Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

This fall favorite roasted butternut squash salad is dressed in sweet and tangy balsamic vinaigrette. It’s packed with cozy autumn flavors with tender roasted butternut squash, fresh salad greens, crunchy onion, pecans, dried cranberries, Parmesan cheese, and crispy bacon. A simple and elegant salad that perfect side for the holiday dinner table.

Butternut squash salad – the perfect fall salad!

This salad sings fall! It’s packed with cozy, warm, fall flavors. Not just the flavors, but has plenty of textures as well. This salad is one of the must things to try this fall. It’s so easy to make and easy to customize as well.

It’s simple to be served for everyday meals and elegant to be served on holiday dinner tables. You can serve it as a light meal or as side.

Roasted squash has a wonderful natural sweetness to it. When paired with peppery rocket salad leaves along with onion (red onion is best), pecans, Parmesan, and bacon it’s a well-balanced meal. You can’t go wrong with salty, crispy bacon.

This recipe is versatile. You can customize it according to your preference.  You may add in other flavors like maple syrup or honey while roasting butternut squash.  This salad is a great way to use any leftover roasted butternut squash you might have from other recipes. You can switch up the greens or add more greens, other salad greens like kale, and baby spinach works great.

This salad can be made ahead and it’s great for meal prep.

Ingredients needed

Here’s what you’ll need-

• 1 pound butternut squash, peeled and diced into ¾ inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups rocket or arugula
• 2 cups lettuce (I used Romaine lettuce), kale, baby spinach or other varieties of lettuce works too
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup pecans, chopped
• ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• ¼ cup bacon, crumbled
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

Salad dressing-

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

Butternut squash – pick ripe and firm butternut squash. You’ll need a sharp knife to cut the squash. Check out the complete guide on how to cut butternut squash. 

This recipe recommends roasting butternut squash with just olive oil and salt and pepper. You may roast butternut squash with any kind of seasoning you want. Use maple syrup, and honey, use Italian seasoning, and seasoning salt.

Feel free to swap butternut squash with acorn squash, and sweet potatoes.

Salad greens – use any salad greens of your choice. Spring greens like arugula or rocket, kale, baby spinach, or lettuce work best. Use a mix of all of pick one of your favorites and use it.

Olive oil – use good quality olive oil. You may also use extra virgin olive oil

Onion – red onions add a great crunch to the recipe. Optional step – Soak chopped onions in water to take the edge off the onion and soften its taste.

Nuts – use any nut of your choice. Walnuts, pecans, and walnuts work best.

Cheese – this recipe recommends Parmesan cheese. You may use feta cheese too.

Bacon – you can’t go wrong with salty, crispy bacon.

Salad dressing – a mix of Dijon mustard, honey, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.

How to make butternut squash salad

Roast butternut squash –

Here’s a useful guide on how to cut butternut squash into cubes.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Transfer cut squash cubes to the tray. Drizzle with olive oil, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Roast squash in a preheated oven at 400F for 20-25 minutes or until squash is fork tender. 

Make vinaigrette –

Combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, freshly squeezed lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper to taste. This is one of my favorite dressings for butternut squash salad, feel free to choose your favorite dressing in case you want to change things up. Italian salad dressing works too.

Combine salad ingredients –

To a salad bowl add roasted butternut squash, rocket leaves, romaine lettuce leaves, sliced onion,  dried cranberries, chopped pecans, and grated Parmesan cheese.

Pour the salad dressing on top.

Toss the salad well.

Add the final topping of crispy bacon on top and serve immediately.

Tips

1. Cut butternut squash into equal sizes to ensure it roasts evenly. Cut them into ¾ inch cubes so it’s easy to eat.
2. Roast the squash until it’s fork tender. Don’t overcook it, it needs to have that bite when you eat the salad.
3. It’s best to chill the salad dressing before you toss it with the salad. Chilled dressing ensures salad greens stay crisp for a bit longer.
4. Add salad dressing just before serving. The dressing will make the salad soggy if left to sit for longer.

Butternut squash salad recipe variations

1. Feel free to swap butternut squash with acorn squash, and sweet potatoes.
2. This recipe recommends roasting butternut squash with just olive oil and salt and pepper. You may roast butternut squash with any kind of seasoning you want. Use maple syrup, honey, use Italian seasoning, seasoning salt.
3. Pecan can be swapped with walnuts.
4. Use raisins instead of dried cranberries.
5. Swap salad greens with kale or baby spinach.
6. Parmesan cheese may be substituted with crumbled feta cheese.

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📋Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

Jyothi Rajesh

This fall favorite roasted butternut squash salad is dressed in sweet and tangy balsamic vinaigrette. It’s packed with cozy autumn flavors with tender roasted butternut squash, fresh salad greens, crunchy onion, pecans, dried cranberries, Parmesan cheese, and crispy bacon. A simple and elegant salad that perfect side of the holiday dinner table.

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Course Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 4 servings

Calories 397

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 pound butternut squash peeled and diced into ¾-inch cubes
• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 2 cups rocket or arugula
• ▢ 2 cups lettuce I used Romaine lettuce, kale, baby spinach, or other varieties of lettuce works too
• ▢ ¼ cup dried cranberries
• ▢ ¼ red onion thinly sliced
• ▢ ¼ cup pecans chopped
• ▢ ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese grated
• ▢ ¼ cup bacon crumbled
• ▢ Salt to taste
• ▢ Pepper to taste
• ▢ Salad dressing-
• ▢ ¼ cup olive oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• ▢ 2 teaspoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
• ▢ 1 tablespoon honey
• ▢ 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ▢ Salt to taste
• ▢ Pepper to taste

Instructions

 

Roast butternut squash –

• Here’s a useful guide on how to cut butternut squash into cubes.
• Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Transfer cut squash cubes to the tray. Drizzle with olive oil, and add salt and pepper to taste.
• Roast squash in a preheated oven at 400F for 20-25 minutes or until squash is fork tender.

Make vinaigrette –

• Combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, freshly squeezed lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper to taste. This is one of my favorite dressings for butternut squash salad, feel free to choose your favorite dressing in case you want to change things up. Italian salad dressing works too.

Combine salad ingredients –

• To a salad bowl add roasted butternut squash, rocket leaves, romaine lettuce leaves, sliced onion, dried cranberries, chopped pecans, and grated Parmesan cheese.
• Pour the salad dressing on top.
• Toss the salad well.
• Add the final topping of crispy bacon on top and serve immediately.

Video

Notes

Nutritional Info – Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided is only a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 397kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 7gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 273mgPotassium: 581mgFiber: 4gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 12548IUVitamin C: 28mgCalcium: 187mgIron: 2mg

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