Holiday Butternut Squash with Kale & Quinoa Salad
Francine is the voice behind Fit Life with Fran, a wellness blog that encourages healthy, strong, and confident living for women-on-the-go. Through easy-to-make recipes, partner inspired workouts and daily healthy living tips she seeks to educate, inspire and empower women to live their happiest, healthiest life. Connect with her on Instagram, Facebook and check out her blog here!
This Holiday Butternut Squash with Kale & Quinoa Salad is 10-ingredients and packed with tons of flavor and nutrients. Its heartiness makes it the perfect entree or side dish to bring to your next holiday gathering. Plus, there’s something for everyone. The kale is high in iron and packed with antioxidants, all ingredients are vegan-approved, and paleo and kid-friendly
Even better, you could give the gift of a meal to a child in need by purchasing a Bentgo Salad Bowl (the perfect container for carrying your salad on-the-go or storing leftovers). For each purchase, Bentgo donates 5% of the purchase price to the Feed The Children organization.
Serves: 6
Prep + Cook Time: 30 minutes
Salad Ingredients:
½ butternut squash, peeled & cubed (or 4 cups, if you buy the butternut squash pre-diced)
1 cup of quinoa
4 kale leaves, de-stemmed
1 cup pecans, halves
½ cup dried cranberries
Sea Salt / Black Pepper (to taste)
Maple Dijon Vinaigrette Ingredients:
1 tablespoon 100% Maple Syrup
2 tablespoon of Dijon mustard (I recommend Grey PouPon’s Country Dijon)
2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add the butternut squash cubes, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of sea salt and ½ teaspoon of black pepper (season to taste) to a baking pan and toss so that the ingredients are even distributed. Roast the butternut squash for about 20 minutes or until tender.
- While the butternut squash is roasting, prepare your quinoa by heating it in a medium-sized skillet on medium heat. Once cooked remove from heat.
- Chop or loosely tear your kale and add to a serving bowl.
- Next combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl and stir until well mixed. If you’re serving immediately, add vinaigrette to greens and toss. Then add butternut squash, quinoa (you will have more quinoa than needed, so add as little or as much as desired), pecans and dried cranberries. Lightly toss and add more dressing on later if necessary.
*If you’re preparing the salad for lunch, the Bentgo Salad bowl is the perfect solution to prevent the vinaigrette from saturating your greens and toppings until you’re ready to eat.
What are your plans for the holiday and what’s your favorite dish to make for family and friends?
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