Quinoa salad with roasted squash, kale, walnuts, garlic & red-wine dressing

Quinoa salad with roasted squash, kale, walnuts, garlic & red-wine dressing

Autumn

Quinoa is such a great grain to use in big chunky salads like this one. Although it’s small, it has the capacity to carry, and is generous with it. Dressings love it, and once dressed it loves everything else. Here, tender roast squash, sweet onions and crunchy walnuts are all bound up in its spell. I like to finish this salad with a hint of Roquefort, one of my favourite blue-veined sheep’s cheeses. But, of course, you could leave it out for a vegan version.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

  • 150g (5½oz) quinoa, rinsed
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 squash, such as a butternut, halved, deseeded and cut into 5 or 6 wedges
  • 2 red onions, halved and cut into wedges
  • 1 garlic bulb, broken into cloves and peeled
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
  • 2 rosemary sprigs, torn
  • 75g (2½oz) walnut halves
  • 1 large bunch of curly kale (about 150g/5½oz), stripped from the stalk
  • 125g (4½oz) soft blue cheese, such as Roquefort (optional)
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing

  • 2 teaspoons wholegrain mustard
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon runny honey
  • (or 2 teaspoons sugar as a vegan option)
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled and bashed

Method

Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.

First, make the dressing. Put all the ingredients in a small jug, season, and whisk until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

Put the quinoa in a large pan and cover with plenty of cold water – you’ll need about three times as much water as quinoa. Add the salt, put over a medium–high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10–12 minutes, or until the grains are tender. Drain well, then while the quinoa is still warm, spoon over half the dressing and turn it through the grains.

While the quinoa is cooking, scatter the squash, onions and garlic cloves out over a roasting tin. Trickle over the oil and sprinkle over the cumin seeds and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper and toss together. Roast for 45–50 minutes, turning occasionally or until everything is soft and caramelized.

Turn down the oven to 120°C/235°F/gas mark ½–1. Remove the roasting tin from the oven and add the walnut halves and kale. Use a spatula to turn the kale gently in some of the well-flavoured roasting oil. Return the tray to the oven and cook for a further 15–20 minutes, until the kale is crisp and the nuts are toasted.

At this stage remove the kale from the tin and set aside. Spoon the quinoa over the squash, nuts and onions and pour over the remaining dressing. Tumble everything together thoroughly, season to taste with more salt and pepper and spoon into a large bowl or out over a platter. Arrange the kale over the top of the salad and crumble over the cheese, if using. Serve straight away.

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