Go Back

Harvest Quinoa Salad

Harvest quinoa salad with fluffy quinoa, roasted butternut squash, crisp apple, and crunchy pepitas in a lemon-maple dressing. Roasting the squash at high heat brings caramelized edges that balance the bright lemon flavor.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Lunch
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Salad base
  • 1 cup quinoa, cooked and cooled
  • 2 cups roasted butternut squash cubes
  • 1 count apple, diced
  • 0.5 cup dried cranberries
  • 0.25 cup pepitas
Lemon-maple dressing
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 0.1 Salt and pepper, to taste

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook and roast
  1. Cook the quinoa until tender, then let it cool completely for fluffy grains and less sogginess.
  2. Heat oven to 425°F and roast the butternut squash cubes on a sheet pan for 25 minutes, until browned and tender.
Make dressing and assemble
  1. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, salt, and pepper until smooth and well combined.
  2. Toss the cooled quinoa with roasted squash, diced apple, and dried cranberries until evenly distributed.
  3. Drizzle in the dressing and toss again to coat, then top with pepitas; for extra crunch, toast pepitas in a dry skillet before adding.

Notes

For best texture, cool quinoa and roast squash fully before mixing—warm ingredients can soften the apple and make the salad watery. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freeze not recommended due to the apple’s texture. Dietary swap: for gluten-free, ensure any added quinoa/cross-contamination labels are certified gluten-free (quinoa is naturally gluten-free).