Winter Quinoa Salad
A delicious mix of roasted winter vegetables, fluffy quinoa, kale and toasted nuts, all dressed in a dijon dressing. This salad is not only delicious but healthy too!
Servings: 4
Equipment
- Chopping Board
- Sharp knife
- Large salad bowl
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 500 grams butternut squash peeled, seeds removed, cut into 2 cm cubes
- 500 grams sweet potato peeled, cut into 2cm cubes
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt flakes
- Cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 red onion peeled, cut into thin wedges
- 3 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup walnuts roughly chopped
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 bunch Tuscan kale stem removed, finely sliced
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- 100 grams chevré creamy goats’ cheese
- small bunch flat leaf parsley roughly chopped
Dressing
- 40 ml apple cider vinegar
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C conventional or 160°C fan forced. Line a large baking tray with baking paper and set aside.
- Add the cubed butternut squash and sweet potato as well as the onion wedges and garlic cloves to the baking tray drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and then spread out evenly in a single layer. Place the tray into the oven to bake for 1 hour 10 minutes. Remove the garlic from the oven after 50 minutes. If roasting in an air forced oven, the vegetables will be done much quicker so keep an eye on them.
- Tip the walnuts and pumpkin seeds onto a small tray and place into the oven to toast for 5-10 minutes or until toasted to your liking. Remove from the oven and tip into a bowl to prevent them from toasting further in the pan.
- Meanwhile, add the quinoa to a large saucepan and top with water. Use clean hands to swish the quinoa around in the water to wash. Strain the quinoa through a fine mesh sieve and then return to the pan. Repeat this process another two times. After returning the quinoa to the pan for a final time, top with 2 cups water and place onto the stovetop. Bring to a boil and boil until most of the water has been absorbed. Turn the heat to low and place the lid on the saucepan. Once any liquid has stopped bubbling up through the quinoa, turn off the heat and leave the lid on, allowing the quinoa to steam.
- To make the dressing, squeeze the garlic cloves from their skins into a small bowl and use a fork to mash. To the bowl add the apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard and maple syrup and whisk to combine. Begin pouring the olive oil into the bowl while whisking and whisk until the dressing is smooth and well combined. Season with salt to taste.
- To assemble the salad, add the kale to a large salad bowl and drizzle with a little olive oil. Use clean hands to massage the kale until vibrant green. To the bowl add the quinoa, roasted sweet potato, butternut squash and onion, dried cranberries, toasted walnuts and pepitas, goat’s cheese and chopped parsley. Drizzle the salad with the salad dressing and toss to combine. Serve warm or cold.
Notes
Storage
To meal prep, create the salad as per the recipe and divide between four glass airtight containers. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.To make nut free
- Swap the walnuts for sunflower seeds or more pumpkin seeds.
To make dairy free
- Swap the goats cheese for vegan feta or leave out all together.