This Roasted Pumpkin, Cranberry and Quinoa Salad can hardly be called a salad – it honestly pleases even the pickiest of eaters with its sweet/sour/zesty/roasted flavours that are perfect for meal prepping lunches, for a meal drop or even bringing a dish to an event. It’s my go-to when serving up some grilled chicken or a steak because it it so filling. Quinoa is a gluten free whole grain which is high in protein and fibre, so this is a really great option for vegetarians and vegans that you want to feed. If you are feeling extra fancy you could sprinkle some hard crumbly feta on top or perhaps even some toasted nuts or seeds. Enjoy!
Roast Pumpkin, Cranberry and Quinoa Salad
A beautiful all rounder salad that travels well - great for picnics, meal drops and meal prepping.
Equipment
- Rice Cooker / Pot To cook quinoa
- Large glass bowl
- Microplane
- Oven
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 cup tricolour quinoa
- 1/4 pumpkin diced and skin removed
- 3/4 cup cranberries
- 3 stalks of kale finely chopped
- Bunch of mint leaves finely chopped
- Bunch of parsley finely chopped
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Dressing
- 1/3 cup Extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of 1 orange
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1/2 tsp seeded mustard
- 1 tbsp honey
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Dice the pumpkin into 1-2cm chunks and season generously with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in a fan forced oven for 20 minutes on 180'C or till golden, then allow to cool.
- Cook 1 cup of raw quinoa to 2 cups of water, rinsing well before cooking. Optional: cook in beef or chicken bone broth for a nutritional boost. Then put aside with the lid off to cool.
- Chop your mint, parsley and kale finely then add into large bowl with cranberries. Season with a good glug of olive oil, salt and pepper - massaging it into kale.
- Zest your orange skin over the salad and then juice it alongside half a lemon for the dressing. Pour into a jar and then add the olive oil, honey, seeded mustard and season well with salt and pepper before stirring/shaking well. Taste and then adjust with extra honey, olive oil or citrus as needed.
- To serve, combine the cooled quinoa and roasted pumpkin in the large bowl with the chopped ingredients. Dress just before eating, add a few extra cranberries on top to serve.
Notes
Optional: add crumbled feta or toasted almonds on top to finish.
Note: You can swap the chopped kale out for butter lettuce or mixed salad greens, as long as the pumpkin and quinoa are cold. Kale is much more forgiving to share as a warm salad.
