tri-color quinoa & roasted root vegetable salad with apple cider vinaigrette

tri-color quinoa is combined with crisp roasted root vegetables for an easy grain salad packed with protein & flavor!

This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill.  All opinions contained within are my own.  As always, thank you for allowing me to partner with companies to create yummy, wholesome recipes!

I love a good grain salad.  They’re hearty, filling and the perfect make-ahead dish that you can eat all week!  This particular grain salad combines two of my favorite things: quinoa and roasted root vegetables.

‘Tis the season for hearty, warm oven-roasted root vegetables!  It’s one of my favorite parts about autumn.  There are so many good root vegetables to choose from!  I’ve combined my top picks in this salad – onion, turnips, parsnips and yams but honestly, the sky is the limit!

That’s another thing that I love so much about grain salads – it’s like a choose-your-own-adventure dish!  Pretty much whatever you like, goes!  And let me tell you, I’ve yet to meet a root vegetable combination that I don’t like.

Bob’s Red Mill Tri-color Quinoa is a blend of organic white, black and red quinoa.  It adds a little something special to this dish thanks to its nutty flavor and fluffy, crunchy texture. I love adding quinoa to grain salads because it’s an easy way to get protein in without having to prepare anything extra.  You’re also getting iron, fiber and healthful fatty acids with it.  And perhaps best of all is that it’s pre-rinsed which takes a lot of the headache out of making quinoa!

I topped this salad off with some lightly toasted walnuts and dried cranberries providing the best combination of sweet, savory, crunchy and chewy to this dish.  Finish it off with a drizzle of apple cider vinaigrette and you’ll have a crowd-pleasing dish that’s perfect for your Thanksgiving table (or, if you’re like me, to keep all to yourself )!

Tri-Color Quinoa & Roasted Root Vegetable Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

• Author: Cait
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
• Category: lunch

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Description

tri-color quinoa is combined with crisp roasted root vegetables for an easy grain salad packed with protein & flavor!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Quinoa & Roasted Vegetables:

• 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Organic Tri-color Quinoa
• 3 cups water or vegetable broth
• 2 medium yams, peeled and cubed
• 4 parsnips, peeled and diced into half moons
• 2 turnips, peeled and cubed
• 1 small red onion, peeled and chopped
• 1/3 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• Olive oil
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Vinaigrette:

• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Olive oil

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Instructions

For the Vinaigrette:

1. Combine all ingredients (minus the olive oil) in a food processor and turn on. Slowly stream in olive oil until you’ve reached your desired consistency. Set aside.

For the Quinoa & Roasted Vegetables:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Combine quinoa and liquid of choice in a saucepan and place over high heat. Bring to a boil then lower heat and continue to simmer for about 30 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed.
3. While the quinoa cooks, place peeled & chopped veggies in a single layer on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast vegetables until tender and golden brown (between 20-30 minutes depending on your oven), occasionally tossing gently throughout the roasting.
4. Once veggies finish roasting, lower the oven temperature to 350°F and spread walnuts out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 5 minutes tossing the nuts around occasionally to ensure even cooking (nuts are done when they look slightly darker and smell toasted). Remove from the oven and set aside.
5. Once quinoa is finished cooking, drain any remaining liquid, fluff with a fork and toss in roasted vegetables, toasted walnuts and dried cranberries. Drizzle with apple cider vinaigrette and toss well to combine.

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Notes

Dish holds well in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator

Keywords: vegetarian, quinoa, root vegetables, fall, meatless

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