I have embraced all that is butternut squash of late. Bake it and make it into soup, roast it as a side dish, or use it in this autumnal salad.
I have not loved kale, however, ever. But chop it up, use it as a base with some delicious ingredients, and use a little lemon dressing…I find, I look forward to my kale-based lunch. No, seriously, I am slowly falling in love with this vegetable. (Does anyone else think of the chard solicitation in the Farmer’s Market episode of Parks and Recreation? No?) Well, maybe I’m falling in like with this vegetable…
This salad is a full-course meal in that it incorporates a lot of vegetables, quinoa (I like tricolored for the visual) and crunchy apples, cranberries, and creamy goat cheese. It is also sort of weight watcher’s friendly as it is veggie based and if you only use a little cheese/cranberries you get a solid meal for not a lot of points.
The beauty of this kind of salad is it is interchangeable. As in, you don’t like dried cranberries or goat cheese you can eliminate or swap them out. You don’t have quinoa but have farro on hand, same deal. You make the meal unique in what makes you happy and is available in your pantry.
For this recipe, I cubed up butternut squash, tossed it in a little maple syrup and olive oil, roasted it up for an hour or so (Think glorious orange cubes of tastiness). While that is happening, I am first cooking a quinoa in a little butter on the stove top, then adding chicken stock to cook. In my research, I read that browning the quinoa adds depth of flavor and “sets” the protein. While I like quinoa as is, even cooked in water, I definitely like the flavors of the butter and the stock. (Again, you do you). Meanwhile I am tearing up kale, dicing apple, red peppers, and even this time, raw thin asparagus stalks, and getting ready to combine.
I have made this where I do the squash and quinoa the night before, and assemble the rest the next day, and I have made it when the quinoa is still slightly warm when assembling. Both turn out great. I also like that in a land of meal prepping on Sunday, this salad holds up, unlike the regular lettuce or baby spinach salad, which can’t really be made too many days in advance (nothing is worse than the smell of spinach turning…blah).
For the dressing, I combined lemon juice, olive oil (I used blood orange olive oil but any will do), salt, pepper, and a little bit of maple syrup (can also leave it out). I shake it up in a mason jar and keep it on hand for when it’s time to serve. I am not a fan of pre-dressed salad, but you could certainly dress the salad prior to serving and it will hold up.
If you are like myself in that you try to pack healthy lunches ahead of time and stay on track during the day (I won’t pack the halloween candy so I can’t be tempted and then around two I am asking myself why…) this is a salad for you. If you don’t love kale, this is the salad for you. My children aren’t fans but I make it anyway. It’s a recipe for Chrissy. And we need those in our lives. Recipes that make us healthier and stronger and happier, right?
I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, thank you for coming to the table!
Chrissy
Click below for a printable recipe.
Harvest Salad
Other options of this delicious fall salad could include chopped raw asparagus, pecans or walnuts (raw or roasted) or any additional seasonal vegetable/fruit. It is hearty, healthy, and versatile!
Ingredients
- 1 Butternut Squash, Cubed
- 2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
- 2 Tablespoons Oil
- Salt and Pepper
- 1 Cup Tri-Color Quinoa
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 2 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
- 1 Diced Granny Smith Apple
- ½ Cups Craisins (Dried Cranberries)
- 1 Diced Red Pepper
- 2 Cups Kale, Washed and Chopped
- 2 Ounces Crumbled Goat Cheese
Dressing:
- 1/3 Cup Olive Oil
- Juice of 1 Lemon
- 1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup
- Lemon Zest
Instructions
- Toss Butternut Squash Cubes in maple syrup and oil, season with salt and pepper.
- Spread out Squash on a sheet pan and bake for 375* until roasted. (45-60 Minutes).
- In a pan, melt butter and add quinoa, stirring until slightly toasted.
- Add Two cups chicken broth and simmer until quinoa is cooked.
- Wash and roughly chop Kale, add remaining ingredients to the salad and toss.
- Combine dressing ingredients and add to salad (I put mine in a mason jar on the side).