My #1 favorite healthy & hearty fall salad with butternut squash, tart cherries and a savory apple cider sage dressing. Gluten free.
My mom loves to clip articles. Newspaper clippings, magazine clippings, stories, recipes – sometimes they come in the mail, sometimes she saves them up for a visit. A couple of years ago she brought me a recipe for a couscous salad clipped from Edible Michiana that was similar to this one. We made it, loved it… then later I lost it. But I could never get this sweet & savory flavor combo out of my mind so I’ve been making versions of it ever since.
The original recipe used couscous but I used quinoa here because it’s the grain I usually have on hand. I tossed it with roasted butternut squash, feta cheese and dried tart cherries for a sweet & tangy pop of flavor. They perfectly balance the warm, savory flavors that are going on here.
While the butternut squash is roasting in the oven, make your dressing. I slightly warm some olive oil and mix in apple cider vinegar, sage, honey and cinnamon. I promise – once you toss the sage in, your kitchen will instantly smell like fall… it’s just so warm and cozy.
butternut squash & tart cherry quinoa
- ½ cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 small butternut squash, peeled, cubed (about 2 cups)
- 2 big handfuls mixed greens (ie. spinach & arugula)
- ⅓ cup tart cherries
- ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
- ¼ cup chopped chives
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- a few leaves of fresh sage, chopped
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon honey (vegan sub: maple syrup)
- salt & pepper
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Cook quinoa - rinse ½ cup quinoa then transfer to a small pot and toast the quinoa for a few minutes (basically until it’s dry again) over medium heat. Add just over 1 cup of water, cover and bring to a boil then reduce to simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes, then turn heat off and let it sit (covered) for 15 more minutes. Check at some point before the end to make sure it’s not burning - if is starting to - stir in a little more water and probably reduce heat. (Note that I usually cook double this amount and save some for later). Set quinoa aside until ready to use.
- While your quinoa is cooking, roast your butternut squash. (remove the guts of the butternut squash (save the seeds to toast for later if you want). Peel and slice into 1-inch cubes. Toss with a bit of olive oil, salt & pepper and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown, flipping halfway through.
- In a small saucepan, gently heat olive oil (it has a low smoke point so you don’t want to heat it too much. If you’re concerned about this use grape seed oil instead). Add the sage and stir until fragrant (30 seconds or so - just until the sage is not raw). Turn off heat and add apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, honey, salt & pepper.
- Assemble all salad ingredients together and toss with as much dressing as you like. Taste and adjust seasonings.
recipe inspired by this recipe from Edible Michiana.
One of my favourite quick treats – toasted English muffins slathered with brie with tart cherry bits and toasted walnuts, sometimes with a light sprinkle of coconut sugar.
My MIL would also send or save clippings for me and I came to look forward to them.
Tart cherries, just in time for an Autumn dinner of pork loin with garlic and rosemary accompanied with a sauce of tart cherries ! This has been a favorite for us. I also have a recipe for biscotti with dried cherries and white chocolate that I have wanted to try. I am getting hungry by reading others’ suggestions!
I think tart chrries would be excellent in cornbread stuffing for Thanksgiving. Maybe with apples, walnuts or pecans, and onions in the mix as well.
A chocolate and tart cherry milkshake!
I think tart cherry cheesecake would be delicious!
Tart cherry waffles with mascarpone glaze and a lemon-sugar drizzle!
Thanks for the chance to win! I would do a tart cherry chocolate bread or tart cherries in a fesh kale salad with a grainy wild rice and dressing made from grapefruit, lemon, line and orange! Yum so fresh and healthy!!
With reasonably nutritious, some people appetites!
エルメス靴激安
Chocolate cake with a warm tart cherry sauce.
I tried cherries again this summer after swearing I didn’t like them as a child. I honestly kicked myself for not trying them again sooner! LOVED them. So much I got a stomach ache from attempting to eat my weight in them. After I got over that they were amazing in my overnight oats with dark chocolate and peanut butter. YUMM!!!
I used to make a recipe just like this, but with raisins, a bit of orange juice, chickpeas, and cashews; essentially the same recipe, just a few substitutes. But, I lost it years ago and have been trying to find something like it ever since. I can’t wait to throw this one together, now that it’s getting a bit chillier.
The first thing that came to my mind when I thought tart cherries was a sangria. But, if we’re talking baking, I’d probably make little cherry hand pies or mini galettes.
I used to make a recipe just like this, but with raisins, a bit of orange juice, chickpeas, and cashews; essentially the same recipe, just a few substitutes. But, I lost it years ago and have been trying to find something like it ever since. I can’t wait to throw this one together, now that it’s getting a bit chillier.
The first thing that came to my mind when I thought tart cherries was a sangria. But, if we’re talking baking, I’d probably make little cherry hand pies or mini galettes.
Tart cherries and cherry juice in raw rolled oat smoothie with almond extract, honey and few other items is a neat morning change. Or try the cherries in a yogurt raw oat no cook oatmeal.
Looks delicious! I’ve been meaning to try a tart cherry salsa. Maybe with red onions, chiles, cilantro, and lime juice?
I’m definitely going to try your vinaigrette tonight. Never thought of putting sage in there…and because the oil is warm mmmmm, I can imagine the aroma – it’s going to be wonderful.
I would love to make a tart cherry cinnamon granola.
I think tart cherries stuffed into a pork loin with onions and garlic and sage would be amazing with a demi glade pan sauce with cherries too…maybe some feta?
I love the butternut squash & tart cherry flavor combination! Plus with honey and sage and feta?! Amazing.
I think tart cherries would be delicious in some dark chocolate brownies with some red wine thrown into the mix. I recently made something similar in a cookie form (http://www.justjfaye.com/2014/09/02/fruit-and-nut-chocolate-zinfandel-cookies/) You can just never go wrong with chocolate, wine, and fruit!
Just picked up two giant butternut squash at the farmers market! Can’t wait to make this.
Cake. Scratch that. A homemade pop tart. Basically my childhood staple food.