To help me stay on track during the fall and busy holiday season, I have a delicious and healthy recipe for a butternut squash and quinoa mason jar salad with a light and refreshing apple cider vinaigrette that can be easily made ahead of time for a quick lunch or dinner!
This time of year brings busyness for many of us, as well as the temptation to steer off of the healthy path due to baked goods galore and let’s be real, the seasonal lattes from Starbucks (as if I’m not sitting here holding the infamous red cup in my hand as I update this post).
I don’t know about you, but the thought of fall makes me feel all fluttery inside (in a good way). Why? Because the season is a gateway into my favorite time of year – the holidays!
If you’ve been around this neighborhood recently, you know that I love butternut squash. You can read about its many health benefits, here. This salad is packed with hearty nutrients that embody the essence of fall, while still being healthy and satisfying.
Here’s a nutritional breakdown of the salad components (aka, the vitality factor):
- Apples – high in vitamin C, B-complex vitamins, dietary fiber and phytonutrients, which help protect against the damaging effects of free radicals.
- Beets – also high in immune-boosting vitamin C, fiber, essential minerals (such as potassium and manganese) and folate.
- Pecans – full of antioxidants, vitamin E and healthy fats.
- Quinoa – great source of iron, vitamin B-6, magnesium, dietary fiber and protein (unlike many other grains!).
- Spinach – One of the best sources of dietary potassium and magnesium, and is also one of the best plant-based sources of iron.
If you’re looking for a quick and healthy meal on the go, then this butternut squash and quinoa mason jar salad is for you! It’s so delicious, I guarantee it will become a fall staple in your household.
Now, let’s get to cooking in one, two, three (yes, it’s that easy) steps!
Step 1: Roast the Veggies
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Peel and dice the butternut squash and beets into ½” cubes (a fancy way for saying bite-sized!). My grocery store didn’t have raw beets, so I had to opt for already steamed and peeled. If you don’t want pink-stained hands, I suggest you go this route, but nothing replaces the yummy flavor of homemade roasted beets.
Toss the cubed veggies with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Then, spread the vegetables in a thin layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until fork tender.
Once the veggies are done, set aside and cool for 10-15 minutes.
Step 2: The Apple Cider Vinaigrette
If you have a microplane zester/grater, grate the shallot into a small bowl. If you don’t have one, I highly recommend you do. But for now, you can mince the shallot, no big deal.
To the shallot, add the apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, squeeze of lemon and salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. Next, slowly drizzle in the olive oil while continuously whisking.
Step 3: Assembly time!
When making a mason jar salad, there’s a strategic way to layering the ingredients to prevent the greens from wilting and to keeping everything nice and fresh. For a full tutorial on how to layer a mason jar salad, check out this post.
Layering order from bottom to top: 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinaigrette, apple slices, roasted butternut squash and beets, cooked quinoa, toasted walnuts, parmesan cheese shavings (optional), and spinach.
*Once assembled, salads will last in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Don’t forget – when ready to eat, unscrew the lid, place a plate on top and flip it over to dump the ingredients on a plate! This ensures that you get all that yummy dressing on the salad, instead of digging a fork into the jar and wondering how to get to the good stuff at the bottom.
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Butternut Squash and Quinoa Fall Harvest Mason Jar Salad
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: lunch
Description
This recipe is the perfect option for a quick and easy Meatless Monday meal on the go!
Ingredients
- 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 3 large beets, peeled and cubed
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1 large or 2 small honeycrisp apples, thinly sliced
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1/3 cup pecans, lightly toasted
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese shavings (optional)
- 4 cups spinach
- Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 Tablespoon honey
- Half of a lemon, juiced
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Peel and dice butternut squash and beets into 1/2″ cubes. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper until the vegetables are well coated. Spread the vegetables into a thin layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until vegetables are fork tender. Set the vegetables aside and let cool for 10 minutes.
- For the vinaigrette, mince or grate the shallot into a small bowl. Add the vinegar, mustard, honey, lemon juice, salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Drizzle in the olive oil while continuously whisking until smooth and creamy.
- To assemble, add 2 Tablespoons of vinaigrette to the bottom of the mason jar. Next layer from bottom to top: apple slices, butternut squash and beets, quinoa, walnuts, parmesan cheese and spinach.
- Screw the lid on and store in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
90 Responses
Salad in a jar is one of my favorite meals and it’s perfect for weekly meal prep.
Yes, it is! I now have everyone in my office making mason jar salads and they are pleasantly surprised at how fresh everything stays!
I’m all about the beets (bout the beets, no treble…?) and butternut squash in a salad! Pinning for later because I am getting back into my meal prep game! <3
Haha I love it! Yes, the combo is so good. The butternut squash adds a sweeter taste to the salad, which I love!
Your recipe looks amazing…thanks for sharing..!!
Thank you, Ana!
Pumpkin gets all the love during fall so I’m so excited you’re bringing delicious butternut squash to the spotlight 🙂 Mason jars are the perfect on-the-go salad container! And they look so cute.
Yes, they are both my favorite fall flavors! Mason Jar salads are the perfect prep meal since they stay so fresh!
I love every thing in this jar, but I would never have thought to put them together as a salad. Yum! Will definitely try this out.
The combo is out of this world! Hope you enjoy it 🙂
This looks so delicious and the colors are beautiful too…I haven’t made quinoa in a while and haven’t made beets either, but I have been craving both…I find it interesting how our bodies start to crave the seasonal fruits and vegetables, when the seasons change.
That is so true… I am no longer craving watermelon, but two months ago? Different story. Thanks, Katie!
I love quinoa in salads! It’s such a great a addition that fills you up and adds protein:) this salad almost looks too beautiful to eat!
Once you get one bite you won’t be thinking about how pretty it is, it’s so good! I love adding quinoa in salads too for a little extra boost in protein!
Yum all of my favorites in one meal! Check out our meatless Monday link up info we’d love to have you join us
I joined! So excited. Now I need to go back and read through everyone’s delicious recipes! Thanks, Deborah!
Awesome, these are all my favorite things to add up as salad! Very neatly written, thank you for sharing !
Thank you, Riya. Hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
This is lovely! I adore butternut squash, what a great combination. Will have to whip these up for easy make ahead lunches! My hubby would love it too. Thanks for sharing!!
They are SO easy to make ahead and it’s really nice having something already made that I can just grab and go. Enjoy!
yum!! this sounds so delicious I’m a fall lover and love seasonal recipes and this recipe just hits the spot!!
Thanks, Ana! I hope you love them as much as I do 🙂
I love the idea of having your salad packed neatly in a jar. Your salad looks delicious!
It is one of the easiest meal prep recipes I’ve made! And they stay so fresh for days in the fridge 🙂
this looks delicious’! And you made it so pretty!!!
★★★★
Thanks, Claire! It’s easy to make something look pretty when the veggies are so vibrant!
What a great recipe, Carly! 🙂 I love both quinoa and butternut squash, so I think I really need to give this a try!
Thanks, Sina! I love the combo… it’s delicious!
This looks amazing! I love butternut squash and this looks like a great fall salad. Thanks for the healthy recipe!
You’re welcome, Jason! I hope you enjoy it.
Amazing!!! I love salads in a jar and this spin on a fall inspired salad looks delicious!
Isn’t it just the easiest meal prep to have on hand? I love having salads that are already made to grab and go!
This is such a cute idea! I love using mason jars for just about everything haha I’ll have to try this sometime!
Me too!! I use them for smoothies, salads, containers… I am a bit obsessed :-/
I basically had this as a soup yesterday! I love butternut squash. Tastes just like potatoes lol
What?! YUM! The combo is great in salad form too 😉
What a beautiful, unique salad. I love all of these ingredients and can’t wait to try this. I love your photo progressions of the mason jar.
Thanks Lindsay! It was a fun one to put together and a delicious combo!
I have never done salads in a jar, but think this is a wonderful idea! I love the inclusion of one of my favorite veggies – beets!
★★★★
Once you make a salad in a jar, there’s no turning back. It’s the perfect thing to make ahead of time and have in the fridge to grab and go!
Wow so delicious. I have always wanted to a prepare a few of these weekly for lunch.
★★★★★
Do it! It is the easiest thing ever. I have a few girls in my office making them now and they love it!
So much yes! I’ve been struggling with heathy yet easy meals on the go, and this is it!! Can’t wait to try it!
Yay! I’m so glad I could inspire you with some healthy meals on the go. Nothing beats this mason jar salad!
These look amazing, Carly!! I love butternut squash in salads… so delicious! I would probably add some grilled chicken to this. Definitely going to try it 🙂
Thanks, Liz! When I’m feeling too lazy to add chicken, I just add quinoa for protein like I did in this recipe! Hope you enjoy 🙂
I love how you gave the nutritional benefits of everything in the salad! I haven’t tried mason jar salads yet but they seem so perfect and convenient. Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome, Danielle! Mason jar salads are the perfect meal prep solution since you can make them ahead of time and have on hand for the rest of the week!
This sounds (and looks) really good! Never tried anything quite like this before…def want to now though!
It’s a delicious combo! I hope you enjoy it 🙂
This looks so yummy! I love quinoa but never have had it in a salad before!
You must try it, Becky! I love adding quinoa for a little extra protein in my salads.
This looks fantastic! I really need more recipes like this!
Thanks, Angie! I am all about healthy, easy meals that can be prepped ahead of time. Enjoy!
This looks so good, and I love the addition of seasonal veggies! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Deborah! It really is the perfect fall combo that is satisfying and healthy!
Love the way you lined up the photos to show each layer 🙂 beautiful photos to go along with this awesome post, Carly!
Thanks, Jess! It’s so much fun to play around with the photos. Hope you are having a great week xo
This looks amazing, and roasted veggies in a salad can’t be beat!
I love roasted veggies in my salads! Anytime I have veggies that are about to go bad, I just roast them and add them to salad greens!
Yum, this sounds delicious! I absolutely love beets and apples, but never thought to pair them with squash! Will have to try that. 🙂
It is so yummy. The beets help balance out the sweetness of the apples and butternut squash. Hope you enjoy!
This sounds really good. I’ve been meaning to start doing mason jar salads, and this one sounds like a yummy one to start one!
Oh, yay! I hope you like the recipe! Mason Jar salads are so easy and the combos are endless!
I can see my self eating this yummy and healthy salad.
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It is so good.. I’ve eaten it three days in a row! Ha 🙂
Dang this salad looks yum! Thanks for sharing, I’ll eat anything with quinoa!