A hearty warm quinoa salad that can be served as an entree or a Thanksgiving side dish. It is super fulfilling, flavorful, full of textures, and loaded with healthy ingredients like squash, apples, and pomegranate
Place the butternut squash on the baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Heat the remaining olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the quinoa to the pan and toast for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the chicken or vegetable broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn down the heat to low and cover the pan; cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the quinoa has absorbed all of the liquid. Take the pan off the heat and allow the quinoa to rest for 5 minutes covered. Fluff with a fork.
Transfer the quinoa to a large serving dish. Gently fold in butternut squash, persimmon, apple, pomegranate seeds, and parsley, if using. Drizzle the salad with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
Optional Variations:
Vegan Quinoa Salad - Make this a purely plant-based dish by swapping in veggie broth.
Roasted Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad - Sweet potatoes (or yams) make for a wonderful squash replacement!
Optional Add-Ins - Bulk up your salad as needed to make it hearty enough to be an entrée. Here are some of my favorite additions:
Rinse the quinoa, or look for a bag that clearly states the quinoa has been pre-rinsed (e.g. Costco's Kirkland brand) to cut out a step. Quinoa is naturally coated in a bitter-tasting compound known as saponin to protect it from critters. While it's effective pest control, it's not super pleasant to taste, so rinse it thoroughly before toasting and simmering.
Toast the quinoa to deepen the flavor. This is similar to what I do for making my arroz and fideo, and it adds so much depth. Plus, it just takes a few minutes!
Look for pre-chopped squash in the refrigerated section of the produce aisle or in the freezer section to cut down on prep work. Pro Tip: You can roast veggies directly from frozen!