This recipe is brought you by the glorious foods of the fall season. Bring on the squash!
Butternut squash is one of my favorite fall foods. It's a little bit savory and a little bit sweet and pairs well with so many different flavors. It's also the perfect ingredient to add hearty richness to a meatless dish. This salad is a perfect example.
This fall salad would make a filling lunch or a delicious meatless dinner. Typically I prefer my squash prepared on the more savory side, so in this recipe it is simply roasted with olive oil, salt, and pepper and is complimented by a few touches of sweetness from other ingredients in this salad. Dried cherries add a sweet and tart flavor to this salad and it gets a bit of spiciness from the red onions. Toasted pecans add crunch and their nutty flavor pairs really nicely with the squash. It's all topped off with a sweet and spicy maple Dijon dressing. The combination of butternut squash and maple syrup is a classic fall flavor and this dressing really just rounds out the whole salad nicely.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups mixed greens *I love this Fresh Express Baby Kale Mix with Chard & Spinach
- 3/4 cup roasted butternut squash**
- 1 Tbs. red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup dried tart cherries
- 2 Tbs. toasted pecans
For the Maple Dijon Dressing:
- 1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp. pure maple syrup
- 1/2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbs. white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp. fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Arrange greens in a bowl and top with squash, onion, cherries, and pecans.
Separately in a small bowl or carafe, whisk together olive oil and next 5 ingredients (through salt and pepper). Dress salad with desired amount of dressing.
**How to roast butternut squash:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the top and bottom off a medium butternut squash and use a sharp knife to carefully peel off the skin. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds inside. Discard seeds and membranes.
Cut the squash into 1-inch chunks. In a large bowl, combine diced squash with 2 Tbs. olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss until well coated and then spread out on a large baking sheet.
Roast for 25-30 minutes until squash begins to caramelize and is fork tender.
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