First off, we are thankful for you, dear reader, and send you warm wishes as you enjoy Thanksgiving. It can be a stressful holiday with a change of routine, travel fatigue, and even more scarcity of time. But, it can be wonderful at the same time, with sharing of hugs and love with family and friends that you haven’t seen in some time.
Imagine your Thanksgiving table. Bronzed and glazed turkey, salt-crusted oven-baked potatoes, herbed rolls, stuffing with sauteed onions and celery…all glorious…all brown.
To make your table come alive, add a soprano—this red quinoa salad with roasted figs and walnuts is strikingly colorful and impressive. It’s like diving into a big bowl of fall weekend delight—all wine-colored leaves, golden branches, and remaining shades of green. You will want it to last and last.
Like most grain salads, this recipe provides a template, allowing for like-minded ingredients to be swapped in with little trouble. We used red quinoa, an earthy-flavored protein-rich grain that has a delicate texture. But, you can also use farro, freekeh, barley, brown rice, or another grain you like, just adjust the cooking time and liquid amount according to the package instructions. We used fresh figs, that when cut, reveal a rosy-hued flesh with small, delicately crunchy seeds. But, you can also use dried as well, just plump them first in warm water. You can also use other fresh fruits, such as red pears, fresh cranberries, or ruby red grapefruit, to keep with the red color theme. Roasted butternut squash‘s analogous orange expands the color wheel. The walnuts provide the final high flourish, but these could be another toasted nut, roughly chopped. This dish is vegan as well as vegetarian.
Red Quinoa with Roasted Figs and Walnuts
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| Prep: | Cook: | Yield: 6 | Total: |
Roasted juicy figs with fluffy red quinoa share a dark red color and little bursting seeds that tie together this delicious pilaf. Alongside the figs, roasted butternut squash become tender, sweet, and dappled with brown spots. They make for a lovely fall dinner with tender baby spinach, or spooned into cupped leaves of Belgian endive, which show off the brilliant colors of the fruit, squash, and onion.
You'll Need...
- 4 ounces fresh ripe figs*
- ½ butternut squash
- 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup red, white, black quinoa, rinsed and drained
- ¼ cup walnuts (we used, and loved, the salted ones)
- ¼ medium red onion, finely diced (about ½ cup)
- 6 cups baby spinach
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 F.
- Peel butternut squash, then halve lengthwise and scrape out seeds. Chop squash into ¾-inch chunks. Cut figs in half.
- On two rimmed baking sheets, toss figs and squash with 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar; season lightly with salt and pepper. Spread vegetables out in a single layer on the sheets. Roast, turning halfway through, until golden, tender, and juicy, 18 to 20 minutes total.
- Meanwhile, bring 2 cups of water, grains, and salt to a boil; simmer, covered, until the grains are tender and the water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Then let stand ten minutes before fluffing with a fork. Cooking time will vary slightly, depending on how chewy or tender a texture you prefer. Toss in a bowl with 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar.
- Arrange walnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven 4 to 5 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning. Let cool and roughly chop.
- Add red onion and walnuts to the bowl with the quinoa and toss to combine. Fold in the butternut squash and roasted figs, scraping in any fig juices from the baking dish. (Don't forget this step. The fig juice was particularly awesome here, in our opinion, and added depth.) Toss with spinach and parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Eat now or later. Salad keeps in the fridge for up to a week.
Additional Notes
*NOTE: If you can't find ripe figs, use 2 ounces of dried figs and skip the roasting. Instead, plump them in simmering water for 10 minutes. Then proceed with recipe.
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