Butternut Squash with Sage Quinoa

A few weeks ago Jenna at Eat,Live, Run listed her favorite recipes for the fall.  I naturally saved most of them to try at some point.  I really enjoy summer and spring, but fall and winter win me over all the time.  Especially when it comes to hearty fall dishes.  I eat acorn and butternut squash with butter and brown sugar like its ice cream.  I’m not kidding.  I also like to try and mix it up with the my two favorite squashes, so the not-so-time-consuming Butternut Squash with Sage Quinoa Salad made its way to the top of my to try list.

This is definitely NOT my photo, it’s from Eat, Live, Run, I ate it all before taking a picture!

Quinoa is something I have heard a lot about lately but never tried.  It seemed difficult.  I don’t know why, if I had bothered to pick up a package I would have known it was super easy to make.  It was also very tasty.  I think I am going to have to try and mix it in more frequently.  The whole recipe was delicious and fast.  I used more squash because I wanted to use a whole half.  I also forgot to pick up fresh sage, so I just used some dry.  If you get a chance, I highly recomend you give it a try!

Butternut Squash with Sage Quinoa

4 servings 

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 3 cups butternut squash, cut into ½ inch dice
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 tsp dried sage leaves
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Combine the quinoa and chicken stock in a medium pot. Bring the liquid to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the quinoa has absorbed all the liquid, about 15 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork and then set aside.
  3. While quinoa is cooking  Place the cubed butternut squash onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder and 2 tbsp of olive oil.  Give the butternut squash a quick toss to make sure the seasonings are evenly distributed on the squash. Roast for about 20 minutes until the squash is fork tender.
  4. In a large skillet, heat the remaining olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the diced onion and garlic. Sauté until fragrant.  Add the sage and cook for about 2 minutes.
  5. Reduce the heat to low and add the cooked quinoa and roasted butternut squash.  Toss the mixture to combine and taste for seasoning.  Add more salt and pepper if needed.
  6. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!