Roasted Acorn Squash Salad
This roasted acorn squash salad is your new favorite easy Fall recipes. It has a wonderful blend of roasted veggies, fluffy quinoa, crumbly queso fresco and roasted pumpkin seeds, all tossed in a delicious honey-lemon dressing and sprinkled with pomegranate. It's the perfect harvest salad that you can enjoy warm or cold as a simple weeknight dinner or as a festive holiday side dish.
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 45 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2 whole acorn squashes (1-1.5lbs each/500-650g each)
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1/2 medium red onion
- 1/2 cup of pomegranate seeds (or more/less to taste)
- 1 cup of dry quinoa (or 2 cups of cooked quinoa)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 cups mixed salad greens (like arugula, baby spinach, or spring mix) (optional)
- 1/4 cup of lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1/2 cup of olive oil
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup of queso fresco (crumbled)
- 1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 375F/190C.
- 2
Wrap the half red onion in foil, and set it aside.
- 3
Wash and dry the acorn squash, cut it in half, and scoop out the seeds. Slice into half-moons, about 1/2 inch thick.
- 4
Place the squash slices on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season generously with salt and pepper. Spread them out in a single layer so they can roast evenly.
- 5
Place the foil-wrapped onion on the same baking sheet and place it in the pre-heated oven to roast.
- 6
Roast for 25 minutes, then flip the squash slices and roast for another 15–20 minutes, or until golden and tender.
- 7
While the veggies roast, cook the quinoa according to the package instructions. Fluff with a fork and let it cool.
- 8
Remove the veggies from the oven when they're ready and set aside to cool.
- 9
In the meantime make the dressing. In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, honey, thyme leaves, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust to your liking.
- 10
Once cool enough to handle, remove the onion from the foil and slice it. Then, peel and cut the squash into bite-sized cubes (or you can leave them sliced if desired).
- 11
In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, roasted squash pieces, roasted onion slices, pomegranate seeds, the queso fresco, and salad greens (if using). Pour the dressing over and gently toss everything together.
- 12
Transfer to a serving dish or individual bowls. Top with the toasted pumpkin seeds for added crunch, and more queso fresco, and pomegranate seeds, if desired.