Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette

A perfect holiday salad recipe that uses a non-traditional, warm cider vinaigrette. It’s vibrant, fresh, and it provides two textures at the same time: starchy and crunchy. Thus, it makes a great in-between meal after a hearty soup and a crunchy appetizer or main entrée. The best part is, it’s loaded with healthy fats, fiber, anti-inflammatory properties, and yet it’s lower in calories!

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 138kcal

Equipment

Saucepan
Roasting Pan

Ingredients

Roasted Butternut Squash:

1 1/2 pound butternut squash peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt or fine sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
3 tablespoons dried cranberries

Warm Cider Vinaigrette Dressing:

3/4 cup apple cider or apple juice
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons shallots minced
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt or fine sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground

Salad:

4 ounces baby arugula washed and spun dry
1/3 cup walnuts halves, toasted
1 tablespoon freshly grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400º F.
Place the butternut squash on a shallow roasting pan (no rack). Add EVOO, maple syrup, salt, and pepper, and toss to combine. Roast the squash for 15 to 20 minutes, turning halfway, until tender. Toss in the dried cranberries to the pan for the last 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the dressing by boiling apple cider, vinegar, and shallots in a small saucepan set over medium-high heat. Cook for about 6 to 8 minutes or until the cider is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Turn off the heat and whisk in the mustard, EVOO, salt, and pepper.
To assemble, place the arugula, nuts, and roasted squash in a large salad bowl. Dress with the vinaigrette just until the salad is covered and moist. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese, serve, and enjoy!

Notes

To make this recipe completely dairy-free and vegan, you may replace parmesan cheese with an equal amount of vegan parmesan cheese or Parma! Or, you can simply omit them from this recipe.
This recipe yields 8 servings because it's part of a 5-course menu. If you're eating this a standalone meal, on the other hand, just double the serving size and consider the nutritional information doubled as well.

Nutrition