Are you looking for that perfect fall salad that will keep you warm on rainy days? This warm quinoa salad with oven-roasted sweet potatoes and hummus dressing is perfect for a cozy (but healthy) dinner. I wouldn't lie if I said this was one of our favorite vegan quinoa recipes! You might also like this sweet potato, spinach and quinoa salad.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- This salad uses quinoa as a base and is entrely gluten free. In addition, the dressing and the toppings are 100% vegan.
- This quinoa bowl is made of seasonal ingredients that are perfect for fall and winter.
- Like any great salad. this one is super versatile. Discover many subsitutions ideas below.
- It is drizzled with the absolute best 1-ingredient salad dressing. This dressing is made from hummus and water and goes well with any fall salad or vegan quinoa bowl!
- You can eat this salad hot or cold. Serve it hot when the sweet potaotes come out of the oven and the quinoa is still warm. If you meal prep your lunches or dinners, simply combine the indivual ingredients after they have cooled down (see salad meal prepping tips in the FAQ section below) and eat it cold or reheat it.
Step by step with pictures
Peel and cut the sweet potatoes. Cut the sweet potato lengthwise in thirds or quarters (depending on the size). Then, cut them lengthwise again and into cubes.
Time-saving tip: make sure to cut the sweet potatoes into relatively small cubes (smaller than bite-sized pieces). The smaller they are, the quicker they will cook in the oven.
How to roast sweet potatoes in the oven. Once the sweet potato cubes are well-seasoned, spread them out on a baking sheet in a single layer. Make sure the oven has reached the required temperature (400°F/200°C) before roasting the sweet potatoes. Roast them for 20 minutes until golden.
How to cook quinoa for salads. Rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer under cold water. Cook it in twice the amount of vegetable broth (or water) until the liquid has been absorbed. It usually takes between 15 and 20 minutes.
Make the hummus salad dressing. Add the hummus and water to a jar. Close with a lid and shake until combined or simply use a whisk.
Ingredients check: when buying hummus at the store make sure to check the ingredients list. The shorter the better. The base of any good hummus includes chickpeas, tahini, oil, lemon juice and spices. Try to avoid natural flavorings and preservatives if possible.
Dress the salad. Start by adding the arugula to the bowl. Then, top with the roasted sweet potatoes, cooked quinoa, cranberries, roasted sunflower seeds and hummus dressing.
Top tips
- Cooking the quinoa in vegetable broth instead of water will make the quinoa salad much more flavorful.
- Place the cranberries in a bowl with hot water. They will plump up and be juicier.
- Always have a tub of hummus on hand to make hummus salad dressing. All you need to do is thining it out with water until it reaches the desired consistency.
- If you're meal prepping or have leftovers, store the ingredients separately.
Substitutions
- Sweet potatoes: you can use butternut squash or pumpkin instead of sweet potatoes. Peel and dice the squash and roast it in the oven until soft and golden. You might need to adapt the roasting time.
- Arugula can be susbtituted with kale, baby spinach or any other seasonal greeens.
- Sunflower seeds: pine nuts work well instead of sunflower seeds but they are more expensive.
Frequently asked questions
Here are my top 3 tips for meal prepping salads. 1) Store all the ingredients (salad, vegetables, cooked grains, dressing) separately. 2) Make sure to dry the salad thoroughly after washing it or use a container with an integrated strainer that keeps vegetables fresh for longer. 3) Only add then dressing when serving. Also, make sure that the ingredients are cooled down before you refrigerate them.
Preferably store leftover salad and dressing separately. This sweet potato quinoa salad can last up to 4 days if the arugula and the dressing were refrigerated separately. If the salad is already dressed, you can store it in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 1 day.
Rinsing quinoa in a mesh sieve before cooking gets rid of saponins, a compound that provides a bitter flavor.
More quinoa dinner recipes
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The recipe
Warm quinoa salad with sweet potatoes and hummus dressing
Ingredients
For the sweet potatoes
- 2 sweet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pinch of salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
For the salad
- ½ cup uncooked quinoa (100 g) I like tricolored quinoa
- 1 cup vegetable broth or water
- 1 handful dried cranberries see notes
- 1 handful roasted sunflower seeds see notes
- 1 cup arugula optional
For the dressing
- 4 heaped tablespoons plain hummus
- 1-2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into small cubes (the smaller the cubes, the quicker they cook).
- Drizzle with olive. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt, garlic powder, paprika and oregano. Mix until evenly coated (see step-by-step pictures in post above). Place on a baking sheet in a single layer.
- Roast in the oven for 20 minutes (check if they are soft, if not roast them for 5 more minutes).
- In the meantime, rinse the quinoa under cold water. Add it to a pot with twice the volume of water (or follow the instructions on the package). Bring to a boil. When the water boils, reduce to medium heat and cook until the water had absorbed (about 20 minutes).
- Make the hummus dressing by mixing the hummus and the water. Add more water for a thinner consistency.
- Add the washed arugula (if using), quinoa and the roasted sweet potatoes to a salad bowl. Top with sunflower seeds, cranberries and drizzle with hummus dressing.
Notes
- Place the dried cranberries in a bowl with hot water. They will plump up and be juicier.
- You can dry-roast the sunflower seeds in a pan without oil until golden (takes about 3 minutes).
- Preferably store leftover salad and dressing separately. This sweet potato quinoa salad can last up to 4 days if the arugula and the dressing were refrigerated separately. If the salad is already dressed, you can store it in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 1 day.
Nutrition
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