggies