Quinoa With Butternut Squash Spinach And Dried Cranberries

posted by Lyubomira on December 18, 2014
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This quinoa with butternut squash and dried cranberries is delicious, easy to make and great for a holiday side dish. It also is vegan and gluten free.

Butternut Squash Quinoa With Spinach And Cranberries

Quinoa With Butternut Squash Spinach And Cranberries

 

Hi everyone! Happy Thursday!

With all the holiday shopping and cookie baking craziness around me, I managed to come up with another simple fall/winter quinoa recipe.

I was planning on making this dish with roasted butternut squash and farro, but… I forgot to buy the farro! Thanks to the fact that, I always have a huge pack of quinoa in my pantry, which saved my life this time. To be honest, the dish turned out warm, comforting and delicious! I’m still tempted to try it with faro and will report back the result.

 

Quinoa With Butternut Squash Spinach And Cranberries

Quinoa With Butternut Squash Spinach And Cranberries

 

The combination of butternut squash, spinach and cranberries brings an amazing flavors to this quinoa. And besides roasting the butternut squash and cooking the quinoa, you only need less than 10 minutes to put it together. Of course, you can roast your squash and cook quinoa in advance.

Butternut squash is a winter squash, low in calories and rich in Omega 3. Roasting the butternut squash makes it taste sweeter and more flavorful.

With three super foods (Quinoa, spinach and butternut squash) in this dish it is a pure winner. Loaded with protein, fiber, vitamins and antioxidants.

 

Quinoa With Butternut Squash Spinach And Cranberries

Quinoa With Butternut Squash Spinach And Cranberries

 

This quinoa is clean and packed with nutritious ingredients. It made a light weekday lunch for me, but it will definitely be a great holiday side dish. It is healthy and will make you feel great from the inside out. I’ve been trying to cut down on any extra calories, but feta cheese makes a great topping for this quinoa. I added some toasted pecans, which brought crunch and great flavor.

Quinoa With Butternut Squash Spinach And Cranberries

Quinoa With Butternut Squash Spinach And Cranberries

 

To roast the butternut squash: I usually cut it in half, scrape out the seeds and flesh and peel it. Then dice it into 1/2 inch cubes. Spray it with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. I then bake it on 350 F for 30-40 minutes, until tender.

I hope you enjoy it!

More Squash Recipes:

Servings: 4

Quinoa With Butternut Squash Spinach And Dried Cranberries

Prep Time:
10 minutes
Cook Time:
45 minutes
Total Time:
55 minutes
This quinoa with butternut squash and dried cranberries is delicious, easy to make and great for a holiday side dish. It also is vegan and gluten free.
Butternut Squash Quinoa With Spinach And Cranberries
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Ingredients

  • olive oil spray
  • 3 cups (1/2 large) butternut squash diced into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 8 yellow pearl onions — (or shallots)
  • 1 garlic clove pressed
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cups washed spinach
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup toasted pecans — (walnuts)
  • 3 cups cooked quinoa — (see how to cook it here)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F (177 C).
  2. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil or silpat. Line squash, spray evenly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake until tender for 30-40 minutes.
  3. Heat two 2 tbsp olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook yellow pearl onions (shallots) and garlic for 3-4 mites until shallots start to turn translucent.
  4. Add spinach and cook for 2-3 more minutes.
  5. In the same pan, that you cooked the spinach, (or in a blow) add roasted butternut squash and cranberries. Stir to combine.
  6. Transfer to bowls, top with toasted pecans and serve.

Recipe Notes

This quinoa with butternut squash and dried cranberries can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge for 3 days.
Course: side
Cuisine: American
All text and images © Lyubomira from CookingLSL.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 394, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 610mg, Potassium: 804mg, Carbohydrates: 61g, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 16g, Protein: 8g, Vitamin A: 12570%, Vitamin C: 30.9%, Calcium: 107%, Iron: 3.6%
 
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posted in Quinoa, Sides, Vegetarian
originally posted on December 18, 2014 last updated on January 5, 2023
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