This roasted butternut squash salad is the ultimate fall salad. With oven roasted butternut squash, sliced apples, creamy blue cheese crumbles, pecans, tart pomegranate seeds, with a homemade honey dijon vinaigrette. This is the perfect harvest salad for fall and Thanksgiving.
Butternut Squash
Butternut squash is my favorite winter squash. It is so versatile, like in my butternut squash soup, but my favorite way to enjoy it is roasted. For this recipe I used a smaller butternut squash since I am only using two cups of diced squash. I peeled the butternut squash with a vegetable peeler, then with a sharp chef’s knife cut it in half and scoop out the seeds.
Some tips for cutting the squash: utilize a dish towel to secure the squash when cutting the squash. It can be slippery once peeled, this will keep you safe when slicing. I make my first cut where the bulb starts. Then I use a spoon to scoop all the seeds out of bulb. Once the seeds are removed, I find it easier to slice the bulb in half to resemble a half moon. You don’t have to worry about the squash rolling around this way when cutting the rest then proceeding to dice from there.
I toss the diced squash with olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. I spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, and arrange the diced squash. Make sure they are spaced out so they can roast evenly. I roast the butternut squash in the oven for 25 minutes at 400 degrees, flipping halfway through with a spatula until they are golden brown.
Honey Dijon Vinaigrette
I wanted to keep the salad dressing simple since there are so many flavors in this salad. I was thinking in terms of a meat and cheese board, I love having apples and cheese paired with honey. I drew inspiration from my lemon dijon vinaigrette, which is my favorite salad dressing to make.
For the vinegar component of this vinaigrette, I used apple cider vinegar. I still wanted some more acid, so I added fresh lemon juice. Dijon mustard is a great addition to a salad dressing as a creamy component. The honey rounds out the vinaigrette with a subtle sweetness that pairs so well with the salad ingredients.
Assembling the salad
As I mentioned before, I was inspired by my grazing of MANY cheese boards. I thought, what are some of my favorite pairings? I have been on a huge blue cheese kick lately, give me the funk and the creaminess. Not a fan of blue cheese? I would sub goat cheese, but the blue cheese really amplifies this entire salad. I love the combo of cheese, honey, apples, and nuts. I wanted to also have another textural component, so I figured pomegranate seeds have such a great crunch and tartness.
I sliced the apples last, due to apples turning brown when exposed to oxygen. To make the sliced more uniform, I cut the apple in half and removed the seeds/stem, then I used a mandoline to slice. If you don’t have a mandoline, you can just use a chef’s knife to cut in slices.
I hope you enjoy this roasted butternut squash salad with homemade honey dijon vinaigrette. This salad is perfect for your fall dinners and especially as a starter to your Thanksgiving meal.
Things you’ll need:
- Half baking sheet
- Vegetable peeler
- Spatula
- Two small bowls
- Whisk
- Chef’s knife
- Mandoline (optional)
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Other Fall Recipes:
- Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
- Stuffed Acorn Squash
- Slow Cooker Short Ribs with Polenta
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup
Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
This roasted butternut squash harvest salad with a honey dijon vinaigrette is the perfect salad for fall and Thanksgiving!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
- Category: Salads
Ingredients
Honey Dijon Vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Salad
- 2 cups diced butternut squash
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Pinch kosher salt
- Pinch freshly ground black pepper
- 5 oz mixed greens
- 1 large honeycrisp apple, stems/seeds removed, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles (about
- 1/4 cup pecans, roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp pomegranate seeds (one pomegranate fruit, or you can purchase already deseeded)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl toss together the diced butternut squash, 2 tbsp olive oil, and pinch of kosher salt and ground black pepper. On a greased baking sheet, evenly spread the diced butternut squash. Roast for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until they are golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside.
- While the butternut squash is roasting, in a small bowl add all of the vinaigrette ingredients and whisk until fully combined. Taste and adjust if needed, if too acidic, add more honey. Place in refrigerator until ready to serve, whisk again prior to serving.
- In a large serving bowl, add in the mixed greens, followed by the roasted butternut squash, sliced apples, blue cheese crumbles, pecans, pomegranate seeds. When ready to serve, drizzle with the honey dijon vinaigrette.
Notes
- If preparing in advance, wait till serving to dress with the vinaigrette
Keywords: roasted butternut squash, harvest salad, fall salad, honey dijon vinaigrette
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