Harvest Apple Quinoa Salad

This Harvest Apple Quinoa Salad is a delicious mix of quinoa, crisp SnapDragon apples, roasted squash and shallots, dried cherries, feta cheese and fresh herbs. It’s a great way to bring freshness to your holiday table but also the perfect prep-ahead meal option for a satisfying lunch to eat throughout the week!

Total time: 30 minutes

  • Yields
    6 Servings

Ingredients

  • Roasted Squash -
  • Diced Honeynut Squash About 1 Squash (or 1/2 Peeled Butternut Squash) - Seeds Removed And Diced Into 1/2 Pieces - 3 cups
  • Thinly Sliced Shallots, About 2 Medium Shallots - 1 cup
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 2 tbsp.
  • Chopped Fresh Sage - 1 tbsp.
  • Kosher Salt - 1 tsp.
  • Ground Black Pepper - 1/4 tsp.
  • Garlic Powder - 1 tsp.
  • Salad -
  • Quinoa, Cooked Per Package Directions - 8 oz.
  • Chopped Walnuts - 1 cup
  • Roughly Chopped Dried Cherries - 3/4 cup
  • Crumbled Feta Cheese - 1 cup
  • Diced SnapDragon Apples - 2 cups
  • Chopped Fresh Parsley - 3 tbsp.
  • Dressing -
  • Champagne Vinegar - 6 tbsp.
  • Apple Cider Vinegar - 2 tbsp.
  • Grainy Mustard - 4 tsp.
  • Honey - 2 tbsp.
  • Kosher Salt - a pinch
  • Ground Black Pepper - a pinch
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 1/2 cup

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and line a sheet pan with parchment.
  2. In a large bowl, combine squash, shallots, olive oil, sage, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Toss until the vegetables are fully coated and spread in a single layer on the prepared pan.
  3. Roast for 10 minutes, flip the vegetables and roast for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.
  4. While the vegetables cook, combine champagne vinegar, apple cider vinegar, mustard, honey, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Use an immersion blender to mix the ingredients and while the mixer is running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the dressing is creamy and well combined. Set aside.
  5. In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa, walnuts, dried cherries, feta cheese, SnapDragon apples, parsley and the roasted squash mixture. Drizzle with ¾ of the dressing and toss until well combined. Taste and adjust seasonings and add more dressing if needed. Serve immediately.
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