Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
Welcome fall with this roasted butternut squash salad recipe loaded with fall vegetables, quinoa and kale, topped with pomegranate seeds, pickled red onions, and an oil-free horseradish vinaigrette.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 179kcal
Ingredients
Roasted Vegetables
- 2 cups butternut squash cubed (equal-sized pieces)
- 2 cups cauliflower florets
- 2 cups Brussels sprouts cut in half
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
Other Ingredients
- 6 cups kale chopped
- 1 ½ cups cooked red quinoa or any color (½ cup dry)
- ½ cup pickled onion pieces
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
- ½ cup tofu feta cheese optional
Horseradish Vingiarette
- ⅓ cup champagne vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon horseradish root grated
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons stoneground mustard
- 2 teaspoons green onions
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup water
Instructions
Roasting the Vegetables
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Cut the vegetables into equal bite-sized pieces and rinse an additional time before placing a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Sprinkle with onion and garlic powder.
- Cook for 25-30 minutes; remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
Horseradish Dressing
- Add all the ingredients to a high-speed blender.
- Blend until smooth, cover, and refrigerate until chilled.
- Prepare the quinoa and other ingredients.
- Prepare the pickled red onions and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours to thoroughly marinate.
- Cook quinoa according to the package instructions.
- Allow the quinoa to cool completely.
- Chop the kale by first removing the stems and then coarsely chopping the kale.
Serving Butternut Squash Salad
- Place chopped kale in a large bowl or on a platter.
- Add cool quinoa and pickled red onions or raw red onions.
- Now add the cooled roasted butternut squash, cauliflower, and Brussell sprouts.
- Next, add pomegranate seeds.
- Pour dressing over the salad, toss and coat the kale and other ingredients.
- Dress salad in advance to soften the kale and enhance flavors.
Notes
- Cut Brussels sprouts by removing the stems and discarding some outer leaves; then cut in halves.
- Soak Brussels sprouts in salt water for at least 30 minutes to remove excess debris and little critters that sometimes are inside the leaves.
- Meal prep by chopping all the vegetables beforehand makes salad meal preparation easier.
- Substitute raw red onions for pickled red onions as a time saver.
- Although I love red quinoa, any cooked quinoa works well with this roasted butternut squash salad recipe.
- If using horseradish root, peel only the area you plan to grate and freeze the rest for future use.
- For a different dressing option, try maple dijon dressingor vegan French dressing.
Nutrition
Calories: 179kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 175mg | Potassium: 778mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 11910IU | Vitamin C: 117mg | Calcium: 240mg | Iron: 3mg