This quinoa salad combines roasted butternut, crispy kale, chewy dates, and chopped hazelnuts for the perfect bite! Top with my Easy Tahini Dressing as a side or main course served with crusty bread.
Make this Quinoa Salad your own
This recipe makes one of the tastiest quinoa salads I’ve ever had. Truly. It’s one of my husband’s favorites that he claims “should be in a restaurant.”
That being said, we all have different preferences. Or, you may not have all the ingredients on hand and prefer not to go to the store. Side note: using what you have is THE most sustainable thing you can do!
Here are some ingredient swaps to make this Quinoa Salad your own:
- Sweet potato <—> butternut squash
- Cranberries <—> dates
- Golden raisins <—> dates
- Arugula <—> kale
- Spinach <—> kale
- Pistachios <—> hazelnuts
Easy Tahini Dressing is a Must Have
As you can see, the Easy Tahini Dressing is non-negotiable. It’s a key component to make this Quinoa Salad irresistible. The Tahini Dressing:
- Is easy to make with pantry staples
- Can be doubled to use in multiple dishes
- Lasts well in the fridge
Here’s the recipe to get you started!
Big Batch Quinoa
For this recipe, I used my Instant Pot Quinoa recipe to make a nice large batch. Alternatively, you can use whichever quinoa method you’d like.
Whenever I make grains (or beans) I like to make a large batch simply because if I’m going through the effort anyway, I might as well make enough for a few different meals.
Quinoa holds up very well in the freezer. Defrost it quickly by adding it to a warm pan with a drizzle of olive oil.
Here’s my Instant Pot Quinoa recipe to make this Quinoa Salad a breeze.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups butternut squash
- 2 cups kale, chopped and washed
- 1½ cup Instant Pot Quinoa
- 2 tbsp hazelnuts, chopped
- 3 dates, thinly sliced
- 1 batch Easy Tahini Dressing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Drizzle 1/4 cup tahini dressing over kale and mix well. Let sit in the fridge while preparing other ingredients.
- Peel butternut squash and dice into bite-size chunks. Roast for 15-20 minutes, until fork tender. Remove from oven to cool.
- Chop hazelnuts and thinly slice dates.
- Add butternut squash, hazelnuts, dates and quinoa to bowl with kale. Add more dressing to taste. Finish with fresh cracked black pepper and serve!
Notes
- Sweet potato <—> butternut squash
- Cranberries <—> dates
- Golden raisins <—> dates
- Arugula <—> kale
- Spinach <—> kale
- Pistachios <—> hazelnuts
