Roast Butternut Squash Salad with Goat’s Cheese, Black Cherries, Quinoa & Orange
Butternut squash sprinkled with garlic, thyme and olive oil, roasted in the oven and served with warm quinoa, arugula, balsamic vinegar, fresh black cherries and crumbled goats cheese is a wonderful combination of ingredients. It is a quick, easy and delectable way to start your evening. I didn’t even mention that it’s healthy. Turn on the oven, pour yourself a glass of wine and prepare your ingredients. You just need to pop the squash in the oven, and, as it cooks, make the quinoa and slice the oranges. Before you know it, you’re combining all the ingredients together for a lovely family meal. Enjoy!
Roast Butternut Squash Salad with Goat’s Cheese, Black Cherries, Quinoa & Orange
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
2lb butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into 2 inch cubes
4 sprigs thyme
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup quinoa
2 cups low sodium vegetable stock, boiled
3 oranges
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Seas salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup fresh black cherries, pitted
2 cups arugula leaves
1 tablespoon freshly chopped cilantro
1 cup goats cheese
Pre-heat oven to 360’F
How to make:
Line a roasting tray with foil, place the squash inside a zip lock bag, and add the garlic, thyme and 1 tablespoon of oil, zip the bag closed and carefully massage the oil into the squash.
Unzip the bag and tip onto the lined roasting tray. Pop the tray into the oven and roast for 30 to 40 minutes or until the squash is golden in color and fork tender.
While the squash is cooking, place the quinoa and the stock into a medium size pan, place on the stove, bring to the boil then simmer for 12 to 15 minutes.
Peel 2 oranges then slice them into ¼ inch thick rounds, set to one side, with the remaining orange, cut it in half and squeeze out the juice into a small bowl, whisk in the remaining oil, balsamic vinegar and season with salt and black pepper.
Fold the cherries, arugula and cilantro into the warm quinoa, then divide among four to six plates, top with the warm squash, slices of orange, crumbled goat’s cheese and drizzle over the dressing to serve.