Winter Squash Quinoa Salad
Add this Winter Squash Quinoa Salad with broccoli to your next dinner, or eat a bowl as a meal on its own! With the warm flavors of curry and a nutty tahini dressing, this is the perfect cold weather dish!
Winter Squash Quinoa Salad
I'm back with another Sunday Supper special for you! This week we're focusing on winter salads and I'm so glad because we've sorely needed to get back on the healthy train in our house!
There are so many types of salad beyond iceberg lettuce, so be sure to check out the other great recipes at the end of the post.
The inspiration for this salad comes from one of my favorite soups - curried butternut squash soup.
I love the play of rich and creamy and against the sweetness of the squash and warm curry spices.
Squash is most definitely a winter comfort food veggie and you can use your favorite in this recipe - butternut, kabocha, acorn, etc.
We get so many versatile uses from squash including this Winter Squash Feta Flatbread.
To amplify the curried butternut soup inspiration, I added a teaspoon of curry powder to my quinoa while it cooked.
Quinoa is a staple here, especially when we cut down on eating meat.
It's so easy to transform into a filling salad like Quinoa Salad with Lemon Artichoke Pesto!
I wanted a green vegetable for this salad as well and chose broccoli.
It might be my all-time favorite vegetable. Fresh broccoli is available all year long, but did you know that it supposedly tastes best when harvested in cool weather?
The dressing for this salad is a nutty tahini sauce. I'm currently obsessed with tahini!
Ok, ok, that's a lie...I've been in love with it for quite a while (see my recipe for Tahini Cookies) and the passion hasn't died.
If you've never tried it, it's a paste made from sesame seeds that's reminiscent of peanut butter. It's YUMazing.
Go ahead and toss the salad in the dressing or serve it deconstructed style!
Winter Squash Quinoa Salad with Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
- ¼ lb squash butternut, kabocha, etc, peeled and diced
- ½ lb broccoli cut into florets
- ⅔ cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 ⅓ cups water
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
For the dressing:
- ¼ cup tahini
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Steam squash and broccoli until tender, about 5 minutes. OR, roast vegetables at 400°F with a drizzle of olive oil until tender, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the quinoa. In a saucepan, combine quinoa with water, curry powder and a pinch of salt. Bring to boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.
For the dressing:
- In a mason jar or small bowl, thoroughly combine the tahini, water, lemon juice and maple syrup. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Toss vegetables and quinoa with the dressing and serve.
Nutrition
You might also like this bright Quinoa Salad with Lemon Artichoke Pesto:
Looking for more winter squash recipes? Try this appetizer that also doubles as a vegetarian dinner!
#SundaySupper Winter Salads
- Amish Ham Salad from Cosmopolitan Cornbread
- Arugula, Butternut & White Bean Salad with Maple Vinaigrette from Pook's Pantry
- Arugula Salad with Maple Vinaigrette from Cooking Chat
- Blood Orange and Salmon Salad with Blood Orange Vinaigrette from La Bella Vita Cucina
- Blood Orange, Beet, and Apple Salad with Goat Cheese and Citrus Honey Vinaigrette from Renee's Kitchen Adventures
- Blue Cheese and Pear Salad from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Breakfast Salad from Our Good Life
- Carrot Salad from Recipes Food and Cooking
- Chill Chasing Matchstick Vegetable Pasta Salad from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
- Chopped Salad with Roasted Root Vegetables and Bacon from MyGourmetConnection
- Citrus Salad from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Cobb Salad from Palatable Pastime
- Colorful Veggie Filled Quinoa with a Ginger-Lemon Dressing from Positively Stacy
- Crunchy Beet & Arugula Salad from The Crumby Cupcake
- Escarole and Roasted Broccoli Salad with Anchovy Dressing from The Texan New Yorker
- Farro Salad with Roasted Squash, Radicchio and Lemon-Tahini Dressing from Caroline's Cooking
- Fennel, Apple & Radish Salad from Delaware Girl Eats
- German Hot Noodle Salad from Seduction in the Kitchen
- Grilled Chicken Salad from Real Food Real Deals
- Grilled Sweet Potato Salad from Brunch-n-Bites
- Kale & Chickpea Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing from My Life Cookbook
- Lemony Couscous Lentil Salad from Magnolia Days
- Low-Carb Spinach Breakfast Salad from Life Tastes Good
- Mandarin Orange Salad from Meal Planning Magic
- Orange and Walnut Baby Spinach Salad w/ Quinoa and Citrus Vinaigrette from The Freshman Cook
- Pear and Goat Cheese Terrine Salad from Jane's Adventures in Dinner
- Pork and Kale Salad from The Complete Savorist
- Quinoa Salad with Apples, Pecans and Dried Cranberries from The Chef Next Door
- Radicchio, Pear and Walnut Salad from The Bitter Side of Sweet
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing from Cupcakes and Kale Chips
- Roasted Butternut Squash Pearl Couscous Salad from Mysavoryspoon
- Roasted Savoy Cabbage Slaw with Spicy Bacon Dressing from Food Lust People Love
- Roasted Squash and Winter Veggie Salad with Crispy Chick Peas from Monica's Table
- Roasted Squash Quinoa Salad with Curried Tahini Dressing from Kitchen Gidget
- Shredded Beet Salad from Wholistic Woman
- Shredded Sprouts with White Bean Dressing and Pecan Crisps from Beauty and the Beets
- Simple Arugula, Fennel and Leek Salad w/ Citrus from Simply Healthy Family
- Spinach and Shrimp Salad with Chile and Ginger Dressing from Feeding Big and More
- Spinach Citrus Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette from From Gate to Plate
- Spinach Cobb Salad With Lardons from And She Cooks
- Warm Balsamic Steak Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing from Momma's Meals
- Warm Cabbage Salad with Bacon and Goat Cheese from Nik Snacks
- Warm Cauliflower Spinach Salad with Pancetta from Taste and See
- Warm Potato and Broccoli Buffalo Salad from Sweet Mornings
- Warm Potato Salad with Arugula, Bacon and Brown Butter from Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
- Warm Steak Tomato and Mozzarella Salad from Family Foodie
- Wilted Lettuce Salad from Confessions of a Cooking Diva
- Winter BLT Panzanella Salad from Hardly a Goddess
- Winter Citrus and Endive Salad from An Appealing Plan
- Winter Fruit Salad from Pies and Plots
- Winter Kale and Wild Rice Salad from Moore or Less Cooking
- Winter Salad with Blood Orange Vinaigrette from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Wild Rice Salad plus more Winter Salad Recipes #SundaySupper from Sunday Supper Movement
Such a good hearty salad!
Definitely satisfying. Thank you, Sue!
This is such a healthy, flavorful combination of ingredients - I like that you used maple syrup in the dressing. It must be a nice pairing with the curry in the quinoa.
Love this! I work from home and this is the perfect lunch.
Thanks! It's been my lunch for the past couple of days. 🙂
I seriously can't get enough quinoa this time of year. Love how easy it is to make. Sounds incredibly appetizing!
Agree! Way less fussy than rice and full of nutrients.
How beautiful and healthy looking! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Felesha!
Oh wow. This looks so good. That dressing sounds delish to me too!
Im loving this!!! It looks amazing!!!
Rebekah,
Great recipe. I love the bright colors. Winter time can be a bit of a drag, so it's the perfect time of year to cook recipes with bright and vibrant colors. Love the kick of flavor with the curry powder.
My thoughts exactly - when it's gray outside make it bright inside!
This looks incredible! So colorful!
Easy, colourful, nutritious and delicious - just the cure for grey winter days.