Quinoa and Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

This gluten-free alternative to pasta salad is a great accompaniment to a piece of grilled steak or eaten as a meat-free lunch on it's own. It's easy to put together and still tastes great the day after it's prepped. This recipe makes 4-6 servings.

PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 45 minutes

Ingredients
One butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
1 large onion, chopped
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped
1/4 cup shelled pistachios
1 1/2 cups quinoa
4 cups vegetable stock
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
3 ounces baby spinach leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions
Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set aside.

Place the squash in a medium bowl and add 3 tablespoons of the oil, the thyme and 2 teaspoons of salt and season with pepper to taste. Fold to cover the squash pieces with oil and the seasonings.. Transfer to your baking sheet and spread squash out into a single layer. Roast for 30 minutes, or until the squash is fork-tender. Put the pistachios on a small baking sheet and toast until fragrant, about 5 minutes.

While the squash is roasting, rinse the quinoa in cold water in a fine-mesh strainer. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet to medium-high and add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes or until the onions become fragrant and translucent. Add stock and stir in the quinoa. Simmer for 10 minutes. Drain the quinoa and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add squash, spinach, pistachios, vinegar and remaining oil and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve warm or at room temperature.