Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

5 from 5 votes

I like roasted veggies a bit crispy, perfectly seasoned and then I use them on all sorts of things, like this Roasted Butternut Squash Salad!

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Side Dish, Salad

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Servings: servings

Author: Gaby Dalkin

Ingredients

For the Salad

3 cups cubed butternut squash
4-5 small heirloom beets halved
1 red onion cut into wedges
2 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
3 cups arugula
¼ cup candied walnuts
¼ cup goat cheese
¼ cup dried cranberries

For the Honey Balsamic Dressing

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Place the cubed squash and beets on a large baking sheet, along with the wedged onion. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and roast for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.
Remove and let cool slightly, carefully rub the skin off the beets. In a large salad bowl or serving platter, arrange the roasted squash, arugula, beets, walnuts, goat cheese.
In a small bowl whisk together the honey, balsamic and olive oil until mixed. Season with salt and pepper. Dress salad as needed and serve immediately.

Notes

- Roast the squash until deeply caramelized. Golden, slightly crispy edges = sweeter flavor and better texture in the salad.
- Cut squash into evenly sized cubes. Uniform pieces roast at the same speed so nothing turns mushy while others stay firm. Or save yourself some time by buying pre-cubed.
- Use high heat for roasting. 425°F helps the squash brown instead of steam, giving you that nutty, caramelized flavor.
- Season the squash generously before roasting. Salt, pepper, and olive oil upfront build the base flavor of the entire salad.
- Let the squash cool slightly before tossing. Adding hot squash directly to greens can wilt them too much and dull their texture.
- Dress the greens lightly first. Toss the vinaigrette with greens before adding toppings so everything is evenly coated.
- Balance textures. This salad shines when you have creamy (cheese), crunchy (nuts), tender (squash), and fresh (greens) in every bite.
- Toast the nuts. A quick toast in a dry pan or oven brings out deeper flavor and keeps them crisp. Nuts burn quickly - watch the pan!
- Add cheese at the end. Crumbled goat cheese or feta should go on last so it stays creamy instead of melting into the dressing.
- Taste before serving. Squash can vary in sweetness. Add an extra squeeze of lemon, pinch of salt, or drizzle of honey if needed.
- Layer instead of dumping. Start with greens, add squash, then toppings. This keeps ingredients from sinking to the bottom.
- Serve slightly warm or room temp. This salad tastes best when the squash isn’t fridge-cold.
- Make components ahead. Roast squash and prep dressing up to 2–3 days in advance for easy assembly.
- Turn leftovers into lunch. Add quinoa, farro, or grilled chicken the next day to make it a hearty meal.

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