Roasted Butternut Squash and Quinoa Salad
Simple, nourishing and incredibly delicious Roasted Butternut Squash and Quinoa Salad with tahini balsamic dressing. Super tasty, filling and full of the good stuff!
Ingredients
SALAD
- 2 cup butternut squash, chopped into bit size pieces – measured after chopping
- 1 small red onion, chopped into bit size pieces
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ cup uncooked quinoa
- 3 Tbsp pecans, tightly packed
- 3 Tbsp dried cranberries, tightly packed
- 4 - 5 cups baby spinach – arugula or mizuna are delicious too
- ⅓ cup parsley, finely chopped
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
DRESSING
- 2 Tbsp tahini
- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbsp water
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp coconut nectar or maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F / 180 °C. Place pecans on a baking sheet (no oil) and toast in the oven for about 10 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Remove and let cool, then roughly chop the pecans.
- Place onions and butternut squash on the baking sheet, add olive oil, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper and toss with a spoon until the vegetables are evenly coated. Then arrange them in a single layer.
- Bake for 10 minutes, toss again to make sure the vegetables are roasted even and bake for an extra 10 – 15 minutes. Until they are tender and golden. Remove from the oven and let cool.
- While the squash is in the oven, cook the quinoa. Rinse well, add quinoa to a small saucepan and cover it with lots of water. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes; until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- Combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Set aside.
- To assemble the salad, place spinach, quinoa, roasted vegetables, chopped pecans, dried cranberries and parsley in a big bowl. Toss gently to combine.
- Serve with tahini balsamic dressing. Enjoy!