Harvest Chopped Quinoa Salad

This recipe hails from a restaurant near my home. This is my recreation of it, as the recipe is not published. The ingredient amounts are flexible. Use as much or as little as you like. I LOVE it, I hope you do too. Serving size is 2-4 depending on whether you serve as a main or side salad. Cooking time & prep does NOT included time to toast> Quinoa-Toasted & cook quinoa. Vinaigrette dressing recipe courtesy of bonappetit.com

• Ready In: 1 hr 5 mins
• Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup quinoa, toasted and cooked to yield 1 C
• 2  cups  butternut squash, peeled, cubed, roasted
• 2  tablespoons olive oil, needed to coat
•  salt, to taste
•  pepper, to taste
• 1  fugi apple, cored, peeled if desired
• 1⁄2 seedless cucumber, unpeeled cut into chunks
• 1⁄4 cup  dried presweetened cranberries, can substitute dried cherries
• 1⁄4 cup candied walnuts, rough chop
• 1⁄2 cup  mild feta cheese, goat cheese
• 1⁄4 cup radicchio, for color
• 2  cups  salad greens
• 1⁄2-3⁄4 cup  sherry vinaigrette, recipe follows, use enough to dress salad as desired
• 1  medium shallot, minced
• 2  tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
• 1  tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1  teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 9  tablespoons  extra-virgin olive oil
•  fine sea salt, to taste
•  fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Prepare butternut squash: Peel, seed and cube. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt & pepper. Roast until tender, and edges caramelized about 10-15 minutes depending on size of cubes. Cool and set aside.
3. Toast quinoa (recipe noted in intro) and cook according to package directions. Cool completely and set aside. *This can be done ahead of time.
4. Make vinaigrette (recipe below), set aside.
5. In a large bowl: combine roasted butternut squash, fugi apple, seedless cucumber. Add walnuts and cranberries. Add quinoa, toss, then add feta cheese, drizzle with vinaigrette and gently toss to combine. Add more vinaigrette to taste at table.
6. Combine salad greens & radicchio, arrange on plates. Top with the Quinoa mixture.
7. DRESSING: Sherry Vinaigrette, Makes 3/4 cup.
8. Stir shallot, vinegar, lemon juice, and mustard in a small bowl and let macerate for at least 15 minutes.
9. Gradually whisk in oil (or stir first 4 ingredients in a jar with a lid, add oil, screw on lid, and shake to combine).
10. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
11. DO AHEAD: Cover and chill in an airtight container for up to 1 week. To freshen the flavor of the dressing after a few days, add a squeeze of fresh lime or lemon juice.