Description
A warm and hearty quinoa salad with roasted pumpkin, crunchy pecans, and sweet cranberries, perfectly balanced with a light maple dressing.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 3 cups cubed pumpkin
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C.
- Toss pumpkin cubes with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Spread pumpkin evenly on a baking sheet.
- Roast for 25 minutes until tender and slightly golden.
- Cook quinoa according to package instructions and let it cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, combine quinoa, roasted pumpkin, pecans, cranberries, and spinach.
- Drizzle with remaining olive oil and maple syrup, then toss gently.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Toast pecans lightly for extra flavor and crunch.
- Let pumpkin cool slightly before mixing to preserve texture.
- Add a squeeze of lemon for a brighter taste if desired.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Mediterranean-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 0mg