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Home » Course » Salad » Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad

Published: Sep 24, 2020 · Modified: Sep 3, 2021 by Veronika's Kitchen * This post may contain affiliate links

Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad

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This delicious salad with roasted butternut squash and quinoa is a great healthy Fall recipe that is packed with nutritious ingredients and full of flavors. It’s super easy to make and will be a perfect addition to any dinner, lunch, or even meal prep!

Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad in a white bowl.

Butternut squash is one of the star ingredients during the Fall season and I love using it in my meals, like this delicious Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad. It’s so easy to prep, nutritious, and has an amazing flavor combination!

I love dressing it up with my favorite Citrus Salad Dressing that has beautiful aromas of orange and lemon. It perfectly balances all the flavors and adds vibrant notes to the whole dish. My other option is to use Lemon Vinaigrette with more lemony tart notes. I love using both of these dressings in my Farro Salad, Beet Salad Recipe, and Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad.

Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad in a white bowl before mixing.

Why you will love it

This is such a great versatile recipe that you can serve for a low-key family dinner, lunch, or a fancy dinner, like for Thanksgiving or other events during the holiday season. It’s packed with nutritious ingredients, absolutely satisfying, and has a variety of vibrant flavors.

  • Butternut Squash provides creamy texture and warm Fall notes.
  • Quinoa and Arugula adds earthy flavors.
  • Dried Cranberries add a touch of sweet and sour tang.
  • Pepitas and Pomegranate Seeds add crunchy texture.
Separate ingrediens for Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad.

How to make it

Roast Butternut Squash

To start, we need to roast the main ingredient. I talk in depth about roasting it in my post “Oven Roasted Butternut Squash” to make it perfectly caramelized and tender.

Peel, seed, and chop it into 1×1-inch cubes. Transfer to a large baking pan, season with salt, pepper and drizzle some olive oil. Mix everything up and bake at 400°F for about 30-35 minutes. You can check if it’s cooked by piercing pieces of the vegetable with a fork.

When done, just take it out of the oven and let it cool off on the counter.

Process photos of how to roast a butternut squash.

Cook Quinoa

Rinse 1 cup of quinoa in a mesh sieve and put in the sauce pan with 2 cups of water. Stir and bring to boil. When it starts boiling, lower the heat to medium/low and cover with a lid. Cook for about 15 minutes until it’s fully cooked and the water is absorbed. Season with salt to taste and let it cool off completely.

Quinoa in a sauce pan, before and after cooking.

Assemble

To assemble, put all the ingredients in a big salad bowl (arugula, roasted butternut squash, cooked quinoa, dried cranberries, pepitas, and pomegranate seeds). Dress with Citrus Salad Dressing, Maple Dijon Dressing, or Lemon Dijon Dressing and give it a mix.

Pouring vinaigrette into a bowl with Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad.

Tips for best results

You can cook quinoa and roast butternut squash a day before and refrigerate until ready to use. All you’ll need is just to assemble, which will take not more than 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What other ingredients can I add?

You can play around with flavors and add some other ingredients, like:
• Spinach (instead of arugula)
• Chickpeas (drained from a can)
• Walnuts or pecans (chopped)
• Goat cheese

How to store?

If you have any leftovers, transfer them to an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.

Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad in a white bowl.

Did you make this recipe?!? I’d love to know how it turned out! leave a comment and a rating below👇 thank you!

Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad in a white bowl.
Print Recipe

Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad

This delicious salad with roasted butternut squash and quinoa is a great healthy Fall recipe that is packed with nutritious ingredients and full of flavors. It’s super easy to make and will be a perfect addition to any dinner, lunch, or even meal prep!
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time30 minutes mins
Total Time40 minutes mins
Course: Dinner, lunch, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 175kcal
Author: Veronika’s Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 3 cups butternut squash peeled, seeded, cut in 1-inch cubes
  • 4 cups arugula
  • 1 cup quinoa uncooked
  • ¼ cup dried cranberries
  • ¼ cup pepitas toasted
  • ¼ cup pomegranate seeds
  • 1 cup Citrus Salad Dressing

Instructions

Roast Butternut Squash

  • Peel, seed, and chop it into 1×1-inch cubes. Transfer to a large baking pan, season with salt, pepper and drizzle some olive oil. Mix everything up and bake at 400°F for about 30-35 minutes. You can check if it’s cooked by piercing pieces of the vegetable with a fork. When done, just take it out of the oven and let it cool off on the counter.

Cook Quinoa

  • Rinse 1 cup of quinoa in a mesh sieve and put in the saucepan with 2 cups of water. Stir and bring to boil. When it starts boiling, lower the heat to medium/low and cover with a lid. Cook for about 15 minutes until it’s fully cooked and the water is absorbed. Season with salt to taste and let it cool off completely.

Assemble

  • To assemble, put all the ingredients in a big salad bowl (arugula, roasted butternut squash, cooked quinoa, dried cranberries, pepitas, and pomegranate seeds). Dress with Citrus Salad Dressing or Lemon Vinaigrette and give it a mix.

Notes

Make Ahead. You can cook quinoa and roast butternut squash a day before and refrigerate until ready to use. All you’ll need is just to assemble, which will take not more than 10 minutes.
What other ingredients can I add?
You can play around with flavors and add some other ingredients, like:
  • Spinach (instead of arugula)
  • Chickpeas (drained from a can)
  • Walnuts or pecans (chopped)
  • Goat cheese
How to store? If you have any leftovers, transfer them to an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 175kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 8mg | Potassium: 493mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 7757IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a review below. Or snap a photo and share it on Instagram; be sure to tag me @veronikaskitchen.

More Salad Recipes

  • Red potato salad with dill and chopped bacon in a bowl.
    Red Potato Salad with Dill
  • Salad, made with pasta, chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and herbs.
    Chickpea Pasta Salad
  • Vinaigrette in a glass jar.
    Maple Dijon Salad Dressing
  • Chicken Macaroni Salad in a white bowl.
    Chicken Macaroni Salad

Reader Interactions

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Laura Hernandez says

    January 12, 2023 at 11:01 am

    This recipe is excellent and surpasses a previous lemon viniagrette I’ve used. I have an issue though with the layout of the recipe to print-and others on your site. The top part with the serving size, time etc. takes up a huge amount of space so that the recipe instead of being on one handy she becomes two. Why not put this info in a less space consuming format or put it at the end so that cooks can choose to either print it up or leave it off.

    Reply
  2. Laura Hernandez says

    January 12, 2023 at 11:00 am

    This recipe is excellent and surpasses a previous lemon viniagrette I’ve used. I have an issue though with the layout of the recipe to print-and others on your site. The top part with the serving size, time etc. takes up a huge amount of space so that the recipe instead of being on one handy sheet becomes two. Why not put this info in a less space consuming format or put it at the end so that cooks can choose to either print it up or leave it off?

    Reply

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