Maple-Roasted Butternut Squash Quinoa Harvest Salad

Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad — 🥗🧡🍂 Easy and packed with big fall flavors! Maple syrup, squash, and cranberries were made for each other! Healthy tastes good!

The Best Fall Quinoa Salad Recipe

It’s that time of year for squash. I’m a big squash fan, and an even bigger fan when it’s roasted with maple syrup and butter.

This savory yet slightly sweet butternut squash quinoa salad is easy, healthy, packed with big fall-inspired flavors, and there’s so much texture.

The buttery maple syrup coats the tender squash, which is a nice contrast to the chewier quinoa. There’s lightly caramelized sweet yellow onion to boost the overall flavor, chewy tart-and-sweet dried cranberries, sliced almonds for a satisfying crunch, and parsley to add color and a mild herbiness.

The salad is great right away but it’s a perfect make-ahead recipe because the flavors develop over time. I think it tastes better a day or two after making it. It’s perfect for work or school lunches!

What’s in Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad? 

To make this easy quinoa salad, you’ll need: 

• Butternut squash – make sure it’s peeled, diced, and cut into cubes
• Maple syrup – do NOT substitute pancake syrup
• Unsalted butter
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Yellow onion – White onion will also work. Or, if you prefer a little more bite, feel free to use red onion instead
• Quinoa – I used tri-colored quinoa. I don’t think it tastes much different than white quinoa, I like the added color, but use your favorite
• Apple cider vinegar
• Water
• Dried cranberries – I use orange-scented dried cranberries. Or, you can substitute pomegranate seeds
• Sliced almonds – Walnuts or pecans will also work
• Fresh parsley (flat-leaf)
• Lemon juice (optional) 

Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.

How to Make Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad

This salad may be bursting with tastes and textures, but it’s surprisingly easy to make! Here’s an overview of the instructions:

1. Roast the butternut squash with maple syrup, butter, salt, and pepper until fork-tender.
2. In the meantime, sauté the onions in olive oil until caramelized. Then, add the quinoa, and let it toast for about 30 seconds.
3. Next, add the water, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper, and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan, and cook until the liquid has been absorbed.
4. Fluff the cookies quinoa, and transfer it to a large bowl. Add the dried cranberries, almonds, parsley, squash, and the cooking liquid, and stir to combine.
5. Season to taste, adding lemon juice as needed or a dash of cayenne pepper for a touch of heat. Enjoy!

What to Serve with This Harvest Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad

Apple Cider Chicken with Caramelized Apples

Chicken and Sweet Potato Skillet

Slow Cooker Turkey Breast

Oven-Baked Barbecue Chicken

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4.75 from 8 votes

Maple-Roasted Butternut Squash Quinoa Harvest Salad

By Averie Sunshine

🥗🧡🍂 Easy and packed with big fall flavors! Maple syrup, squash, and cranberries were made for each other! Healthy tastes good!

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

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Equipment

• 1 (9×13 inch) Pan
• 1 large skillet
• 1 Large Bowl

Ingredients 

Salad

• ▢ 3 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
• ▢ ¼ cup maple syrup
• ▢ ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon pepper
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 cup dried cranberries, I use orange-scented dried cranberries
• ▢ ½ cup sliced almonds
• ▢ ½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• ▢ 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice, optional and to taste

Quinoa

• ▢ one extra-large, about 2 heaping cups diced sweet Vidalia or yellow onion, peeled and diced small
• ▢ 1 cup quinoa, I use tri-colored
• ▢ 1 ½ cups water
• ▢ 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
• ▢ ½ teaspoon pepper, or to taste

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Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 400F. Line a 9×13-inch pan with aluminum foil for easier cleanup.
• Add the butternut squash and evenly drizzle with maple syrup, butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and toss to combine.
• Bake for about 45 to 60 minutes, or until squash is fork-tender. Stir twice while squash bakes to ensure even cooking. Baking time will range based on exact size of squash pieces and natural variance in squash as some have more moisture and release more juice while baking.
• While the squash bakes, start sautéing the onions.
• To a large skillet or saucepan, add the olive oil, onions, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until onions have softened and are lightly caramelized, about 7 to 8 minutes.
• Add the quinoa and stir it into the onions and let it toast for about 30 seconds.
• Add the water, apple cider vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, reduce the heat to low, cover pan, and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until all liquid has been absorbed.
• Transfer quinoa to a large bowl and add the dried cranberries, almonds, parsley, squash and all the cooking liquid, and stir to combine.
• Taste, check for seasoning balance, and if necessary to brighten up the flavor, add lemon juice to taste. I added it and it doesn’t make the dish taste lemony but the acid balances the flavor. If necessary add more salt, pepper, or possibly a pinch of cayenne pepper for heat.

Notes

Dish can be served warm and immediately or stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The flavors develop over time and tastes better a day or two after making it, and can either be served warm or cold.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 453kcal, Carbohydrates: 79g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g, Cholesterol: 2mg, Sodium: 562mg, Fiber: 11g, Sugar: 46g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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