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Cozy Harvest Salad with Roasted Squash and Maple Vinaigrette

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A comforting autumn salad featuring caramelized roasted butternut squash or sweet potatoes tossed with peppery arugula, toasted nuts, dried cranberries, and a sweet-tangy maple vinaigrette.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 lbs butternut squash or sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (for roasting)
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup (for roasting)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Pinch of black pepper
  • Dash of cayenne (optional)
  • 4 cups fresh arugula or spinach
  • ½ cup walnuts or pecans, toasted
  • ¼ cup dried cranberries
  • ½ cup feta or goat cheese, crumbled
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (for dressing)
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup (for dressing)
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 small clove garlic, minced

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
  2. In a large bowl, toss the cubed squash with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper until evenly coated.
  3. Spread the squash in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Avoid overcrowding to ensure caramelization.
  4. Roast for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until tender and caramelized. Test with a fork for doneness.
  5. While squash roasts, toast nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes until fragrant. Set aside.
  6. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Slowly drizzle in 3 tablespoons olive oil while whisking (or shake in a jar) until emulsified. Stir in 1 tablespoon maple syrup.
  7. Wash and thoroughly dry the greens using a salad spinner or paper towels.
  8. In a large serving bowl, combine greens, toasted nuts, dried cranberries, and crumbled cheese.
  9. Drizzle half of the vinaigrette over the greens and toss gently to coat.
  10. Add the warm roasted squash on top of the greens. The heat will slightly wilt the greens.
  11. Toss again with the remaining vinaigrette just before serving.
  12. Serve immediately for the best texture contrast.

Notes

[‘Ensure squash pieces are roughly the same size (1-inch cubes) for even cooking.’, ‘Do not overcrowd the baking sheet; steam instead of roast if pieces are touching.’, ‘Toast nuts carefully as they can burn quickly.’, ‘Dry greens thoroughly to prevent the dressing from becoming watery.’, ‘For meal prep, store squash, greens, and dressing separately until ready to eat.’, ‘Sweet potatoes may require 5-10 minutes longer roasting time than butternut squash.’]

Nutrition

Keywords: roasted squash, harvest salad, maple vinaigrette, fall recipes, healthy dinner, vegetarian, gluten-free, butternut squash, sweet potato salad, cozy meals

Find it online: https://merrymorsel.com/cozy-harvest-salad-easy-roasted-squash-recipe/