Quinoa Butternut Squash Salad featuring roasted butternut squash, peppery arugula, quinoa, crunchy toasted hazelnuts, and a creamy apple tahini dressing. This side dish is naturally gluten-free, fresh, filling and full of fall flavors!
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This delicious fall-inspired Quinoa Butternut Squash Salad has all the autumn-y feels. It's got sweet, soft butternut squash, quinoa (or any other grain of choice), peppery arugula, a tumble of crunchy toasted hazelnuts, and a delicious, tangy tahini apple dressing to bring it all together in a very happy way.
It's loaded with flavor and interesting textures and a great way to keep enjoying fresh salads into the fall season and beyond!
Mel x
Alternative Grains
The good thing about salads that use a seed like quinoa, is that they are super flexible. Most grains will work as a substitute so use whatever staples you have in your pantry. Good substitutes include:
- freekah
- bulgar wheat
- sorghum
- wheat berries
- farro
- millet
- barley
- buckwheat
- brown rice
Recipe FAQS
Switch the hazelnuts for pumpkin seeds and use tahini to make the dressing.
Yes that's fine. You will need approximately 3 cups of cooked quinoa.
Use lemon juice in the dressing instead of the vinegar.
A really sharp chef’s knife is important when preparing butternut squash because they are very hard. A sharp knife will ensure your blade doesn’t slip and cause you an injury.
Cut about half an inch off each end of the squash so both ends are flat. Then either use a sharp vegetable peeler to peel off the skin, or stand the squash on a wooden board, and cut vertical slices down and all around the edge until the skin is removed.
Once the squash is peeled, cut it in half lengthways and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and most of the stringy bits.
To cube it, lay the squash flat side down on your board and cut lengthways into strips, then each strip into chunks of the desired size.
Once cut, you can use the squash immediately, or refrigerate it in a sealed container for 2 to 3 days.
Recipe
Quinoa Butternut Squash Salad
Author:Ingredients
For the salad
- 1 medium butternut squash
- 2 tablespoons olive oil , optional
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup (170 grams) quinoa ,(Or 3 cups of already cooked quinoa).
- 2 cups (480 mls) water
- 4 cups (85 grams/ 3 oz) arugula , doesn't have to be exact
- ¾ cup (115 grams) hazelnuts , use pumpkin seeds for nut-free
For the dressing
- 3 tablespoons tahini , or almond, hazelnut, or cashew butter
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce , or ¼ of a medium apple
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar , or white wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt , plus more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 3 to 4 tablespoons water
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200 °C).
- Cook the squash - Peel, deseed, and cut the butternut squash into ½ inch cubes. Spread out on a large baking tray, toss with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes or until just fork tender.
- Cook the quinoa - Rinse it thoroughly in a sieve, then place in a saucepan with the water. Stir, cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Turn to medium and allow to simmer for 15 minutes then turn off the heat and leave it to sit without removing the lid for at least 10 minutes. Longer is fine. Then fluff with a fork before using. Or cook it in an Instant Pot. Rinse in a sieve, add to the Instant Pot with just 1 cup of water. Place the lid on, seal the vent and cook on manual for 2 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally then fluff with a fork.
- Make the dressing - Add the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth and well combined. Or mince the garlic, add everything to a jar and shake/whisk it up. Start with just a little of the water and no maple syrup, then check the texture and sweetness. Add maple syrup to taste and enough water to get the thickness you prefer, not too thin though or it won't cling well.
- Toast the nuts - Warm a small shallow pan over a medium heat and when hot add the hazelnuts. Roll them around in the pan for several minutes to toast. They will start smelling toasty and nutty when done. Don't leave them alone as they will burn easily. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool.
- Assemble - Add the quinoa to a large bowl, then the arugula, butternut squash and hazelnuts. Let any juice from the butternut squash tray trickle in too. Drizzle over the dressing and toss well to combine.
NOTES
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Carolyn P says
Just what I was looking for. Really tasty and filling and perfect for fall.
Sally Pearson says
Super delicious! Love the combo of the crunchy nuts with the squash.
Edith says
I'm not sure what kind of recipe is this supposed to be....neither sweet not savory. Neither I nor my husband liked it...a total miss...:(
Melané Fahner-Botha says
This looks delish and instead off using my leftover pumpkin for breakfast cookies I am going to make this for lunch today! By the way, I roasted the pumpkin without oil yesterday in a layer of vegan broth. The result was divine and had even my picky husband going back for seconds!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you! You really can't beat roasted pumpkin. Enjoy the salad!