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    Home » Recipes » Vegetarian Main Dishes

    Roasted Butternut Pumpkin and Red Quinoa Salad

    Published: Oct 17, 2012 · Updated: Sep 21, 2022 · by Nicole · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Roasted Butternut Pumpkin and Red Quinoa Salad
    Roasted Butternut Pumpkin and Red Quinoa Salad
    Roasted Butternut Pumpkin and Red Quinoa Salad
    Roasted Butternut Pumpkin and Red Quinoa Salad
    Roasted Butternut Pumpkin and Red Quinoa Salad

    This pumpkin and red quinoa salad is packed with fall flavor from roasted butternut pumpkin, hearty quinoa, and a fresh balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

    Roasted Butternut Pumpkin and Red Quinoa Salad

    I have to admit I've been a bit slow to get into quinoa. I know it's good for you, in fact I had been using quinoa flakes in baking for some time, but I'd been slow on adopting whole quinoa as a regular food in our diet.

    However the other day I decided to give it another try.  In fact, this salad was the first thing I made when I decided to re-introduce it into my diet and I have to say I'm in love.

    It contains ingredients I love, namely roasted butternut pumpkin and pecans, and a dressing that I absolutely adore.

    This quinoa salad is incredibly simple, and can be made in advance and dressed just before serving. And by the time the pumpkin is roasted the quinoa is cooked, you'll have the dressing made and it's ready to be assembled.

    It's also delicious hot or cold, making it perfect for taking to work for lunches or picnics in this beautiful weather we are enjoying at the moment.

    The dressing is a delicious mix of honey, olive oil and Vino Cotto.

    Vino Cotto (sometimes called Vincotto) is a made by slowly cooking down grape skins, flesh, seeds and juices until the sugars have caramelized.

    It's taste is similar to balsamic vinergar, although sweeter, and can be used in any situation where you would use balsamic.

    It's the sweetness of the vino cotto that works so beautifully with the pumpkin in this salad!

    So if you've tried quinoa before and weren't impressed and are keen to try it again I suggest giving this gorgeous and simple quinoa salad a go.

    Roasted Butternut Pumpkin and Red Quinoa Salad

    More Tasty Recipes

    And if you love this pumpkin and red quinoa salad, be sure to check out these other tasty ideas:

    • Best Vegetarian Pumpkin Recipes for Fall
    • Roasted Pumpkin Crostata
    • Easy Pumpkin Chili
    Roasted Butternut Pumpkin and Red Quinoa Salad

    Roasted Butternut Pumpkin and Red Quinoa Salad

    This pumpkin and red quinoa salad is packed with fall flavor from roasted butternut pumpkin, hearty quinoa, and a fresh balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
    4.41 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Save Saved!
    Course: Main Course, Salad
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: butternut pumpkin recipe, Quinoa Salad recipe, salad recipe
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Calories: 754kcal
    Author: Delicious Everyday
    2 people

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ cups red quinoa
    • 1 ¼ cups water
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 3 cups butternut pumpkin aka butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes
    • 1 tbsp olive oil
    • 1 cup baby spinach leaves
    • ¼ cup toasted pecans
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Dressing

    • 1 tbsp vino cotto or balsamic vinegar
    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    • 1 tsp honey
    • salt and pepper to taste
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and place the pumpkin and olive oil in a bowl, season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Place the pumpkin on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender and lightly caramelized.
    • While the pumpkin is roasting prepare the quinoa. Place the quinoa in a fine mesh sieve and place under cold running water for a few minutes. Use your fingers to toss the grains about to ensure they are well rinsed. Drain and place into a saucepan along with the water and salt. Place over a high heat and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low and leave to simmer for 20 minutes, or until tender. Place the cooked quinoa into a sieve to drain any excess water.
    • Make the dressing by combining all of the ingredients in a jar and shaking to combine.
    • Place the quinoa in a large bowl and add the roasted pumpkin, baby spinach leaves and toss to combine. Just before serving scatter with pecans and add the dressing and toss to combine.

    Nutrition (Estimated)

    Calories: 754kcalCarbohydrates: 95gProtein: 17gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 1315mgPotassium: 1436mgFiber: 12gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 23730IUVitamin C: 48.3mgCalcium: 246mgIron: 6.8mg
    Shop our Cookbooks!Check out our collection of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks for more tasty meatless recipe ideas.

    More Vegetarian Main Dishes

    • Vegan Beet Wellington
    • Vegan Vegetable Wellington
    • Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry
    • Vegan Stuffed Shells

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Deena Montillo says

      December 12, 2012 at 8:20 am

      A very healthy salad with a nice flavor combination! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    2. Deena Montillo says

      December 12, 2012 at 8:19 am

      A very healthy salad with nice flavor combination! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    3. Vijitha says

      October 24, 2012 at 7:11 am

      I love any dish with quinoa. That has become my favorite grain for quite sometime now. Love the addition of roasted butternut squash in the recipe. A hearty salad for sure.

      Reply
    4. Rosa Mayland says

      October 21, 2012 at 8:13 am

      A beautiful salad! Nourishing, healthy and tasty.

      Cheers,

      Rosa

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        October 22, 2012 at 7:33 am

        Thanks Rosa 😀

        Reply
    5. Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen says

      October 19, 2012 at 1:33 pm

      I'm all about butternut squash, especially this time of year.

      Reply
    6. Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says

      October 18, 2012 at 2:27 am

      Oh my! This is a bowl filled with autumn deliciousness!

      Reply
    7. PlatinumBodyPerformance says

      October 17, 2012 at 3:30 pm

      Wow, you have nice collection here. My weekend is usually all about work and kitchen. But It’s still my favorite part of the week! Thanks for this great reading list.

      Reply
    8. Christine @ Cooking Crusade says

      October 17, 2012 at 8:29 pm

      This looks great. It took me awhile to get into quinoa as well (I hated it the first few times I tried!) but now I am a complete addict and love finding new quinoa recipes 😀

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        October 17, 2012 at 9:15 pm

        Me too Christine 😀 I think I wasn't so keen on it the first time is that I didn't rinse it well enough so it still had that slightly bitter taste. I'm glad I persevered because it is worth it.

        Reply
    9. Choc Chip Uru says

      October 17, 2012 at 6:59 pm

      Nothing beats sweet potato especially your style 🙂

      Cheers
      Choc Chip Uru

      Reply
    10. thelittleloaf says

      October 17, 2012 at 6:19 pm

      I love the idea of that dressing - and as for quinoa, I love the stuff but definitely don't use it enough!

      Reply
    11. Laura (Tutti Dolci) says

      October 17, 2012 at 3:19 pm

      I love butternut squash, what a delicious salad! The pecans are perfect here and I love the dressing!

      Reply
    12. Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says

      October 17, 2012 at 2:10 pm

      5 stars
      I really like white quinoa but I find red a bit tougher or maybe it's all in my head. I think I'd love this salad and I have all the ingredients in the house. Dinner!

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        October 17, 2012 at 9:11 pm

        I think you're right, red quinoa is firmer than white, but I really like the texture it adds. Feel free to use white if you prefer 😀

        Reply
    13. Amanda says

      October 17, 2012 at 1:34 pm

      Mmm, I've just been wondering what to do with the bag of sweet potatoes lying in the pantry. I think they'll do very nicely for this, it looks and sounds delicious thanks!

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        October 17, 2012 at 9:12 pm

        Sweet potatoes would be lovely in this too Amanda 😀 Great thinking.

        Reply

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    Nicole - Vegetarian Food Blogger

    Nicole is a 25+ year vegetarian, and author of a vegan cookbook. She shares her recipes on Delicious Everyday, an award-winning vegetarian and vegan food blog.  About Nicole

    the one pot vegan cookbook, by nicole malik
    5 day vegetarian challenge

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