Roasted Butternut Squash, Black Bean And Quinoa Salad
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
25 mins
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Total Time
40 mins
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Servings
6
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Calories
304 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Salad
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Cuisine
American
Roasted Butternut Squash, Black Bean And Quinoa Salad
Description
The Roasted Butternut Squash, Black Bean, and Quinoa Salad features cubed butternut squash seasoned and roasted until tender and slightly caramelized. Quinoa is cooked separately and fluffed for a light fluffiness that provides a nutty crunch complementing the soft squash. Black beans add creaminess and protein, while dried cranberries introduce tart sweetness contrasting the squash's natural sugariness.
Pumpkin seeds contribute crunch and healthy fats, and mixed greens add freshness and color. A homemade vinaigrette made from olive oil, Dijon mustard, fresh lemon juice, maple syrup, and seasoning dresses the salad, uniting the layers of flavor with a bright, mildly sweet tang.
The salad works well as a light lunch or a side dish, taking advantage of autumn ingredients and a wholesome grain. The mix of textures—soft roasted squash, tender quinoa, crunchy seeds, and chewy dried fruit—adds interest to every bite.
Storage notes suggest refrigerating leftovers for about 4 days but discourage freezing the assembled salad. Prepared butternut squash and cooked quinoa can be frozen separately before assembly. Ingredient substitutions include millet or couscous for quinoa, chickpeas for black beans, dried cherries or currants instead of cranberries, and various nuts or seeds instead of pumpkin seeds.
Ingredients
- 1 (2 lb) butternut squash
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme, fresh
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ¾ c quinoa white
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans rinsed and drained
- ⅓ c dried cranberries
- ¼ c pumpkin seeds
- 1 c mixed greens like spinach, arugula or spring mix
For the lemon-olive oil vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice fresh
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Cut the butternut squash
- If you're using a whole squash, lay it flat on the cutting board and cut it in half. Then, cut each piece in half down the center vertically. Scrape out the seeds. Cut squash halves into slices and chop each slice into small ½ inch cubes.
Bake a butternut squash
- Place cubed squash on a parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with thyme, cayenne pepper and salt. Drizzle with the olive oil toss to combine. Bake butternut squash at 400F for about 25-30 minutes stirring halfway through or until tender when poked with knife. Remove from the oven and let it slightly cool.
Prepare the quinoa
- Add raw quinoa to a colander and rinse it for a few seconds under a running water. Add quinoa to a medium pot along with 1 ½ c of water. Put on the stovetop and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook the quinoa with a lid on for about 15 minutes until tender. Fluff it with a fork and let it slightly cool.
Make a lemon-olive oil dressing
- While squash and quinoa are cooking, in a small bowl add fresh lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, Maple syrup, salt and pepper. Whisk until combined.
Combine the ingredients
- In a large bowl add roasted butternut squash, cooked quinoa, drained and rinsed black beans, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds and greens. Drizzle with the lemon-olive oil dressing and mix to combine. Taste the butternut squash black bean salad to see if it needs more salt or pepper. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; avoid freezing the assembled salad.
- You can freeze uncooked cubed butternut squash in portioned freezer bags for up to 9 months and thaw in the refrigerator before use.
- Cooked quinoa can also be frozen for up to 6 months and thawed in the fridge.
- Quinoa may be substituted with whole-wheat couscous, millet, or short-grain brown rice for different textures.
- Black beans can be replaced with chickpeas or cannellini beans if desired.
- Dried cranberries can be swapped with dried cherries, currants, or raisins for a similar tartness or sweetness.
- Use pumpkin seeds or substitute with sunflower seeds, toasted walnuts, or sliced almonds for added crunch and nutrition.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 304 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 304kcal | 15% |
| Carbohydrates | 41g | 14% |
| Protein | 10.2g | 20% |
| Fat | 12.9g | 20% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Sodium | 310mg | 13% |
| Potassium | 865mg | 18% |
| Fiber | 10.3g | 41% |
| Sugar | 4.4g | 9% |
| Calcium | 114mg | 11% |
| Iron | 4mg | 22% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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