I like to mix grains and seeds into my salads. They offer an interesting texture and help fill me up. In fact, recently I attended an event where they featured a green salad and a quinoa salad, and I wondered why they didn’t just combine the two. So, I decided to make one beautiful salad with greens and quinoa — along with the addition of some nice seasonal ingredients.

This salad includes a blend of peppery arugula juxtaposed by sweet roasted butternut squash. I added cooked red quinoa, roasted pumpkin seeds for crunch and pomegranate seeds for some added texture and color! I also topped mine with some nutty shaved parmigiano-reggiano cheese, but that’s completely optional.

It’s a beautiful salad — perfect for the fall — and, I think, perfect for a holiday table.

Harvest Salad with Arugula, Roasted Butternut Squash and Quinoa
Serves 4

5 ounces of arugula greens (I used half of a bag of pre-washed arugula)
1 cup of cooked red quinoa
2 cups of roasted butternut squash (which was salted, peppered and olive oiled)
1/3 cup of pomegranate seeds
1/3 cup of roasted pumpkin seeds (mine were salted)
1/4 cup of balsamic vinaigrette
1/4 cup of shaved parmigiano-reggiano cheese

In a large bowl, add the arugula greens, quinoa, butternut squash, pomegranate seeds, pumpkin seeds, balsamic vinaigrette (recipe follows) and toss to combine. Top with shaved parmigiano-reggiano cheese.

Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette
Yields 1 cup

3/4 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons of brown sugar
1 clove of garlic, crushed
salt and pepper to taste

Add, to a mason jar or lidded container, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, crushed garlic, salt and pepper to taste — shake until combined.  Vinaigrette will keep in the refrigerator for at least one week.