Roast Butternut Squash Salad

This Roast Butternut Squash salad is tastier than most because of one simple ingredient.

It is perfect to accompany a festive holiday dinner, barbecue or even serve this salad as a complete light meal. Do you want to know what makes this salad so good? Read on.

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Why you’ll love this recipe

Salads used to be boring but not anymore! With flavors that dance in your mouth, this Roast Butternut Squash salad will excite even the most ardent salad haters.

It’s true! The extra flavor and sweetness comes from caramelization of the butternut squash and the onions. Combined with acidity in the honey, mustard dressing, this salad recipe has a perfect balance of flavors.

This salad, just like my Greek Couscous salad, can be served as a light lunch with a slice of homemade focaccia Genovese on the side.

Ingredient notes

• Butternut squash – bright orange color means that it is flavorsome and sweet. Butternut squash can be replace with Kent (Jap) pumpkin if that’s common in your part of the world
• Homemade caramelized onions – add an amazing depth of flavor to this salad.

Obviously, adding feta and pepitas can never be a bad thing. Plus this dressing is the perfect balance of flavours – acidity of the red wine vinegar, slight sweetness from the honey and the creaminess of the Dijon mustard. Actually this dressing would complement steamed fresh green beans as well.

Instructions

I can’t take credit for this clever and tasty addition to roast butternut squash salad. I have to admit, it’s my talented cousin-in-law who first roasted onions and added their goodness to this salad.

When an onion is roasted or fried gently, the natural sugars are caramelised and intensified resulting in extra deliciousness. By adding the caramelised onion to the salad some amazing complex flavours develop. Such a simple ingredient that adds the va va voom to this salad.

While I like to roast the onion with the butternut squash for convenience, another way is to fry the onion gently in a little oil in a frying pan.

Can this Roast Butternut Squash salad be prepared ahead of time?

Because this roast butternut squash salad is served at room temperature, the pumpkin and onion can be roasted well in advance. In fact, the pumpkin and onion can be left at room temperature for a few hours. However refrigerate if you wish to keep the roasted pumpkin and onion for longer.

As well, you can assemble the roast butternut squash salad an hour or so before and keep covered in the refrigerator. Drizzle with dressing just before serving.

Serving suggestions

Roast butternut squash salad is one of the most popular salads I make. There is no meal that isn’t improved with a platter of roast butternut squash salad. Whether it’s a festive holiday meal, the barbecue you’ve been invited to or a picnic with friends, this salad is perfect.

For a complete meal, why make roasted butterfly chicken while you have the oven on? And prepare a meal for your family and friends.

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Roast Butternut Squash Salad Recipe

This roast butternut squash salad has the additional flavour of spinach, feta and crunch of pepitas. Add a zingy dressing and you have delicious salad for all occasions. 

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Cooling time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings:6 people

Author: Marcellina

Ingredients

For the salad

• ▢ ½ red onion sliced
• ▢ 5 cups chopped butternut squash cut into cubes (see notes)
• ▢ 2 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
• ▢ 3 ½ oz (100 grams) feta cheese
• ▢ 6 cups (180 grams) baby spinach leaves
• ▢ 2 tablespoon pepitas

Dressing

• ▢ 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon honey
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ▢ salt to taste

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Instructions

Roast the onion and pumpkin

• Preheat oven to 350°F/180ºC. Line a baking tray with non stick baking paper.
• Place onion and butternut squash on lined baking tray then drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt.
• Toss to coat onion and butternut squash.
• Roast in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
• Turn butternut squash and rearrange onion so that it is will cook evenly.
• Roast for another 10-15 minutes or until the butternut squash is cooked through.
• Remove and allow to come to room temperature.

Make dressing

• In a jar put all the dressing ingredients except the salt.
• Put the lid on the jar and shake dressing to combine well.
• Season with salt to taste.

Assemble salad

• On a large plate arrange baby spinach leaves.
• Scatter on roasted onions and butternut squash, tucking some under the leaves.
• Crumble the feta over the salad and sprinkle with pepitas.
• Drizzle over some of the dressing. Remaining dressing can be served separately.

Notes

Tips for success

• I don’t like to toss this salad because the butternut squash and feta can break up quite easily. Just arrange on a serving platter and offer extra dressing to diners who want more.

Nutrition

Calories: 194kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 418mg | Potassium: 568mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 4250IU | Vitamin C: 21.4mg | Calcium: 142mg | Iron: 1.8mg

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