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Overhead bowl of butternut squash quinoa salad
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Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad Recipe

Roasted squash and fluffy quinoa with spinach, dried cranberries, walnuts and maple Dijon cider dressing.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Brief cooling 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 6 side servings
Calories: 273
Ingredients Equipment Method Video Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 600 g butternut squash flesh peeled, seeded; 3/4-inch cubes
  • 1 cup dry white quinoa 170 g; rinsed and drained
  • 2 cups water 480 ml
  • 60 g baby spinach washed and dried
  • 0.25 cup sweetened dried cranberries 40 g
  • 0.25 cup walnuts 30 g; chopped
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil 40.5 g; divided
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 30 g
  • 1.5 teaspoons pure maple syrup 10 g
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 10 g
  • 0.5 teaspoon fine salt 3 g; divided
  • 0.25 teaspoon black pepper 0.6 g

Equipment

  • 1 Large rimmed sheet pan
  • 1 Saucepan with lid
  • 1 Fine-mesh strainer
  • 1 Large mixing bowl

Method
 

  1. Heat oven to 425°F (220°C). Toss squash with 1 tablespoon oil, half the salt and the pepper. Spread in one layer on a large rimmed sheet pan. Roast 25–30 minutes, turning once, until tender with golden edges.
  2. Meanwhile, put rinsed quinoa and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook 15–18 minutes, until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender. Remove from heat, keep covered 5 minutes, then fluff. Follow package directions if they differ.
  3. Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons oil with vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon and remaining salt in a large bowl. Let squash and quinoa stand about 10 minutes, until no longer heavily steaming.
  4. Fold quinoa, squash, spinach and cranberries into dressing. Add walnuts just before serving. Divide into six side servings. For a chilled salad, refrigerate cooked components promptly in shallow containers before assembling.
  5. Refrigerate within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F. Keep at 40°F or below and use within 3 days. Store walnuts separately when making ahead to preserve their crunch.

Video

Notes

Contains walnuts. Check mustard and cranberry labels for allergens. Nutrition is estimated for one-sixth of the recipe with all dressing; total sugar is omitted because the dry-quinoa reference does not report it. Squash and quinoa cook concurrently. Video credit: Bonita’s Kitchen demonstrates roasted butternut squash quinoa salad with red onion, cranberries, seeds and balsamic dressing. This version omits onion, uses walnuts and spinach, and substitutes maple Dijon cider dressing.