Move over potato and mac salads. Quinoa is stepping in. I shared this salad with…
Butternut Squash Salad
Butternut squash makes a lovely fall side dish but have you considered it for salad? Roasted squash with toasted almonds and dried cranberries can be a light entree or side. Top with crumbled cheese and it’s a meatless meal!
In creating this recipe, first I roasted cubed squash with maple syrup, lemon juice, garlic and red pepper flakes. But it took too long in the oven, stuck to the pan, and there didn’t seem to be enough roasty-caramelized flavor to benefit the effort.
When a recipe tries my patience, I know it needs simplifying. My solution was to skillet-cook the squash cubes, mix with maple-lemon dressing, then serve warm or room temperature over greens drizzled with the rest of the dressing. Simple! It’s fall-festive and colorful too, just right for a holiday table or any time!
Butternut Squash Salad with Maple and Lemon
Spicy maple-sweetened squash with almonds and cranberries makes a festive winter salad or side dish. Red pepper flakes can be hot so use less for a little ‘cooler’ dish.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 small butternut squash, about 1-1/2 lb about 4 cups 1/2-3/4-inch cubes, see tips below. Or purchase pre-cut cubes.
- 4 Tbsp. olive oil, divided use
- 1 clove garlic, pressed
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 3/4 cup sliced toasted almonds
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 4-6 cups arugula or baby spinach leaves
- crumbled feta or goat cheese optional
Instructions
- Halve, seed and peel squash. Slice or cube into bite-size pieces. See tips below.
- Heat a large skillet, preferably non-stick, over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, squash, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes. Cover and cook 10-15 minutes until squash is just barely tender, stirring several times. Try not to over-cook. Remove from heat.
- For dressing, whisk together remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, maple syrup and lemon juice; add 2 tablespoons to the squash.
- Serve squash warm or cool over arugula or spinach; drizzle with remaining dressing and top with almonds and dried cranberries. Top with feta or goat cheese if desired. Or toss all the ingredients together with the dressing in a salad bowl. Serve immediately.
Notes
- To cut raw squash, first cut off the long neck part of the squash. Cut the bulb part in half and scoop out the seeds with a sturdy metal spoon.
-
-
Use the heavy knife to slice vertically down to remove the skin, or use a heavy vegetable peeler. Cut into 3/4-inch cubes.
If you have leftover butternut squash, try this Butternut Squash Soup recipe
Recipe by Rosemary Mark. Photo by Amy Neunsinger. Styling by Kate Martindale.
Rita’s Butternut Squash Soup recipe has a nice visual example of how to peel those hard squash. Very helpful.
This salad looks beautiful and delicious. I plan to try it next time I get a butternut squash in my veggie box.
Thanks.
I agree Trudy, peeling hard squash isn’t easy. But Rita’s slicing method works quite well. (PS — you’ll be getting a butternut squash in your CSA box tomorrow. I checked the newsletter!)
Hey Ladies,
I prepared this recipe at a class I teach at the YMCA yesterday and it got a great thumbs up! How do I get this onto my pinterest board?
Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving weekend next week!
Keep up the great work; love your blog!
JoAnne
Thanks JoAnn, I’m delighted to hear the recipe was a success in your class! To post on Pinterest, click on the Pinit link on the right side of the blog then upload the URL for this post on Pinterest. Let me know if you need help and I can walk you through.
Introduced a similar dish (sauteed diced sweet potatoes) to the Thanksgiving table a few years ago and it was well received–will have to try this one out!
Its nice to cook the potatoes so quickly isn’t it. Happy to hear this idea sounds good to you!
We’re definitely on the same wave length right now with squash salads, aren’t we. This looks perfect for the season, and I love the maple syrup dressing!!