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
So pretty much you put ALL the amazing flavors of fall into one beautiful salad? Um, yes, I’m so in! This looks divine – I love the squash and the Brussels sprouts (shredded like this is one of my favorite ways to enjoy them) plus the chick peas and walnuts and cranberries and all the honey Dijon dressing (another favorite of mine). Yup, I’m going to make this and NOT share at all!! Pinned and yummed and can’t wait to dive in!
Haha Kathryn, love your thinking. I love this salad all to myself too! Enjoy!!
This look delicious! I a butternut squash from our garden ready to be used right now so I’m going to have to try this! I am super jealous of your awesome ranch, I want a bit more land so i can have some chickens and a few other animals as well as a larger garden, but until then, I will have to enjoy your salad made with just a few things that are homegrown!
Yeah, I lucked out with the ranch situation. ? Hope you enjoy the salad, Kati! Thank you for visiting!
If we didn’t already have 9 sides planned for Thanksgiving, I would make this in a heartbeat!
9 sides?? Wow, you must be having a large family gathering! How awesome. Hope you have a great Thanksgiving, Maureen! Thank you for stopping by!
This would make a perfect healthy side dish for the Holidays! 🙂
It definitely will. 🙂 Thanks!
Oh yummy! Now I want this for Thanksgiving too!
It’s a great salad for Thanksgiving for sure. Thanks, Carlee!
Forgot to mention I found this via your link on I Heart Naptime, so thanks for posting it there!
This looks absolutely delicious! It’s going to be my vegetarian dish for Thanksgiving-thank you!
Yay, let me know how you like it, Joelle. Thanks for stopping by.
This salad has my name ALL over it!!!!
Glad you like it, Kim! Thanks for stopping by.
This salad is spectacular – it has color and taste, with varied textures and a lovely dressing. If I don’t make it for Thanksgiving Day, I’ll be sure to try it soon. The only change I might make is to dry toast the quinoa – I’e found that gives it a delicious nutty taste and firms it up a bit. A winner for sure!
Do tell me more about dry toasting the quinoa?? Is this something I can find on your site? It sounds so interesting. Thanks, Laura!
Warm salad is the best salad… love this 🙂
Thanks, Medha!