Lots of texture and lots of flavor in this festive quinoa brussels sprouts salad. Who said salad can’t be the center of attention at Thanksgiving dinner?
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this salad:
There’s so much good things are going into this salad.
Let’s start with squash. Roasted squash might be one of my favorite things in the fall. It adds nice warm, sweet and soft element to the salad. You’re welcome to use any kind of winter squash: acorn, or delicata, or butternut squash (my favorite). And no need to go crazy with seasoning here. Olive oil, salt and pepper will do perfect.
Red quinoa adds not only awesome texture and nutrition, but also beautiful festive color! Of course, you can use yellow quinoa, but red ones are so much prettier!! (?? says the girl obsessed with everything red! ?) Don’t forget to rinse the quinoa well before cooking, or you might end up with sandy quinoa. Maybe it’s the brand I buy, but I always have to wash mine really well, so I thought I’d remind you too. Again, no need to season it, other than with some salt.
Ok, onto the star of the show: brussels sprouts. The key is super thinly sliced brussels sprouts! Here’s what I do: wash them thoroughly (not my favorite part), cut them in half, and then cut out the tough core, as pictures below. Then slice them as thin as you can. I say, the thinner, the better. You don’t wanna sit there and chew the salad for 10 minutes, do you?
Once the quinoa is cooked, add shaved brussels sprouts, cover and let it sit for 10-15 minutes to soften.
Now, add-ons: chick peas for texture, walnuts for crunch, dried cranberries for sweetness.
And all these are tossed with my homemade honey dijon dressing!! Perfection! ??
Make-ahead tip: Since there isn’t any leafy greens, you can prepare everything in advance. I’d mix everything, except for walnuts and dressing, and refrigerate it. And right before serving, warm the salad up a bit and toss with nuts and dressing.
Hope this recipe inspired you to make a killer salad for your Thanksgiving. ?
Thanks for stopping by!
Warm Quinoa Brussels Sprouts Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup cubed winter squash acorn, butternut, or delicate works great
- 1-2 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- ½ cup 100gr red quinoa
- 12 oz 350gr brussels sprouts
- 1 15oz/425gr can chick peas, drained and rinsed
- 1/3 cup 45gr chopped walnuts
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup honey Dijon dressing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Line a baking sheet with a foil and toss the squash cubes with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 30-40 minutes, or until tender.
- Place the quinoa in a small saucepan and rinse a few times. Add 1cup water, ¼ teaspoon of salt. Bring it to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and quinoa is tender.
- Wash the Brussels sprouts thoroughly. Cut them in half, and then cut out the tough core, as pictures below. Then slice them as thin as you can.
- Once the quinoa is cooked, add shaved brussels sprouts, cover and let it sit for 10-15 minutes to soften.
- In a large bowl, combine shaved brussels sprouts, squash, quinoa, chick peas, walnuts and cranberries. Toss with honey Dijon dressing and serve warm.
Tips & Notes
Nutrition
Delicious, with all the textures and flavors I love. I’m just sad I forgot to take a picture, because it was beautiful as well.
So happy you enjoyed the salad. Thank you for your feedback, Janet!
Do you have to cook the Brussels sprouts?
Hi, Carley. No, you don’t need to cook it. Placing the shaved brussels sprouts over hot cooked quinoa softens it.
Thanks for sharing! Does the dressing keep long?
Yep, you can keep it in the fridge for up to 1 week. Hope this helps, Vanessa.
This is so good! I love all these warm flavors in a hearty salad!
Looks so inviting…. Do you know the nutritional value of this dish ???
Hi, Angie. Thank you for asking. I just updated the recipe card with estimated nutrition information. Hope that helps.
Can I put Brussels sprouts in the food processor.
Yes, absolutely, Deborah.
Made this last night. Delish
Awesome. So glad you liked it. And sorry for my late response.
Just made this with a couple of changes. I only had olive oil so I used that in the dressing. And added some goat cheese crumbles before serving. Absolutely delish!
Nina, thank you for trying my recipe and sharing your feedback. I love your goat cheese addition!
I love this dish! Easy, attractive, healthy and so tasty!
So glad you loved the salad. I got the photo, by the way! Thank you, Jackie!
This was good change one thing added sweet potatoes instead of butternut squash .
Hi, Daryl! Thanks for your feedback! I’m so glad you enjoyed the salad. Sweet potatoes are perfect sub for butternut squash!
We made this for dinner tonight and my kids devoured it! I think my son would eat cardboard if I put that dressing on it! It was so good, definitely adding this to our regular meal plan.
Yay, so happy to hear you and your fam love it. Aww, and what a great way to have your son eat more greens! 🙂 Thanks for your feedback, Kati!