I love how versatile butternut squash can be. It does not matter what you prefer - be it a carby risotto or mac and cheese or something a lot healthier like a salad, this vegetable can adapt itself and takes on each role with aplomb! Thats exactly what it does in this delicious roasted butternut squash salad. Add to that delicious seasonal produce like cranberries, pomegranate, apples and spinach. Add some pecans and an amazing apple cider vinegar based dressing to the mix and you might just have a keeper you will have on repeat through fall and winter.

How to make a great roasted butternut squash salad
Time needed: 1 hour
- Prep your ingredients when the butternut squash is being roasted
It takes around 40-45 minutes to roast the butternut squash. Use that time to prep the other ingredients and keep them in the refrigerator until you can mix all of them together. This will ensure they remain fresh and the greens dont wilt.
- Adapt the ingredients to match your taste
I have used a combination of baby spinach as the greens along with dried cranberries, pomegranate, chopped apples, pecans. I decided to keep this completely vegan and hence did not use any cheese. You can use other greens like arugula, kale, nuts including almonds, pumpkin seeds, dates, julienned carrots, soft cheese including goat cheese or ricotta. It does not get more versatile than this.
- Add a delicious tangy dressing
I have made a apple cider vinegar based dressing along with some olive oil, honey, chilli flakes, lime juice, garlic powder and dried herbs. The apple cider vinegar beautifully complements the roasted butternut squash along with highlighting the chopped apple in the salad. If you have any dressing leftover, just store in the refrigerator and use with other salads or grain bowls.
- Save time by using precut butternut squash
I will be honest and say I usually buy the precut version from the supermarket. This saves a ton of time and I also find myself eating more of the squash since I find it much easier to prepare. Please feel free to use whatever version works for you. The time listed for the prep does not include cutting a whole butternut squash. Hence, please consider that while preparing the salad.
FAQs
If you want to make this ahead of time, mix all the ingredients except the greens and dressing. You can make and store this for 2-3 hours ahead of the time of serving. If you are using apples in the salad, then I would suggest adding it before serving as well to prevent it darkening due to oxidation.
If you have any leftovers, you can store in the refrigerator for a day. The ingredients in the salad might slightly soften overnight but will still be good the next day.
All the ingredients listed in the recipe are gluten-free. Make sure any ingredients you are using or buying is completely gluten-free especially if you are allergic and very sensitive.
The only non vegan ingredient used in the recipe is honey and you can easily replace it with agave/maple/date syrup. Again make sure any store bought ingredient is listed as vegan before using it in the recipe.
I hope you enjoy this salad as much as I and my family did! It is super simple, full of texture and a perfect combination of tangy, sweet and spicy. Let me know how you got on with the recipe or if you have any questions. You can follow us on social media via Instagram, Pinterest or Facebook!
Looking for more fall recipes? Try these
Spaghetti Squash with Butter Chickpeas
Pumpkin Flavored Basundi (Creamy Indian dessert flavored with pumpkin, cardamom and saffron)
Recipe
Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
Equipment
- 1 Half Pan Sheet
Ingredients
- 2 lb Diced Butternut Squash
- ¼ cup Dried Unsweetened Cranberries
- ½ cup Fresh Pomegranate Seeds
- 2 cups Baby Spinach
- 12 Pecans raw or toasted, roughly chopped
- 1 medium Apple washed and chopped
- ⅓ cup Goat Cheese optional, skip if making it vegan
- 1 ½ teaspoon Cinnamon Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Chilli Lime Seasoning sub with lime juice + chilli flakes
- 3 tablespoon Fresh Sage chopped
- ¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 tablespoon Avocado Oil
Ingredients for Dressing
- 3 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 4 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 teaspoon Honey
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Chilli Lime Seasoning sub with lime juice + chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 tablespoon Dried Herbs Mix optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 Deg F. In a bowl , mix the butternut squash with the cinnamon, salt, chili lime seasoning, apple cider vinegar and sage. Spray or brush some avocado oil on the sheet pan. Add the butternut squash and roast in the oven for 40-45 minutes until golden brown.
- In the meanwhile prep all the other ingredients and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the ingredients for the dressing and mix well. Pour in to a small pitcher or dispenser.
- Once the butternut squash is done, remove from the oven and let it cool down for 5 minutes. Now add this to the remaining ingredients and mix gently. Serve alongside the dressing.
Notes
- All nutritional information provided is only approximate and are not exact values.
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