Enjoy a healthy, flavorful meal with this Instant Pot Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad! Tender butternut squash and fluffy quinoa are cooked to perfection in the Instant Pot, then tossed with fresh greens and a light dressing. It’s a nutritious, vibrant salad that's perfect for a satisfying lunch or dinner!
First, rinse the quinoa in a strainer under cold water for about 2 minutes.
Place the butter in a skillet, and when it's melted, add the chopped onion, and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add the quinoa and sauté for another 5 minutes.
Add the red bell pepper, green bell pepper, corn, and beans, stir, and cook on medium high heat an additional 5 minutes.
Add the chicken broth, water, garlic salt, seasoned salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil.
Turn the heat to low, and add the minced garlic, stir well, cover the sauce pan with a lid, and simmer the quinoa mixture for about 20 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed.
While the Quinoa mixture is simmering, rinse the Butternut squash under cold water, and dry with a paper towel.
Cut the stem off the Squash, and place the trivet in the Instant Pot.
Add ½ cup of water to the bottom of the Instant Pot, and place the Butternut squash on the Trivet, and place the lid on the Instant Pot until it beeps and locks.
Make sure the pressure valve is set to 'SEALING'.
Press the manual button, and set the time for 6 minutes.
When the squash is done the Instant Pot will beep and go to off. Do a quick release by turning the pressure valve to 'VENTING' from Sealing, and allow all the pressure to be released.
When the pressure has all been released, and the float valve (stem) is all the way down, remove the lid from the Instant Pot.
Remove the Butternut Squash with a heavy kitchen towel, or a pot holder, and place on a plate.
Cut the squash in half, lengthwise, with a sharp (preferably serrated) knife. Butter the inside of the squash. Slice the inside of the squash, (but not the skin) in bite size pieces.
Add the chopped squash to the quinoa mixture, and stir to blend. You can either plate the squash mixture, or fill the Butternut squash skins with the quinoa mixture for a dramatic presentation. (See photo's).
Serve, and Enjoy
Notes
We’ve used butter for this recipe, but if you really want to stick to using healthy fats, you can use olive oil.I also think this salad can be a great way to get some more greens on your plate. Consider adding your favorite greens like chopped kale or baby spinach into the mix towards the end.To cut down the cooking time for this recipe, you can use pre cut butternut squash or cooked squash too!To turn this into a vegan friendly casserole or salad, swap the chicken broth and use a veggie broth instead.If you want this salad to have fall flavors, you can add some more seasonings like dried rosemary and thyme.If you want to give this salad a bit of a spicy kick, you can also add some chili powder or a dash of hot sauce into it.To balance the heat in the salad, you can add some maple syrup too!I also love bringing some tart flavors into the salad, and if you do too, you can also add a dash of apple cider vinegar or some lime juice into it.