Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad

5 from 4 votes

Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad

Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad combines a variety of delicious roasted vegetables, nutty quinoa, crunchy homemade croutons, and a tangy lemon dressing. Serve this salad warm or eat it straight from the refrigerator. So tasty!

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword lemon dressing, roasted vegetable quinoa salad, sourdough croutons

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1 15

Servings servings

Calories 455kcal

Author Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

For the salad:

1 ⅓ cups quinoa
4 cups broccoli
4 cups cauliflower
4 cups brussels sprouts - halved
4 cups butternut squash (or sweet potatoes) - cubed
1 small onion - diced
4 Tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste

For the croutons:

8 ounces crusty sourdough bread - cut into small cubes
3-4 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon each garlic powder, onion powder
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste

For the dressing:

1/3 cup olive oil
1 large lemon - freshly squeezed
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste

Instructions

Prep veggies. Chop veggies in bite-sized pieces and place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil and then season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
4 cups broccoli, 4 cups cauliflower, 4 cups brussels sprouts, 4 cups butternut squash (or sweet potatoes), 1 small onion, 4 Tablespoons olive oil, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Roast veggies. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place in oven(s) and roast until veggies are fork tender.
Make quinoa. Cook quinoa according to package directions. Or, if you have an instant pot, combine quinoa with two cups of lower-sodium chicken broth. Cook at high pressure for one minute and do a 10 minute natural release. Fluff with a fork.
1 ⅓ cups quinoa
Make the lemon dressing. Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, and seasonings in a jar. Shake vigorously.
1/3 cup olive oil, 1 large lemon, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Make the homemade sourdough croutons. Add the olive oil and seasonings to the cubed bread. (Use leftover crusty sourdough or any crusty bread.) Massage the oils into the bread and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown and toasty.
8 ounces crusty sourdough bread, 3-4 Tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon each garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Assemble roasted vegetable quinoa salad. Combine the roasted vegetables with the cooked quinoa. Add some to individual serving bowls. Then top with toasted croutons and a drizzle of the lemon dressing.
Serve. Serve this roasted vegetable salad warm or at room temperature. It’s even better the next day!

Notes

This salad is best served at room temperature, but still good straight out of the refrigerator.

STORE leftover salad in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 3-4 days. Store croutons in a small bag on your countertop. Store croutons in a small bag on the countertop.

Tips for roasting vegetables in the oven:

Cut them in roughly the same size. Try to chop the vegetables in similar size, so that they cook evenly. You want the roasted veggies to all be done at the same time, so you can avoid mushy veggies or some that aren’t done.
Split up certain vegetables. Depending on the type of vegetable you’re cooking, you may want to cook all one type on each sheet. **For instance, zucchini, squash, and tomatoes may get mushy when cooked with potatoes, so they should be cooked on a separate pan. Broccoli and cauliflower cook similarly so they can be placed together.
Don’t skimp on the oil. Be GENEROUS with the oil so that the veggies are well coated. I recommend using a large bowl to combine veggies and oil – and toss them well. You’ll add the seasoning next.
Add plenty of seasoning. Unless you are on a heart-healthy diet, be quite liberal with your salt and pepper. You want some seasoning on every single veggie!

Nutrition