The week that Pat and I got married last October, my sister Katie came in to town to help with all the last minute details.  For those that know her, she is a tremendous cook and even has her own food blog – check it out! Anyway, while I was thinking about place settings and nail appointments and how the heck I was going to wear heals for 10 hours, Katie made sure that I was well fed all week long.  #priorities

We started the week at Costco picking up lots of fruit and veggies, a rotisserie chicken (or two!), and chocolate, duh.

Well, I was back for the usual last week. Moving as fast as possible and dodging the traffic jams that occur at every single free sample stand.  And running in and out of the refrigerated section so that my fingers don’t go numb.  But I spotted it – pre-cut butternut squash – and all the memories from that wedding week came back.

The morning of our wedding, we all went to get hair and makeup done before heading back to my apartment to get dressed.  Katie had made us a delicious fall salad with butternut squash, quinoa, some sort of greens, cheese, and nuts.  It was so so good.  Neither of us could remember all the ingredients, but I think this salad is pretty darn close!

This butternut squash and quinoa salad is packed with fall flavors.  The roasted butternut squash and brussels sprouts have a sweet caramelization to them that counteracts the saltiness of the feta cheese.  Quinoa is my go-to grain, but you could easily switch this out for whatever you prefer. I love the tricolor quinoa from Trader Joe’s!  And then the pepitas on top add the perfect crunch.

It’s fall in a bowl.

Dig in.

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Butternut Squash and Quinoa Salad

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Salad:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 3 cups roasted butternut squash
• 2 cups roasted brussels sprouts
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup feta, crumbled
• 1/4 cup pepitas

For the Dressing:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey mustard
• 1/2 clove garlic, minced
• salt and pepper

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Instructions

1. Add rinsed quinoa to a small pot with 2 cups of water, bring to a boil.
2. Reduce to a simmer, cover pot, and cook until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
3. Roast butternut squash and brussels sprouts.
4. Combine all dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk until combined.
5. Allow the quinoa and roasted vegetables to cool.
6. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, add dressing, and toss to combine.

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