Autumn Quinoa Salad
This Autumn Quinoa Salad is the vegetarian-friendly, gluten-free side dish your hosted table is waiting for. Serve at your next gathering where you may have guests with dietary preferences that shift the menu a bit. Your ‘friends who eat everything’ will be just as delighted with this lovely, flavor-bomb salad and will happily enjoy it alongside a turkey leg or thick cut of prime rib.
The Magic of a Balanced Salad
There’s something magical about the combination of: a well-roasted vegetable, sharp-flavored cheese, and savory toasted nuts or seeds. You will see me use a combination of these general ingredients over and over – plus a healthy handful of delicate herbs – because the variety in flavor – salt, fat, acidity – and texture just simply work.
As I often say, if you don’t have one of the star ingredients here, play around with substitutions. I’ve included some alternatives in the notes so you can play to your heart’s content. I like to think of salad recipes as a loose template that can guide you to the salad of your dreams. Not MY dreams, YOUR dreams. I can’t wait to see what you come up with.
Here’s What You Need:
- 3 cups prepared quinoa
- 2 cups Caramelized Butternut Squash
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon Denissimo Dark Balsamic vinegar OR 2 teaspoons standard balsamic vinegar plus 1 teaspoon honey
- 3 ounces fresh feta cheese
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon coriander, dried powder
- ½ cup pepitas
- ½ cup Italian flat leaf parsley
How to Autumn Quinoa Salad with Butternut Squash and Feta
Step 1: Into the large mixing bowl, add the prepared quinoa, Caramelized Butternut Squash, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper, and coriander. Gently fold the ingredients together until well combined. The squash is tender and may break up a bit, creating a sticky sweetness throughout the salad. This is expected.
Step 2: Leaving a bit of each to the side for garnish, fold in about 2 ounces of the feta, most of the pepitas, and parsley. Top the salad with the remaining feta, pepitas and parsley.
Step 3: Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What can I use in place of quinoa for this salad?
A: If quinoa isn’t your favorite, I recommend using farro or wild rice as it is hearty enough to hold up to the rest of the ingredients in the salad. Short grain brown rice works well, too.
Q: How can I make this vegan?
A: Feel free to leave out to the feta cheese or substitute your favorite non-dairy “cheese” instead. If leaving out dairy, I will often increase the amount of pepitas and salt used in the recipe to make sure it has enough flavor.
If you’re looking for something to serve with this salad, try my Oven-Baked Meatballs (for so much more than pasta and subs!) or Dry Rub Chicken Wings with Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce. I hope you make them, enjoy, and share with people you love. Cheers, friend!
Autumn Quinoa Salad (with Butternut and Quinoa)
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Spatula or wooden spoon
- Chef's knife
- Cutting board or butcher block
Ingredients
- 3 cups Quinoa, prepared
- 2 cups Caramelized Butternut Squash
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon Denissimo Dark Balsamic vinegar OR 2 teaspoons standard balsamic vinegar plus 1 teaspoon honey
- 3 ounces fresh feta cheese
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon coriander dried powder
- ½ cup pepitas
- ½ cup Italian flat leaf parsley
Instructions
- First, prepare the Caramelized Butternut Squash and quinoa. Both will be used as the base of this salad.
- Into the large mixing bowl, add the prepared quinoa, Caramelized Butternut Squash, olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and coriander. Gently fold the ingredients together until well combined. The squash is tender and may break up a bit, creating a sticky sweetness throughout the salad. This is expected.
- Leaving a bit of each to the side for garnish, fold in about 2 ounces of the feta, most of the pepitas, and parsley. Top the salad with the remaining feta, pepitas and parsley.
- Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
- While I prefer using fresh when possible, using store-prepped butternut squash in the Caramelized Butternut Squash recipe helps if you’re looking to shorten prep time for this dish.
- If quinoa isn’t your favorite, I recommend using farro or wild rice as it is hearty enough to hold up to the rest of the ingredients in the salad. Short grain brown rice works well, too.
- Feta is best when purchased fresh in a block, soaking in brine. Pre-crumbled feta tends to be less flavorful and often has additives that change the texture.
- Feel free to leave out to the feta cheese or substitute your favorite non-dairy “cheese” instead. If leaving out dairy, I will often increase the amount of pepitas and salt used in the recipe to make sure it has enough flavor.
- If you’re looking for something to serve with this salad, try my Oven-Baked Meatballs (for so much more than pasta and subs!) or Dry Rub Chicken Wings.
