This is a super flexible fall recipe – just use quinoa as the base (or rice, lentils, farro, etc) and whatever veggies, fruits, nuts/seeds you have on hand. The dressing is just a simple apple cider vinaigrette, which has a nice tang that pairs beautifully with the roasted butternut squash, tuscan kale, green apples, avocado, pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and goat cheese.

AUTUMN QUINOA SALAD WITH ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH, TUSCAN KALE, GREEN APPLES, AVOCADO, PEPITAS & GOAT CHEESE WITH APPLE CIDER VINAIGRETTE

INGREDIENTS

2 bunches of lacinato kale, de-stemmed and chopped
4 cups cooked quinoa
2 cups diced and roasted butternut squash
2 green apples, diced
2 avocados, diced
1 bunch of parsley, finely chopped
1 cup toasted pumpkin seeds/pepitas
1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled

Apple Cider Vinaigrette

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons maple syrup (or honey)
1 clove minced garlic
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

PREPARATION

To cook the quinoa: Put 3 cups of water into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add 2 cups uncooked quinoa, reduce heat to a simmer and put a lid on the pot and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork and set aside until needed.
De-stem the kale, roughly chop, and set aside in a bowl.
Combine the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a jar and shake until well emulsified – taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Pour a few tablespoons of the vinaigrette into the bowl with the chopped kale. Using your hands, massage the kale for 1-2 minutes until the leaves are dark green and broken down.
In a separate large salad bowl, add the cooked quinoa and other ingredients – massaged kale, roasted butternut squash, diced green apples, avocado, parsley, pepitas, and goat cheese.
Pour remaining dressing over the salad and toss well to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.