Quinoa, Kale and Squash Salad
Dark, leafy greens, protein-rich quinoa, juicy pomegranate arils, and vibrant butternut squash makes this Quinoa, Kale and Squash Salad a nutrient powerhouse!
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 353kcal
Ingredients
BUTTERNUT SQUASH
- 3 cups cubed butternut squash*
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- pinch of salt and pepper
QUINOA
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups vegetable broth
SALAD
- 5 large leaves curly kale about 5 large handfuls chopped
- 1 cup pomegranate arils
- ½ cup walnuts chopped
- ¼ cup craisins
DRESSING
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons oil
- pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 °F and place the cubed butternut squash on a baking sheet. Drizzle the squash with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast the butternut squash for about 30 minutes until fork tender, flipping the cubes over half way through. Remove from the oven when cooked and set aside.
- While the butternut squash roasts cook the the quinoa by placing 1 cup of quinoa and 2 cups of vegetable broth in a medium sized sauce pan. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to a low and simmer until quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat, still covered, and let the quinoa sit for 5 minutes. Then fluff the quinoa with a fork and let cool.
- While the butternut squash roasts and the quinoa simmers, prepare the salad and dressing. Place the chopped kale into a large bowl, drizzle on 1 tablespoon olive oil, and massage the kale** with your hands until it softens.
- Pour all of the dressing ingredients into a small jar and shake to combine.
- To assemble the salad, pour ½ of the dressing onto the quinoa and stir well. Add in the pomegranate arils, walnuts and craisins and stir to combine.
- Pour the quinoa mixture over the kale and top everything off with the roasted butternut squash.
- Serve with another drizzle of dressing.
Notes
*Any type of squash or pumpkin will work!
**To massage kale, take handfuls of kale in your hand and squeeze it very hard. Do this for a few minutes until the toughness of the kale begins to breakdown.
Nutrition
Calories: 353kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 343mg | Potassium: 593mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 8551IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 93mg | Iron: 2mg