If you think salads are boring, I suggest you try this Maple Roasted Squash Salad. I’m a strong believer that toppings make a salad – and this salad proves my point!
Roasted Squash Salad with Goat Cheese
I love cheese in my salad, and this one is no different! The goat cheese helps add a creaminess that balances well with the homemade apple cider vinaigrette and crunchy apple slices. If you’re dairy-free, feel free to leave out the goat cheese or substitute a vegan alternative.
How To Make Roasted Squash Salad
For this salad, you start by making the Maple Pecan Roasted Butternut Squash. I did this by broiling on a sheet pan in the oven to ensure crispy squash & pecan pieces.
Second, you make a homemade apple cider vinaigrette by blending all ingredients together with a hand blender. Feel free to use a whisk if you don’t have a hand blender too! Sweetened with maple syrup, and a touch of ground cinnamon, this dressing really helps highlight the toppings and brings all of the flavors together.
Lastly, you prepare four different salad greens – escarole, red romaine lettuce, fresh spinach, and baby arugula. While these are the greens I enjoy/love, feel free to make any substitutions with what you have on hand, or whatever you like most!
If you’re looking for other Fall side dishes, I’d make sure to check out my Best Ever Cornbread Stuffing and Cauliflower Rice Stuffing. Also, just sayin, but this salad would go really well my Best Damn Gluten Free Cornbread. Hope you can make, and would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below if you give it a try 🙂
Ingredients
Maple Pecan Roasted Squash
- 3 cups* peeled & diced butternut squash heaping cups*, ~1/2 butternut squash
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ cup raw pecan pieces chopped
Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup avocado oil or sub other neutral oil
- 2 tbsp dairy free unflavored milk
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper optional
Salad
- ½ head escarole rinsed
- ½ head red romaine lettuce rinsed
- 2 cups fresh spinach rinsed, stems removed
- 1 cup baby arugula rinsed
- 3 cups maple pecan roasted squash recipe above
- 1 ea. honeycrisp apple sliced thin
- 3 oz. goat cheese crumbled
Instructions
Maple Pecan Roasted Squash
- Toss butternut squash cubes with olive oil, maple syrup, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl and stir until evenly coated.
- Spread on a baking sheet and broil until squash begins to brown (~8-10 min.)
- Removing baking sheet from oven and add chopped pecan pieces. Stir so they get evenly mixed with squash and broil until pecan pieces are roasted (~3-5 min.)
- Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing
- Blend all ingredients with a hand blender.
Salad
- Tear spinach, escarole, and red romaine into small pieces in large serving bowl.
- Add arugula, maple pecan roasted squash, and apple slices.
- Add apple cider vinegar dressing and toss well to combine. Top with crumbled goat cheese before serving.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @themindfulhapa on Instagram and hashtag it #themindfulhapa!
Facebook Pin Recipe
Leave a Review!