Roasted Squash Salad

Deliciously earthy and vibrant, this lovely roasted squash salad is just the pick as a casual autumn side salad, or as a refreshing part of a festive holiday spread. Prepared with roasted slices of both delicata and acorn squash, sweet pomegranate seeds, creamy goat cheese and toasted pecans all atop spicy arugula greens, this recipe features a maple cider vinaigrette for sweet-tangy kick!

A colorful autumn salad fit for the holiday table

There's something about having a fresh salad alongside a lovely meal that brings some needed lightness and freshness to the spread. It cleanses the palate wonderfully!

The beauty of a salad is that it doesn't need to be complicated. When it contains a few unique and scrumptiously earthy bells and whistles for added “oomph”, plus a vibrant homemade vinaigrette to tie all those mouthwatering ingredients together, it's true pleasure to dig into.

My roasted squash salad is just the salad fit for autumn. It's brimming with sweet, tender, and colorful roasted squash nestled into a lovely, fresh nest of wild and slightly spicy arugula greens. With an added sprinkle of sweet and juicy pomegranate seeds, some creamy goat cheese, toasted pecans, and a generous drizzle of maple cider vinaigrette, the results are a lovely!

This vibrant squash salad adds a pop of color to your holiday table, and makes any meal that much more healthy and delicious!

My recipe for roasted squash salad

This fresh, fall salad calls for a nice handful of unique ingredients, all of which add lots of texture, color and flavor to every forkful.

While one can just as easily use just one type of squash for this recipe, I really love to use two varieties for a variance in color and flavor.

I appreciate the way the combination of both acorn squash and delicata squash look together in this salad. One is a bright orange with yellow skin, and the other a more earthy orange with a greenish skin.

The skin of both squash is totally edible and easy to cut through (though, the delicata is a bit more tender). Folks can enjoy every bite of this roasted squash salad, leaving little to no peels to the side.

And since I adore that lovely mix of sweet, savory, and earthy, I opt for fresh pomegranate seeds for ruby-red color and tangy burst of juiciness. I also add delicate and creamy goat cheese crumbles, along with toasted pecans for warm, nutty crunch.

Certainly any type of mixed salad greens will work here, but I really happen to love arugula greens (especially organic, wild arugula), since it has some natural spiciness and loads of innate flavor. I simply nestle the warm or room temp roasted squash rings over top, and scatter over the remainder of the other lovely ingredients.

As for the dressing (a must, of course!), I love to prepare a bright and sweet-spicy maple cider vinaigrette made with a splash of apple cider vinegar, some maple syrup, plus a sprinkle of autumn spices to wake up the palate.

Easy to whirl up in the food processor (or even shake up in a mason jar, for that matter), a generous drizzle of that delicious vinaigrette over top of everything just makes each bite of this roasted squash salad an elegant side salad for a festive occasion.

Here's a glance at my roasted squash salad recipe:

(or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I prepare my maple cider vinaigrette to have ready and on hand for the salad.
2. Next, I roast my squash slices until golden-brown and tender. I then set them aside to cool slightly to room temp/warm, or even chill completely if wanting to prepare a cold salad (you can even do this a day ahead).
3. To assemble my roasted squash salad, I dress my arugula greens with some of the vinaigrette, then add it to a large serving platter or bowl. I nestle the roasted squash slices decoratively into the greens and on top of them, then sprinkle in the pomegranate seeds, the crumbles of goat cheese, and the pecans.
4. I drizzle more of the maple cider vinaigrette generously over top of the entire salad to taste, and serve.

Recipe

Roasted Squash Salad

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

This roasted squash salad with maple cider vinaigrette is the perfect autumn salad fit for a casual meal, as well as a festive holiday table!

Category: Salad
Cuisine: American

Yield: Serves 8

Nutrition info: 281 calories (per serving)

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 24 minutes
Total time: 44 minutes

Roasted Squash Salad Ingredients:

• 1 medium-large acorn squash (roughly 1 ½ pound), halved lengthwise, seeds and membranes scooped out, and sliced into roughly ½ to ¾ inch thick semi-circles
• 2 small delicata squash (roughly ½ pound each), halved lengthwise, seeds and membranes scooped out, and sliced into roughly ¾ to 1 inch thick semi-circles
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Olive oil or avocado oil
• 8 to 10 ounces wild arugula greens (1 ½ five-ounce salad boxes of arugula greens)
• 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled into chunks
• ⅓ cup pomegranate seeds
• ¼ cup toasted or candied pecans

Maple Cider Vinaigrette Ingredients:

• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons pecans, roughly chopped
• 2 ½ tablespoons maple syrup
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Pinch black pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ cup olive oil or avocado oil

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your maple cider vinaigrette ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. To prepare the vinaigrette, add all of the ingredients except for the oil to the bowl of a food processor, and process until smooth. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the oil until the vinaigrette is smooth and emulsified. Pour into a glass or dressing bottle, and set aside.
3. Preheat your oven to 425°, and line 1 (or 2, if needed) sheet pans with parchment paper.
4. Next, add the slices of squash (both) into a large bowl, and drizzle over the maple syrup, as well as add in a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Toss together, and lay the seasoned slices of squash in a single layer onto your prepared sheet pans.
5. Lightly drizzle over some olive oil or avocado oil, and place the squash into the oven to roast for 20 minutes. Then, flip the squash, and roast for about 4 minutes more, or just until tender and golden.
6. Remove the squash from the oven, and allow the slices to cool to room temp (or slightly warm), about 20 minutes or so.
7. Then, add the arugula greens to a large bowl, and drizzle in about ¼ to ⅓ of the maple cider vinaigrette (to taste), as well as a pinch of salt and pepper, and toss to coat the greens.
8. Scatter the dressed arugula greens onto a large serving platter or into a large serving bowl, and nestle the cooled squash slices into the greens and on top (you want the squash slices throughout the salad).
9. Sprinkle over top the crumbled goat cheese, the pomegranate seeds, as well as the toasted or candied pecans, then drizzle over top of the salad more of the maple cider vinaigrette, to taste.
10. Serve immediately, or keep chilled for a short time until ready to enjoy.

Tips & Tidbits for my roasted squash salad recipe:

• Both acorn and delicata squash, or your favorite kind: While I'm opting for the combo of both delicata and acorn squash here (I just love how the two look together), you can sub a single variety of squash if you prefer. Other terrific options are butternut squash or Kabocha squash. Just cut the squash horizontally in half, remove membrane and seeds, and slice into semi-circles.
• Tasty greens of your choice: If you're not a fan of spicy arugula greens, feel free to use mixed greens, spinach, frisee, etc. Any will work deliciously for roasted squash salad!
• Substitute some of the bells and whistles: Feel free to get creative with the tasty add-ins for this salad, substituting dried cranberries or cherries for the pomegranate seeds, blue cheese or burrata for the goat cheese, and toasted walnuts or hazelnuts for the pecans. Use your imagination as you wish!
• Make this roasted squash salad recipe ahead: If you'd like to serve this salad completely chilled (meaning that the roasted squash is cold), you can easily prep everything a day or two ahead of assembling, and just keep it all in the fridge. And if you'd like to serve this salad with the roasted squash still a bit warm, or room temp, then you can prep everything else to have ready the day before. You can prep the vinaigrette ahead as well, just keep it cold, and bring it to room temp before dressing the salad. The day you'd like to serve the salad, roast the squash slices and allow them to slightly cool, then add everything to your platter or serving bowl to assemble, and top/dress the salad.

Craving more delicious salads? Check out my recipe for Honeycrisp Apple Salad, Sweet Potato Salad, Italian Chickpea Salad, White Bean Salad, Bok Choy Salad, or even my recipe for Italian Chopped Salad!