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Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad with Feta and Cranberry

Roasted Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad makes a tasty light lunch or fall side dish that you can feel great about eating. There’s lots of fiber, vitamins and nutrients but it also tastes delish!

butternut squash quinoa salad in a beige bowl with gold serving spoon

Make this Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad as a last-minute side dish for the holiday season, a vegetarian main dish, or a light, fall-inspired lunch. Grain salads are perfect for fall when you’re not in the mood for a crisp green salad but still want something wholesome you can feel good about eating. This dish is light yet super satisfying, thanks to the 8 grams of protein in each cup of that fluffy quinoa. And you’ll have a large batch to enjoy easy meal prep for days or plenty to serve a crowd. Let’s make it!

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you decide to purchase any of the items linked in this post, I should earn a small commission. This creates no additional cost to you and helps support the work that goes into running The Fig Jar. Thank you! -Becky 

Ingredients 

Butternut squash quinoa salad recipe

  • Butternut squash – I like to buy a whole squash because they are usually more flavorful than the pre-cut varieties. However, you can use pre-cut butternut squash if you are short on time.
  • Quinoa – Any type of quinoa will work for this – red, tri-color or white quinoa, to name a few.
  • Shallot or onion – Any type of onion could work for this such as red onion or green onion.
  • Dried cranberries
  • Feta cheese – Goat cheese would also work for this salad.
  • Fresh parsley
  • For the dressing – Avocado oil, red wine vinegar, honey, garlic powder, salt & black pepper. The dressing for this salad is my go-to vinaigrette that I use in everything from Italian Chopped Salad to Beet and Avocado Salad
butternut squash quinoa salad ingredients

How to make butternut squash quinoa salad

Roast the butternut squash

Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add the cubed and peeled squash to the baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for 30-40 minutes, until tender and golden brown around the edges.

roasted butternut squash

Make the quinoa

I LOVE making quinoa in my Instant Pot. It comes out perfect every time and is super fast. Just rinse quinoa and add it to your instant pot. Then, add the water. Pressure cook on high for 3 minutes and gradually release for 8 minutes. You can also cook your quinoa in a rice cooker by following the package instructions. Once cooked, add quinoa to a large serving bowl and set aside. 

Prepare the Dressing, Cranberries & Shallots

While the squash is roasting and the quinoa is going, prep the dressing, cranberries and shallot. For the dressing, simply place the oil, vinegar, garlic powder, salt, pepper, shallots and honey in a jar. Secure the lid and shake well. Done!

I like to reconstitute the cranberries which just means placing them in a small bowl and pouring hot water over them so they get softer. Allow them to rest for 5 minutes, then drain. 

Annd I marinated the shallots and then just realized while writing this post–hey, I could have just put the shallots in the dressing to marinate while everything else is working. Duh! So do as I say not as I do. 🙂

Assemble Your Salads

Now for the easiest part– just combine everything in a large bowl and toss. This salad is best served cold or room temperature.

Storage Instructions

Store leftover butternut squash salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To store extra dressing, keep it in an airtight container such as a mason jar for up to 3-4 days in the fridge.

Additions and Substitutions

This salad is great as-is but would also be delicious with pomegranate seeds instead of cranberries. If you’d like to add more greens, baby kale or baby spinach would be a nice touch. And if you want to add a bit more crunch, try throwing in a handful of pumpkin seeds or some crisp apple slices! You can also use extra virgin olive oil in a pinch, but I’ve noticed that it has a much more bitter flavor profile than avocado oil when it’s a major part of a dish like a salad.

What to Serve with Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad

This dish goes great with other fall flavors such as Brussels Sprouts with Prosciutto and Fig Salad, or as a side for easy meals like Brie Grilled Cheese.

Tried this Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad Recipe?

If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating below and let me know how it went. I’d love to hear from you!

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad with Feta and Cranberry

butternut squash quinoa salad in a beige bowl with gold serving spoon

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

This Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad makes the perfect fall lunch or side dish for gatherings. It’s healthy, hearty and delicious. 

  • Author: Becky Schmieg
  • Prep Time: 30
  • Cook Time: 40
  • Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: Main

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 small butternut squash (almost 2 lb), peeled and cut into cubes
  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1/3 cup dried cranberries
  • 3/4 cup feta cheese crumbles
  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced (red onion works, about 1/2 cup)
  • 1 cup fresh parsley (measured, then chopped)
  • Olive oil, salt and pepper (for cooking the squash)

Dressing:

  • 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
  • 2/3 cup avocado oil
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400F. 
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add the cubed and peeled squash. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for 30-40 minutes, until tender and golden around the edges. roasted butternut squash
  3. Rinse quinoa and add to an instant pot. Add water and pressure cook for 3 minutes, then allow gradual release for 8 minutes. Add quinoa to large serving bowl and set aside. 
  4. Make the dressing. Add avocado oil, vinegar, honey, garlic powder, salt, pepper and shallots to a glass jar. Secure lid and shake well. 
  5. Place cranberries in a small dish and pour enough hot water over to cover. Allow to rest for 5 minutes, then drain. 
  6. Combine all ingredients in large bowl with the quinoa, toss and serve room temperature or cold. dressing being poured onto butternut squash quinoa salad

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2 Comments

  1. This salad looks delicious and perfect for fall! I love the combination of roasted butternut squash and quinoa—definitely going to try this soon!

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