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This Butternut Squash Salad is the ultimate fall salad! With caramelized squash, juicy pears, crunchy walnuts, tart cranberries and salty feta cheese all tied together with a bright apple cider vinaigrette, this salad is simple enough for a weeknight dinner, but elegant enough to be a part of your Thanksgiving dinner.
This fall salad ranks as one of my all time favorites. It delivers layers of complex flavors and textures, yet is relatively easy to make. Plus it can be prepped ahead, making it perfect for entertaining and holiday meals.
Kristen's Key Tips for Making a Fall Salad
There are a few things to keep in mind to build a fall salad that will steal the spotlight.
- Select tender greens rather than a crisp variety of lettuce. Mixed greens, baby spinach, and/or arugula have a mild flavor and delicate texture pairs beautifully with the robust flavors of the caramelized squash and sweet pears. Avoid iceberg and romaine lettuce.
- Prep-ahead for easy entertaining. While best served immediately after assembling, you can prepare the dressing, roast the squash, and toast the nuts up to 3 days in advance.
- Mind your guests. If serving this salad to a crowd with varied dietary needs, toss the greens with squash, pears, and dried cranberries and serve the cheese, nuts, and dressing on the side.
How to Make a Fall Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash
Let's break down the steps of making this salad. Each step is key to building incredible layers of flavor.
Step One: Roast Butternut Squash
Toss cubed butternut squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast until caramelized and slightly golden around the edges. That is when it becomes nutty, sweet, and irresistibly good.
👉🏻Let the squash cool before assembling the salad so that it doesn't wilt the greens. You can opt prepared roasted butternut squash up to 3 days in advance and add cold to the salad OR let cool for 15-30 minutes and enjoy slightly warm.
Step Two: Toast Nuts
Taking a few minutes to lightly toast the nuts helps develop their flavor. Simply place walnuts (or nuts of choice) in a dry skillet and heat over low heat, tossing often, until fragrant. Once toasted, remove from the heat and chop.
👉🏻Make-Ahead Tip: You can opt to toast the nuts up to 3 days in advance. Once toasted, chop, and let cool. Store in airtight container at room temperature until ready to assemble salad.
Step Three: Prepare Dressing
In a small bowl or jar, whisk together apple cider vinegar, olive oil, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper.
👉🏻Make-Ahead Tip: Make up to 5 days in advance. Let sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes and shake vigorously before drizzling over the salad.
Step Four: Assemble Salad
As with most salads, it is best to assemble the salad immediately prior to serving. This keeps the components crisp and fresh.
- Toss the mixed greens with a couple tablespoons of the dressing in large serving dish or platter.
- Top the greens with roasted butternut squash, sliced or diced pears, dried cranberries, toasted nuts, and crumbled feta.
- Serve with remaining dressing on the side.
Recipe Modifications
While this Fall Salad has the perfect balance of sweet and tangy, soft and crisp, I love this salad served exactly as the recipe directs. But there are a few swaps you can make and still enjoy a delicious salad.
- Nuts: In place of walnuts, use pecans, pistachios, almonds, or even candied walnuts for a sweet finish. Nut free? Pumpkin seeds work well in this fall salad.
- Dried Cranberries: Fresh pomegranate seeds work well in place of dried cranberries.
- Roasted Butternut Squash: Swap it out for roasted sweet potatoes for similar flavor and texture.
- Pears: In a bind you can opt for a sweet apple, but the natural sweetness and softer texture of a bartlett pear is better suited to this salad. You can also opt to use a ripe red pear or ripe Bosc pear.
- Feta: Feel free to replace the feta cheese with blue cheese or goat cheese.
Storage & Make-Ahead Tips
To summarize, this Butternut Squash Salad is best assembled prior immediately prior to serving. That said, you can prep most of it in advance.
- Prep-Ahead: You can roast the squash, prepare the dressing, and toast the nuts up to 3 days in advance. Store in separate containers; the squash and dressing in the fridge and the nuts at room temperature. When ready to serve, dice the pears, assemble, and serve.
- Leftover Salad? While it may not be as crisp or fresh, leftovers are still delicious. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate. Best enjoyed within 48 hours.
Pairing Suggestions
Roasted Butternut Squash Salad is the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving menu or serve with any of the following entrees for a cozy fall dinner.
Butternut Squash Salad
Ingredients
For the Roasted Squash
- 2 cups butternut squash , peeled and cubed into ½-inch cubes
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the Apple Cider Viniagrette
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey, or maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
For the Salad
- 2 tablespoons walnuts or pecans, optional
- 5 ounces mixed baby greens
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ⅓ cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 large bartlett pear, thinly sliced or cubed into ½-inch cubes
Instructions
- Roast the Butternut Squash. Preheat the oven to 400℉. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the squash with 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Spread the seasoned squash out on so that it is in a single layer. Roast for 25 minutes, remove from the oven, flip, and return to the oven, and continue to roast for 15-20 minutes, or until browned and fork-tender. Allow the squash to cool slightly before adding it to the salad.
- Prepare the Dressing. In a small mixing bowl, mix together ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons honey ½ teaspoon minced garlic1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper. Once combined, slowly whisk in ½ cup extra virgin olive oil.
- Toast the Nuts. Place the nuts into a dry skillet over medium heat. Heat for 2-3 minutes, tossing occasionally. Turn off the heat as soon as you begin to smell the nuts and immediately remove them from the skillet to a cutting board. Roughly chop and set aside to top salad.
- Assemble Salad. Mix the greens with ¼ cup of the salad dressing. Top the greens with the roasted squash, sliced or diced pears, cranberries, and walnuts. Toss lightly and serve immediately with additional dressing on the side.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Originally published in August 2018 and updated in 2025.
Everything comes to together so deliciously in this salad!! And, the dressing adds great flavor! This salad will be on repeat at my house!
Just made this recipe for Thanksgiving. The roasted squash, sweet pears, cranberries, and feta blend with the homemade apple cider vinaigrette for a delicious, healthy combo.
This was the best salad! So flavorful and beautiful.
Thank you for sharing, Abby!