Recipe: Colorful Harvest Salad
Sweet and savory, crunchy and tart, this salad is inspired by the change of seasons. I love bringing variations of this salad to potlucks in the fall and winter.
Ingredients
For the Harvest Salad:
Butternut squash: 1 large or 2 small, cut into small cubes
1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
1 cup uncooked quinoa
5 cups salad greens mix, for example baby spinach, chard and kale
1-2 medium apples, diced
12 oz bacon (omit for vegetarian)
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
¼ cup cranberries
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup pecans or walnuts (omit for nut free)
Salt & pepper to taste
For the Apple Cider Maple Vinaigrette:
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup maple syrup
Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Roast the squash: preheat the oven to 400F degrees. Add the cubed squash to a baking sheet, toss with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast the squash in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until it starts to brown. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before adding to the salad.
Cook the bacon: Add bacon to a baking dish and cook for 15 minutes or until it’s crispy in the same oven as the butternut squash. Allow to cool and then pat dry with paper towels. Cut into small pieces.
Cook the quinoa: If time allows, soak the quinoa in 2 cups of water for at least 2 hours, then rinse. Add 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook covered for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes before tossing with a fork. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before adding to the salad.
Make the vinaigrette: In a mason jar, combine the oil, vinegar, maple syrup and a pinch of salt and pepper. Close the jar and shake to combine.
Assemble the salad: In a large bowl add the greens, roasted butternut squash, diced apples, bacon, feta cheese, cranberries, pecans, pumpkin seeds, and quinoa. Just before serving, add the vinaigrette, and toss gently to coat.
