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Quinoa and Butternut Squash Salad with Bacon, Feta, and Pine Nuts

Healthy Quinoa Salad with Bacon, Roasted Butternut Squash, Caramelized Onions and Feta cheese, with French Vinaigrette salad dressing. You can also top the salad with pine nuts (optional but delicious!) Healthy, gluten free, packed with anti-oxidants (squash) and protein (quinoa)!

Course Salad
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 493 kcal
Author Julia

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups quinoa , cooked
  • 1 onion , sliced
  • 1/2 butternut squash , medium size
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 strips bacon , cooked and chopped
  • salt
  • 1/2 cup French Vinaigrette salad dressing
  • 1/4 cup Feta cheese
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts , toasted (OPTIONAL)

Instructions

How to roast butternut squash:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line the baking sheet with aluminum foil and grease with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
  2. Peel the squash and slice it into 3/4 inch cubes. You will only need 1/2 of the medium size squash. Toss the squash cubes in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons olive oil and generously sprinkle with salt.
  3. Put butternut squash on the greased baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes, until soft. Flip the squash cubes over midway through baking. Let it cool slightly before adding to the salad.

How to caramelize onions

  1. Caramelize sliced onion as described in this post.

Assemble the salad

  1. In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa, roasted butternut squash, caramelized onions, chopped and cooked bacon, and mix with the dressing.  

  2. Add the dressing only before serving, and add as much as you want to individual portions, as both quinoa and butternut squash tend to be on a dry side, and this dressing (when generously applied) fixes this beautifully!

  3. Top each individual serving with Feta cheese and toasted pine nuts (OPTIONAL).
  4. Note: This salad keeps very well refrigerated for up to a week, but only without dressing. Add the dressing only before serving.
Nutrition Facts
Quinoa and Butternut Squash Salad with Bacon, Feta, and Pine Nuts
Amount Per Serving
Calories 493 Calories from Fat 306
% Daily Value*
Fat 34g52%
Saturated Fat 7g44%
Cholesterol 20mg7%
Sodium 221mg10%
Potassium 563mg16%
Carbohydrates 38g13%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 11g22%
Vitamin A 6670IU133%
Vitamin C 14.5mg18%
Calcium 85mg9%
Iron 2.9mg16%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.