Sweet, tart and warm, this is the perfect salad for those crisp Fall days, and makes a great side dish for Thanks Giving. With so many people being gluten and/or dairy free, this beautiful bowl caters to most dietary needs. It has a nice balance of fresh fruit, nuts & seeds, airy grains, greens and hearty squash. This salad is packed with vitamins A & C, fiber, unsaturated fats and vegan protein – the vegetarians will no doubt invite you again next year! I know Thanks Giving is not the time to worry about slim-line ingredients, but when you can make something delicious that supports immune, heart & digestive health without giving anyone the bloat, you can feel good about that. And no doubt your friends & family will be thankful! All with very little effort… but don’t give that part away!
Ingredients (Serves 4):
Avocado oil, for roasting
Half a medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into bitesize squares
1 cup quinoa (I use Ancient Harvest – pre-washed so no rinsing needed)
2 cups low sodium vegetable broth (I use Pacific)
1 organic apple (I use pink lady – add another if you want it a little sweeter)
1/2 cup cranberries (More if you like it tart)
Arugula (Fill half a large bowl)
Pumpkin seeds (Enough for a scattering)
Pecans, chopped (Enough for a scattering)
The dressing:
3 tbsp orange, freshly squeezed
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp unfiltered apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
Method:
- Using a bowl, coat your butternut squash in avocado oil, salt & pepper and cook at 400F for 20 minutes.
- Add the quinoa and broth to a saucepan, bring to a boil and then let simmer for 15 minutes. With lid on.
- Make the dressing by mixing the 4 ingredients together in a jug. It couldn’t be any easier!
- Find your brightest and largest salad bowl, filling half of it with arugula. If its a very deep bowl you may need to double up on ingredients – which only means more leftovers 🙂
- Everyone likes to present food differently, so don’t feel you need to copy my styling!I added the apple to the arugula and topped with the butternut squash and pecans. For the bowl to pop, I positioned the cranberries over the quinoa and finished with a scattering of pumpkin seeds. However its laid out this salad is sure to impress. Drizzle the dressing all over and voila, its ready to serve.
Count colors… not calories!
enjoy!
