Pumpkin Spice RumChata Martini
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Favorite Fall Recipes of 2024
November 11, 2024
This hearty Roasted Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad is packed with roasted squash, protein-rich chickpeas and quinoa, tender kale, crunchy roasted seeds and creamy goat cheese tossed in a tangy apple cider vinaigrette. Nutritious, colorful and full of seasonal goodness — this fall salad is a must-try!
Packed with seasonal favorites, this nutritious salad recipe has everything to be desired in a cozy, satisfying dish. I’m sure you’ve had roasted pumpkin seeds before, but have you ever had roasted butternut squash seeds? I hate for anything to go to waste so I always cook them whenever I make butternut squash. They add a fabulous crunch and flavor to this salad, which is also finished off with my classic go-to sweet apple cider vinaigrette. Perfect for a cozy side dish, a light lunch or even an addition to your Thanksgiving table, this vibrant salad recipe delivers a delicious balance of sweet and savory flavors in every bite!
Allow me to walk you through this recipe!
Everything You Need to Make Roasted Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad:
- Butternut Squash: You’ll need one medium-sized butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped into approximately 1/2-inch cubes. Make sure to save the seeds, they’ll add a delicious crunch to your salad!
- Chickpeas: One can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans add some protein to this salad.
- Olive Oil & Spices: You’ll need several tablespoons of olive oil, along with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper to season your veggies and seeds.
- Apple Cider Vinegar, Olive Oil and Honey: This is all you’ll need to make the simple three-ingredient vinaigrette!
- Kale: You’ll need about two cups of chopped kale for this salad, massaged with olive oil.
- Quinoa: You’ll also need instant quinoa for this salad – I just used a 90-second microwave packet for extra convenience. A quinoa and brown rice blend, seven grain blend, wild rice blend or even couscous would also work great in this recipe. I just used what I had in the pantry!
- Goat Cheese: I recommend using goat cheese crumbles since they are easy to measure and less messy, but you could also crumble it yourself! Of course you can also measure with your heart on this ingredient, I don’t think you can ever have too much goat cheese!
How to Make Roasted Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- On a large baking sheet, place chopped butternut squash and drained chickpeas, and sprinkle with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika salt and pepper. Toss ingredients to combine and spread them evenly on the baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until butternut squash is tender and chickpeas are crispy.
- While your butternut squash and chickpeas begin to bake, clean the butternut squash seeds and add them to a small baking sheet or pan. Cover with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Add pan to the top oven rack and bake for 10-15 minutes or until seeds are crispy.
- To make the apple cider vinaigrette, add olive oil, apple cider vinegar and honey to a small container and whisk or shake to combine.
- Add chopped kale to a large mixing bowl, cover with olive oil and massage with clean hands until tender.
- To assemble the salad, add roasted butternut squash, chickpeas and butternut squash seeds to the mixing bowl, along with quinoa and goat cheese crumbles. Cover with dressing and gently toss ingredients to combine.
- If desired, transfer salad to a clean serving dish and top with extra goat cheese. (This step is optional!)
- Serve salad immediately or refrigerate for up to five days!
Kitchen Essentials:
Check out my list of trusty kitchen tools and serve ware that I just keep going back to! For this recipe, I used my favorite mixing bowls, ruffle pie dish and black servers!
Please let me know if you enjoy this recipe by leaving a rating and comment! If you are looking for more fall-inspired recipes, check out my Southwest Sweet Potato Chili or Pumpkin Spice Bourbon Bread.
Roasted Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
For the Roasted Butternut Squash & Chickpeas
- 1 medium butternut squash skinned, seeded and chopped
- 15 oz can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
For the Butternut Squash Seeds
- 1/2 cup butternut squash seeds
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- salt & pepper
For the Vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
For the Salad
- 2 cups chopped kale
- 1 tsp olive oil
- roasted butternut squash
- roasted chickpeas
- roasted butternut squash seeds
- 8 oz instant quinoa cooked according to package instructions
- 1/3 cup goat cheese crumbles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Place butternut squash and chickpeas on a large baking sheet, followed by olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Spread evenly and bake for 20-25 minutes or until butternut squash is tender and chickpeas are crispy.
- While squash and chickpeas begin to bake, add butternut squash seeds to a small pan and toss with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika salt and pepper. Add to oven on top rack and bake for 10-15 minutes or until seeds are crispy.
- To make vinaigrette, add olive oil, apple cider vinegar and honey to a small container and whisk or shake to combine.
- Add chopped kale to a large mixing bowl, cover with olive oil and massage until tender.
- To assemble salad, add roasted butternut squash, chickpeas and butternut squash seeds to mixing bowl, along with quinoa and goat cheese crumbles. Cover with dressing and toss to combine.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to five days!
