A Warm Salad for Cold Weather

I started making this warmly spiced roasted vegetable salad about ten years ago, and it’s been an autumn and winter staple recipe ever since. It’s a great weeknight meal warm salad, a recipe where the oven does most of the work.

While the vegetables and apples are in the oven, the quinoa is quickly cooked, or you can use a leftover grain. I often make this with bulgur instead of quinoa. Garlic is roasted along with the other vegetables – skin on – to add some sweetness and garlic flavour to the dressing without being overwhelming. Roasting the garlic in individual cloves is easy, and you get that delicious roasted garlic flavour without using a whole head.

The end result is a spectacular roasted vegetable quinoa salad that really utilises the best of cold-weather produce. There’s quite a bit of sweetness here, but it’s well balanced with the dressing and roasted onion. This is one of my go-to dishes for entertaining, something that’s almost universally enjoyed, and also something we often make for a weeknight dinner.

I first shared this recipe in 2015. It’s been updated with improvements to the recipe instructions, new photos, including step-by-step photos, and more helpful information.

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Ingredients You’ll Need and Why

I’ve been making this salad for a long time, and these are my recipe notes and substitutions from over a decade of cooking this meal. You can find the full recipe card below.

• Butternut squash: You can use any kind of pumpkin in place of butternut squash, like buttercup, Hokkaido, or even acorn if you don’t mind peeling it. Keep in mind that it’s one of the main elements here and you should use a variety you like. I do peel butternut and often use Hokkaido instead so that I can skip that step.
• Red onion: shallots can be subbed in for the red onion. I have used white or yellow onion in a pinch but prefer the sharp flavour of red here. Shallots will be sweeter.
• Apple: I recommend a tart baking apple like Boskoop that will hold its shape more effectively when baked. Sweet apples can be a little too sweet.
• Spices: feel free to adjust to your personal taste. You could also use a premixed blend you love that uses the same spices. This is inspired by Moroccan flavours so ras el hanout is a good choice – it often has turmeric in the blend but that’s okay here too.
• Quinoa: any type of grain can be used in place of quinoa – freekeh, millet, even rice. Bulgur is an excellent option because it’s very quick. I sometimes use spelt.
• Vinegar: use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Lemon juice makes a good sub. You can also add some preserved lemon and reduce the added acid and salt (that’s a very good addition and I recommend it if you have preserved lemons on hand).
• Pomegranate: this adds a fresh note and the sweet-sour flavour of pomegranate works well with the warm spices and savoury taste of the other ingredients. You can sub something like dried cranberries or raisins if preferred.
• Parsley: see parsley substitutions. I recommend mint for this recipe if you don’t have parsley but you can also omit the fresh herbs. They add a bit of brightness to the dish along with the pomegranate but aren’t mandatory.

How to Make Roasted Vegetable Salad

Pictured is a large casserole dish, but a baking sheet is fine to use for this recipe and both options are outlined in the recipe card. In my experience using a dish will result in a slightly sweeter salad and a baking sheet allows for a little more browning so you’ll get crisp edges and a slightly more complex flavour. Both are good.

Step 1: prep the squash, apple, and onions, then place them into a large baking dish with the garlic. The skin is kept on the garlic so that it roasts without burning. Try to tuck it under other vegetables so that it doesn’t pop in the oven (it’s only happened to me once, but it made a mess).

Step 2: add the oil and spices, then mix to coat. You can use your hands or a spoon but be sure to mix very well so that the spices are evenly spread out.

Step 3: roast for about half an hour, or until the squash can be easily pierced with a fork. Stir if needed, especially if you see small apple or onion pieces browning too much. While that’s in the oven, cook the quinoa.

Step 4: once the vegetables are ready, carefully remove and peel the garlic and make the vinaigrette. Add the quinoa and roasted vegetables to a large platter or bowl. Top with the vinaigrette, pomegranate seeds, and parsley, and serve warm.

Expert Tips for the Best Salad

• Keep the apple: apples add a lot to this dish and can’t be left out. The winter squash is sweet, but the apples add another note and varied texture – I’ve tried it without apples and it’s not nearly as good.
• Reduce the spice: if you find cayenne pepper to spicy, omit it and use just black pepper.
• Multitask: cooking the quinoa while the vegetables are in the oven makes for a quick meal, and you do want to serve while the veg is still hot, so be sure that the quinoa is ready before they come out of the oven.
• Season to taste: this is one of the few dishes that I don’t add extra salt to (beyond what’s in the recipe card) as it simply doesn’t need it, especially if the quinoa is seasoned properly.
• Make it all winter: winter squash (pumpkins) keep well right up until spring if they’ve been properly cured. The ones you’re getting in March are very likely still local and taste just as good in early spring as they do in autumn.

More Recipes with Warm Spices

Sweet Potato Lunch Bowls
Roasted Cauliflower Steaks
Chickpea, Sweet Potato, and Kale Soup
Quinoa Carrot Salad

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