Blending a classic Persian recipe with traditional American Thanksgiving food, my Pumpkin Quinoa Salad is the perfect vegetarian side dish for your festive table this year. Juicy cranberries, roasted pumpkin, and fresh cucumber are all held together by delicate saffron quinoa for a high-protein alternative to a rice salad. Keep reading to find out more.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Cuisine: Persian-American fusion
Serving Size: 8
Course: Side
Calories: 262 kCal
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This cranberry pumpkin seed quinoa salad has become one of my new Thanksgiving favorites. You’ll love it too, for reasons like:
- Vibrant colors pop off the plate.
- An absolutely beautiful dish that looks gorgeous on a festive table.
- Packed full of healthy protein from the quinoa.
- Can be prepped in advance, making it further for a busy holiday dinner.
- Deliciously balanced with sweet and salty matching perfectly.
- Any pumpkin seed salad recipe always has a great crunch to it!
- A culture-blend recipe showcasing fusion food at its finest.
- Makes innovative use of traditional seasonal produce.
Inspiration Behind Pumpkin Quinoa Salad
For several years now, I’ve made a classic Persian saffron rice dish as a Thanksgiving side. With jewel-like pomegranate seeds and a vibrant yellow color, it’s always been a hit. But I’ve been getting a bit fed up with rice salads recently — their high carb count leaves me feeling a bit bloated and unsatisfied. I wondered what would happen if I tried to cook quinoa in the same way? Well, I can confirm for you that it turned out beautifully!
The saffron gives the quinoa exactly the same gorgeous bright yellow glow and subtle floral flavor. I thought I’d carry on the American vibe by using cranberries instead of pomegranate seeds, and my perfect fusion dish was complete. This healthy quinoa pumpkin salad is the best!
What Is Quinoa?
Quinoa is a highly nutritious seed that is eaten like a whole grain. It is naturally gluten-free, rich in protein, fiber, and many vitamins and minerals. As well as its complex, nutty flavor, it’s extremely attractive to vegetarians and vegans for being a complete protein, meaning it contains all 9 essential amino acids.
Pumpkin Quinoa Salad Ingredients
To make pumpkin quinoa salad, you’ll need the following simple ingredients:
Ingredient Substitutes
If you’re missing any of the above ingredients, you can sub in one of the following healthy ingredients:
- Pumpkin: Substitute with roasted butternut squash. You can even use carrots in a pinch, although the flavor profile will be different.
- Pumpkin seeds: Try sunflower seeds instead.
- Cucumbers: Diced zucchini will work as well. Especially tasty when grilled!
- Quinoa: I love the high protein count of quinoa, but the salad is still tasty when using rice, couscous, or bulgur wheat instead. Note that the cooking time will be different if an alternative grain is used.
- Cranberries: Raisins or sultanas are a great substitute.
- Almonds: Try a different type of nut instead, like hazelnuts, walnuts, or pecans.
- Saffron: A ¼ teaspoon of turmeric powder will give you the same bright yellow color.
Variations
- Vegetables: Add some other vegetables to the roasting pan when cooking pumpkin. Bell peppers, red onions, zucchini, and fennel all go well with quinoa pumpkin cranberry salad.
- Herbs: Get creative with the fresh herbs! As well as parsley, you can also add cilantro, dill, chervil, or even celery leaf to the pumpkin cranberry salad.
- Spices: Toast some whole spices in a hot, dry frying pan and scatter them over the top.
- Garlic: Some garlic also goes well in this recipe, especially if you’re making the pumpkin seed salad dressing variation (see below).
- Cheese: If you're not vegan, add crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese to the healthy quinoa pumpkin salad ingredients.
How to Make Pumpkin Quinoa Salad Recipe With Easy Cooking Steps
Cooking Tools
- Chopping board
- Kitchen knife
- Vegetable peeler
- Saucepan
- Mixing bowl
- Large ovenproof dish or baking tray
Cooking Method
- Frying
- Simmering
- Roasting
Preparation Steps
- Assemble all the tools and ingredients.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (200°C.)
- Peel the pumpkin and cut into chunks or bite-sized pieces.
- Scoop out the pumpkin seeds and separate out.
- Peel and dice the onion.
- Dice the cucumber.
- Pick all the leaves off the parsley and discard the stalks.
Cooking Steps
For the pumpkin and seeds
- Toss the cubes of pumpkin with 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large roasting pan or baking sheet, and season with salt and pepper.
- In a separate, small oven proof dish, mix the pumpkin seeds with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and add salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Put both the cubed pumpkin with oil and the seeds into the hot oven and roast for about 35-40 minutes, until the seeds are golden brown and crunchy, and the roasting pumpkin is soft and has colored in places.
For the quinoa
- Put the saffron threads in a small heat-proof bowl. Pour over ¼ cup of hot water and leave to bloom.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and fry for about 5 minutes, until softened.
- Add the quinoa and continue frying for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly, until the quinoa is coated in oil and lightly toasted.
- Pour the saffron water and threads evenly over the quinoa.
- Add 1 ¾ cups of cold water, and bring to a boil.
- Turn down to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for about 10-15 minutes, stirring regularly. When cooked, the quinoa will be tender and all the water will have been absorbed. If it is not yet tender, but there is no water left, you can add a little more, but be careful — you don’t want the quinoa to go soggy.
- Turn off the heat once cooked and leave uncovered for at least 10 minutes before using.
To finish the salad
- Put the cooked pumpkin, quinoa, cucumber, cranberries, almonds, and parsley in a large mixing bowl and toss to combine.
- Transfer to the salad bowl and scatter over the crunchy pumpkin seeds immediately before serving.
Alternative Method
- If you prefer, you can steam the pumpkin rather than roast it. Put the pumpkin into a large steamer basket and steam over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes until tender. Salt after cooking. It will not have so much depth of flavor as roasted pumpkin, but it will have less oil.
- If you want to make a pumpkin seed salad dressing, you can adapt this recipe easily to incorporate one. Take half of the roasted pumpkin seeds and blend with 2 tablespoons of pumpkin seed oil, 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon of maple syrup, half of the parsley leaves, and 1 peeled clove of garlic. Season to taste, and toss the dressing with the rest of the ingredients.
Best Tips to Ace This Recipe
- Make sure to fry the quinoa in the oil for long enough before adding the liquid. When exposed to dry heat, the quinoa will roast slightly, releasing delicious toasty aromas.
- Be careful not to overcook the quinoa. When cooked for too long, quinoa gets really mushy. The easiest way to get it right is to start with less water, and add small amounts more if necessary. I add a little more water than I have quinoa at the beginning and wait until it has all been absorbed before checking. If the quinoa is not tender, I will add a little splash more water and keep cooking for a few more minutes. Most recipes suggest a ratio of 1:2 parts quinoa to water, but in my experience, that is too much liquid. Start with less, and gradually add more if required.
- Cook the quinoa uncovered. This gives excess water a chance to steam away, reducing the chance of mushy quinoa.
Time-Saving Tips
- Quinoa pumpkin cranberry salad does not have to be served warm. You can save time by making both the roasted pumpkin, seeds, and quinoa in advance, and only mix at the last moment before serving.
- Buy ready-diced pumpkin from the store. A 3-pound pumpkin will yield about 4 cups of pumpkin flesh cut into chunks.
- Buy pre-roasted pumpkin seeds, or pepitas. Many salads with pumpkin seeds use ready-roasted seeds, and the quality is very high.
What To Serve with Pumpkin Quinoa Salad?+
I love to serve roast pumpkin salad with quinoa as part of a Thanksgiving spread. It’s a great vegetarian dish that goes down just as well with the meat eaters. The delicious salad makes a nice change from rice and other grains, and it’s full of protein too. But I’m also happy just to eat it as a main dish. When I do that, I especially love serving some homemade pickles alongside. Try one of these:
- Quick Pickled Jalapeños
- Sweet and Spicy Pickled Red Onions
- Quick Pickled Radish
- Quick and Easy Pickled Avocado
How To Store Pumpkin Quinoa Salad?
- Quinoa pumpkin cranberry salad is best stored in an airtight container in the fridge, where it will stay good for up to 3 days.
- Better still is to store the roasted pumpkin and the cooked quinoa separately from one another, only mixing it with the other ingredients once ready to serve.
- Freezing is not recommended for this recipe.
Conclusion
Pumpkin Quinoa Salad has become my new favorite salad with pumpkin seeds. It's the best Thanksgiving side dish with beautiful colors, seasonal ingredients, and a wonderful crunch. Are you going to make it with extra vegetables, or perhaps throw in some different herbs? Try it out the way that suits you, and let me know in the comments how you get on!
More Healthy Vegetarian Side Dish Recipes
Looking for more healthy vegetarian and delicious side dishes for Thanksgiving? Try out one of these:
FAQS
Quinoa dishes such as salads can be eaten either hot or cold, depending on the exact recipe.
You can tell that quinoa is done when it is tender and no longer gritty when chewed.
Quinoa is generally considered healthier than rice, being unrefined, high in protein, and with more vitamins and minerals.
Your quinoa is probably sloppy because you added too much water at the beginning of the cooking process. Start with a 1:1.25 ratio of quinoa to water, and only add more water if necessary.
Recipe
Roasted Pumpkin Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 3- pound pumpkin peeled, cut into chunks, seeds removed and reserved
- 2 small cucumbers diced
- 1 onion peeled and diced
- 1 ½ cups of white quinoa
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup toasted almonds
- 1 small bunch of parsley leaves only
- ¼ teaspoon saffron threads
- 4 tablespoons of olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Preparation Steps
- Assemble all the tools and ingredients.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (200°C.)
- Peel the pumpkin and cut into chunks or bite-sized pieces.
- Scoop out the pumpkin seeds and separate out.
- Peel and dice the onion.
- Dice the cucumber.
- Pick all the leaves off the parsley and discard the stalks.
Cooking Steps
For the pumpkin and seeds
- Toss the cubes of pumpkin with 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large roasting pan or baking sheet, and season with salt and pepper.
- In a separate, small oven proof dish, mix the pumpkin seeds with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and add salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Put both the cubed pumpkin with oil and the seeds into the hot oven and roast for about 35-40 minutes, until the seeds are golden brown and crunchy, and the roasting pumpkin is soft and has colored in places.
For the quinoa
- Put the saffron threads in a small heat-proof bowl. Pour over ¼ cup of hot water and leave to bloom.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and fry for about 5 minutes, until softened.
- Add the quinoa and continue frying for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly, until the quinoa is coated in oil and lightly toasted.
- Pour the saffron water and threads evenly over the quinoa.
- Add 1 ¾ cups of cold water, and bring to a boil.
- Turn down to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for about 10-15 minutes, stirring regularly. When cooked, the quinoa will be tender and all the water will have been absorbed. If it is not yet tender, but there is no water left, you can add a little more, but be careful — you don’t want the quinoa to go soggy.
- Turn off the heat once cooked and leave uncovered for at least 10 minutes before using.
To finish the salad
- Put the cooked pumpkin, quinoa, cucumber, cranberries, almonds, and parsley in a large mixing bowl and toss to combine.
- Transfer to the salad bowl and scatter over the crunchy pumpkin seeds immediately before serving.
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