Red Quinoa & Butternut Salad

Sweet, crunchy, healthy and fresh.

Let me introduce you to my new favorite 'go to' salad. I ate this four days in a row for lunch, happily. And now that it's gone, I'm wishing I had some more. 

I bought some red quinoa the other day, because I thought it looked cool.  I didn't expect it to taste different than regular quinoa, but strangely, I think it tastes even better and I love the slightly more crunchy texture.  I roasted the veggies, adding in some things that I had on hand and needed to use.  I love butternut squash in this, but the roasted mushrooms which add a "meatiness" are fantastic.  As I was making this with all the veggies, I was tasting it along the way, but I felt it needed something else.  I toasted up some pecans and added some dried cherries.  Perfect!!!  

Serves 6-8
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup red quinoa
3 cups water
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 cups butternut squash chunks
1-2 cups zucchini, chunks
1 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 red onions, diced
1/2 cup green onions, or
1 Tbsp honey (or Stevia, for vegan recipes)
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
1/2 cup dried cherries, or cranberries

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (or you could saute the veggies instead)

Roast the veggies for about 15 minutes until they start to get some color and get a bit soft.

Cook the quinoa in the water, bring it to a boil and reduce heat to medium low, cooking for about 20 minutes until the water is absorded.  Stir occasionally.

Mix the roasted veggies with the red quinoa. Add the vinegar, honey, salt & pepper to taste.  Add the toasted pecans and dried cherries and serve.  Even after more than a couple days in the fridge, the pecans still had a nice crunch and all the flavors were great. 

Why yes, I DO love quinoa!  Here are some more ideas for easy quinoa recipes:

Quinoa, Cauliflower and Feta Salad
Quinoa, Cheese & Chilies Casserole
Quinoa with Roasted Corn and Green Beans