Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

A blue pottery bowl filled with baby mixed greens, roasted butternut squash, pear cubes, feat and dried cranberries.

5 from 8 votes

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Roasted butternut squash, sweet pears, tart dried cranberries, sharp feta and a fresh Apple Cider Vinaigrette marry together to create simple, healthy salad that is filled with robust flavors.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Total Time55 mins

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 182kcal

Author: Kristen Chidsey

Ingredients

For the Roasted Squash

2 cups butternut squash cubed into ½ inch cubes
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

For the Salad

5 ounces mixed baby greens
¼ cup dried cranberries
⅓ cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 barlett pear, cubed into ½ inch chunks
2 tablespoons walnuts, chopped optional

For the Apple Cider Viniagrette

¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

Toss squash in oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast at 400 degrees for 40 minutes, or until browned and fork-tender. Allow the squash to cool slightly before adding the greens.
Mix together the apple cider vinegar, honey, garlic, salt, pepper together. Slowly whisk in olive oil.
If your nuts are not already toasted, place them 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.
Mix the greens with ¼ cup of the salad dressing. Top the greens with the Roasted Butternut Squash, pears, cranberries, and walnuts if using. Toss lightly. Serve with additional dressing on the side.

Notes

This salad is best served immediately after assembling.
To prepare in advance, roast the squash, wash the greens, and prepare the dressing up to 3 days in advance and store in separate containers in the refrigerator. Right before serving, dice the pears, toss the greens with a small amount of the dressing, and then sprinkle the salad with the dried cranberries, roasted squash, feta, and nuts. Serve the remaining dressing on the side for people to use as desired.
In place of feta, you can use goat cheese or sharp cheddar cheese. Or leave the cheese out altogether for a dairy-free salad.
To make the Apple Cider Dressing vegan, substitute maple syrup for honey.
The walnuts add a nice crunch to the salad, but omit for nut allergies, or use candied nuts or honey-roasted peanuts.

Nutrition