Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Kale and Quinoa

This Roasted butternut squash salad with kale and quinoa is a fantastic vegetarian Thanksgiving side dish recipe. It also works as a Gluten-Free Stuffing idea too! Loaded with so many delicious fall flavors, such as the maple glazed butternut squash, chewy cranberries, refreshing pomegranate seeds and toasted pecans. 

And the best part? You can make the whole thing the day before! Then assemble and serve! For more vegetarian make-ahead side dishes try my Easy Broccoli Salad with Raisins my Corn Pudding Casserole or my Roasted Harvest Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette. 

Roasting the Butternut Squash

• The roasted butternut squash gives this salad so much flavor. I toss it with maple syrup and olive oil, along with a few classic Thanksgiving herbs (sage, thyme and rosemary) and when roasted at a high temperature they become candied, sticky and sweet.
• It’s a great flavor combination against the refreshing pomegranate seeds and toasted pecans.
• You can also do this part a day ahead making it a wonderful vegetable side dish for Thanksgiving because it doesn’t compete for oven space on the day of! 

Choosing the Best Quinoa 

• You can use any type of quinoa you like but this time of year, at Thanksgiving, I love to use the Tri-Colored Quinoa.
• It’s 3-types of quinoa mixed together and it creates the most beautiful fall salad once it’s combined with all the other seasonal ingredients.
• You really won’t notice much difference in taste, it’s more for visual presentation.

A Gluten-Free Stuffing Idea!

• Because the quinoa has a lovely, starchy and filling texture to it, this recipe can also serve as a great gluten-free stuffing idea!
• The crunch of the pecans and chewy cranberries, mixed with the Thanksgiving herbs, creates a similar flavor profile too.
• The addition of the dinosaur kale gives the salad even more nutrition and could also serve as a main course. F
• or more vegetarian main course ideas try my Vegan Thai Red Curry or my Gardener’s Pie recipes. Both would be very festive Thanksgiving recipes! 

The Dressing

• The salad is pretty flavorful on its own, but I like to toss it with a very light dressing of grape seed oil, apple cider, maple syrup and orange zest, just to provide additional flavor and to prevent the quinoa from being dry.
• The orange zest against the roasted butternut squash is a fantastic flavor combination that works really well with the toasted pecans.
• I also add a little orange zest in my Pecan Square Recipe and it just sends them over-the-top. Another great Thanksgiving recipe if you need an easy dessert idea! 

Make Ahead Tips:

• 2 days before you can make the quinoa. Cover and refrigerate
• 1 day ahead you can roast the squash, cool and refrigerate
• 1 day ahead you can make the dressing cover and refrigerate
• 1 day ahead you can toast the pecans and cover and leave at room temperature.

Serving Suggestions:

• You could serve this salad in a large bowl, I love the Mason Cash 10-quart bowls for something like this
• Or transfer it to a shallow platter. This is my preferred method since I think it looks so beautiful this way and allows your guests to see all the different ingredients! 

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Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Kale and Quinoa

Yield: 10

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

A roasted butternut squash salad with kale and quinoa is a fantastic Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipe which can also serve as a Gluten-Free Stuffing idea too!

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Ingredients

• 1 Butternut Squash (8 cups cubed)
• 3 Tbsp Olive oil
• 3 Tbsp Maple Syrup
• ½ tsp salt
• Freshly cracked pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp sage
• 1 Tbsp Rosemary
• 1 Tbsp Thyme
• 1 cups Tri-Color Quinoa
• 2 cups of water
• Dino kale 3-6 leaves, julienned
• 1 cup Cranberries
• 10 oz Pecan Halves
• 3/4 cup Pomegranate seeds

Apple Cider and Orange Vinaigrette Dressing:

• 2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 Tbsp Grapeseed Oil
• 1 Tsp Maple Syrup
• 1 ½ tsp orange zest

Instructions

1. Place 2 cups of water in a medium-sized pot. Add 1 cup of quinoa and cook according to package instructions. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool. Place in an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. Place squash cubes in a large bowl, add olive oil, maple syrup, salt, pepper, sage, rosemary and thyme. Toss to coat. Roast in a 475F oven for 15-20 minutes or until soft and caramelized.
3. Lower oven to 375F place pecans on a sheet pan and bake for 5 minutes remove from oven and allow to cool.
4. Remove ribs from the dino kale and chop into thin ribbons. Place it in a large bowl, add the cooled quinoa, cooled squash, the cranberries, pecans and pomegranate seeds. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Transfer to a shallow serving place and serve immediately.

Notes

Make Ahead Tips:

• 2 days before you can make the quinoa. Cover and refrigerate
• 1 day ahead you can roast the squash, cool and refrigerate
• 1 day ahead you can make the dressing cover and refrigerate
• 1 day ahead you can toast the pecans and cover and leave at room temperature.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 333Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 24gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 131mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 6gSugar: 8gProtein: 5g