Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad

Roasted butternut squash quinoa kale salad with Parmesan cheese.

5 from 3 votes

This Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad recipe is healthy and perfect for fall! It's made with garlicky kale, Parmesan, and a maple Dijon glaze.

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Total Time50

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Keyword: butternut squash quinoa salad, butternut squash kale salad, healthy butternut squash salad

Servings:

Calories: 219kcal

Author: Christine Rooney

Ingredients

For The Salad:

1 large butternut squash yields 6 cups diced butternut squash
3 Tbsp. olive oil split
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. smoked paprika
½ tsp. kosher salt split
½ tsp. pepper split
1 cup quinoa or grain of choice
2 cups water
3-4 packed cups kale chopped
4 cloves garlic
½ cup Parmesan cheese or cheese of choice

For The Maple Mustard Glaze:

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For The Butternut Squash:

To peel the butternut squash simply remove the top and bottom of the squash with a sharp knife and discard in the trash or compost bin. This will give you a flat surface on both the top and bottom portion of the fruit and make it easier to peel and cut.
Once the top and bottom have been removed, cut the butternut squash in half. Place one of the flat surfaces of each half of squash on the cutting board.
Carefully remove the skin with a knife or a good quality vegetable peeler and discard in the trash or compost bin. Cut each half of the squash in half again. Scoop out the seeds and membranes from the bottom portion of the squash with a large spoon. Discard the seeds and membranes.
Cut each half of the squash into slices and then cut the slices into chunks. It's important that the chunks are relatively the same size to ensure even cooking.
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Place the diced butternut squash (about 6 cups) onto a large baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoon of olive oil. Toss the squash in the oil to coat. Sprinkle the squash with 1 teaspoon each of garlic powder and smoked paprika, along with ¼ teaspoon each of kosher salt and pepper. Toss until completely coated.
Place the pan in the oven and roast for 18 minutes. Remove the baking sheet after 18 minutes.

For The Maple Mustard Glaze:

Prepare glaze while the butternut squash is roasting in the oven. Place 3 tablespoon maple syrup, 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoon vegetable broth, and 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar in a small bowl.
Stir all of these ingredients until completely combined, using a fork or small whisk.
After 18 minutes of cook time, remove the pan from the oven and pour the glaze all over the squash. After 18 minutes of cook time, remove the pan from the oven and pour the glaze all over the squash. Remove the pan from the oven once again and set aside.

For The Kale:

Mince 4 cloves of garlic.
Chop 3-4 packed cups of kale into pices.
Heat a skillet to medium and add 1 Tbsp. of olive oil. Add the chopped kale to the skillet, along with ¼ teaspoon each of kosher salt and pepper. Saute the kale for 3-4 minutes, stirring often until it starts to cook down a bit.
Add the minced garlic and saute for another 1-2 minutes, stirring often. After 5-6 minutes, remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.

For The Quinoa:

To make the quinoa, simply prepare 1 cup of dry quinoa according to package instructions. Once the quinoa is ready, remove from the stove top and set aside.

Assemble The Salad:

Add half of cooked quinoa, roasted squash, kale, and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese to a large bowl. Toss this layer together. Add the remaining half and toss together again. Do this until all the ingredients are combined.
Once the salad is all tossed together, pour it out onto a large serving platter or into a large serving bowl. Cut a lemon in half and squeeze over the top of the salad. Sprinkle desired amount of extra Parmesan cheese over the top.

Notes

You can use any variety of kale you like. Other greens such as Swiss chard, arugula, or spinach may be substituted, but the texture of the salad will be affected as these varieties of greens are not as hearty and contain more water content.

Feel free to use any variety of gluten free grains you like in place of quinoa. Lentils, wild rice, or brown rice may be used instead of quinoa.

You can omit the Parmesan cheese you want to keep it vegan, or you can sub vegan Parmesan cheese. If omitting the cheese, be sure to add extra salt.

Romano cheese, feta, goat cheese, blue cheese, or gorgonzola would work great as well. This dish is a great way to branch out and explore your squash horizons.

Nutrition