Fall Quinoa Salad

Hannah's wedding was the first weekend of October 2026 and the weather held, which is the thing you can't control and which affects everything else. Cold enough to need a jacket by evening, warm enough in the afternoon to be outdoors comfortably in regular clothes. The light was the October light I'd been counting on: golden and long, coming through the timber at that particular angle that makes everything look like it was staged for a painting.

I started cooking at six in the morning. Caleb was there by seven. River came too, which was a deliberate choice—Caleb said he wanted River to see this, to be in it, to have the memory. River arrived serious and stayed serious through most of the setup, carrying small things with great care, asking what each pot was for. I told him each time.

The bean bread came out right. The kanuchi was rich and deep from the long pounding the day before. The venison roast with dried chile sauce had been braising since before dawn. The fry bread was made in rotation through the afternoon so it was always warm.

When Hannah and Thomas said their vows in the meadow near the food forest trees, I was standing with the rest of the family and I thought about Danny. I thought about how he would have stood right here and watched this and felt what I was feeling—the particular satisfaction of a family that kept adding people who were worth adding. Then I thought: he did see this. He built the table we're gathering around. This is all his work as much as mine.

The feast was right. The family was fed and glad and the land received the gathering the way it always does, without fuss, without ceremony, just doing what it does. It was exactly what Hannah asked for: a family meal that happened to be larger than usual. It was that. It was everything.

Not every dish from that day is one I can put a recipe to — the kanuchi and the bean bread live in hands and memory more than in measurements. But when people ask me how to bring something of that October spirit to their own table, I come back to this fall quinoa salad: it holds the season the way that day held it, rooted in what the land is actually doing in autumn, simple enough to let the ingredients speak. It is the kind of dish that belongs beside something slow-cooked and important, which is exactly where it earned its place.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed
3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 3 cups)
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped
2 cups baby spinach or arugula
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt and black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Instructions

Roast the squash. Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss butternut squash cubes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, cinnamon, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Spread on a sheet pan in a single layer and roast 25–30 minutes, turning once, until tender and lightly caramelized at the edges.
Cook the quinoa. Combine rinsed quinoa and broth in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Spread on a sheet pan or wide bowl to cool slightly.
Make the dressing. Whisk together apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and a pinch of salt until emulsified.
Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, combine the warm quinoa, roasted squash, spinach or arugula, red onion, and dried cranberries. Pour the dressing over and toss gently to coat. The warmth of the quinoa and squash will lightly wilt the greens.
Finish and serve. Top with toasted pecans just before serving. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve warm or at room temperature — it holds well on a buffet table for up to two hours.

Nutrition (per serving)

Fall Quinoa Salad — A Harvest Table Worthy of the Day