Fall Quinoa Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash and Golden Berries
I love fall for the weather, changing colors
(okay not so much now that I'm living in California), and delicious,
sweet, pumpkin-y baked goods. Which is also the problem...a girl can
only eat so many of those baked goods before your belly is like WHOA
GIRL and you just need to eat something a little healthier, a little
lighter. We're trying to balance our Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookie and Pumpkin Zucchini Bread
intake with this savory, flavorful salad. It'll wake your tastebuds up
and remind you that healthier dishes can taste pretty damn good, too!
It's a great dish for detoxing the crap that has accumulated in your
system all month and because quinoa is a complete protein, it'll keep
you full longer than you'd expect. This salad has a great mix of sweet
(golden berries, roasted butternut squash) and savory (celery, onions,
parsley) that makes it a real crowd pleaser. We love using Essential Living Foods Golden Berries
in this salad 'cause they keep their foods completely raw, organic, and
full of superfood goodness...and they taste amazing! (We're huge fans,
and you can check out their complete line of superfoods for yourself here.) It's perfect as a Thanksgiving side dish or a packed-lunch for the week, and we just know you're gonna love it so let's EAT!
INGREDIENTS
3 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
2 cups water
1 cup rainbow (or really any kind) quinoa
1/3 cup celery, sliced thinly
1/3 cup red onions, diced
1/3 cup golden berries, roughly chopped
1/3 cup sliced almonds
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon champagne or apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Peel and cut butternut squash into 1/4 cubes
and place on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive
oil and a sprinkle of salt + pepper and bake about 30 minutes, flipping
halfway through.
While squash bakes, place quinoa and
water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, then
cover with a lid and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
?Prepare celery, red onions, golden
berries, sliced almonds, and fresh parsley and place it into a large
bowl. Set aside.
In another small bowl, whisk together lemon
juice, olive oil, vinegar, dijon, maple syrup, salt and pepper.
When squash and quinoa have finished cooking
and cooled, pour the quinoa and roasted butternut squash into the large
bowl of veggies and gently toss with a wooden spoon. Drizzle the
vinaigrette mixture over the salad and toss again to combine.
Serve immediately or save in the fridge up to 3 days in an airtight
container. Serves 6-8. Enjoy!
NOTES
If you don't have/ don't like golden berries
or almonds or any other ingredient, sub it out for something you LOVE!
This salad is super customizable and you should totally take advantage
of that based on your preferences and what you have in the pantry.