Roasted butternut squash salad with maple vinaigrette

More interesting than your average garden salad

I don’t know about you, but whenever we wrap up a holiday I feel as though I could be happy eating salad and soup for a solid month afterward.

Whenever I have a lone butternut squash that needs to be cooked I reach for this recipe. I enjoy the savory and sweet flavors in this salad, and mixing them all together in different bites keeps it fresh and interesting.

The maple vinaigrette is a fantastic dressing that seems to get better when paired with walnuts, squash and red onion or shallots. The flavor and texture are next-level, so this is much more interesting than your average garden salad — plus the squash adds another layer of vegetables to your plate.

This recipe pairs well with poultry. I make it every year for Thanksgiving, but you’ll kick yourself if you wait that long to prepare it because it’s perfect for the entire autumn season.

Most of the components can be made ahead so this can be thrown together in 5 minutes at the time of your meal.

Ingredients

Maple vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small clove of garlic, about 1 teaspoon minced
Pinches of salt and black pepper to taste

Salad:
1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed, about 4-5 cups of prepared squash
2 tablespoons oil for roasting the squash
Sprinkle of kosher salt
1 package of field greens, about 5-6 cups of loosely packed lettuce
¼ cup thinly sliced shallot or red onion
½ rounded cup of lightly toasted walnuts
Optional: Shaved parmesan or blue cheese crumbles

Preheat your oven to 400 F and place your wire rack in the top third.

Carefully peel and cut the butternut squash. Scoop out the seeds and cut into cubes. You could also buy pre-peeled and pre-cut containers of butternut squash from the market. You need about 4 cups in total, and up to a cup more will work fine without any changes to the recipe.

Put the cubes into a large bowl, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil and stir well.

Pour the squash onto a sheet pan, making sure to scrape any excess oil from the bowl over the squash.

Sprinkle with kosher salt and roast the squash. It usually takes 40-45 minutes to get it fork-tender, but it might take less or more time depending on the size of the cubes.

Remove the squash from the oven and set aside to cool. You can make the squash a day ahead, just cover it well and refrigerate.

Add all ingredients for the maple vinaigrette into a Ball jar, put the lid on tightly and shake until it’s emulsified. This is the easiest way to mix dressing and also gives you a storage jar if you have any left over, but you could alternatively use a whisk and a bowl.

Toast the walnut halves in a heavy-bottomed pan for between 3 and 5 minutes. Stir often and be careful not to burn the nuts. Once they’re fragrant and toasted, remove them from the pan immediately and set aside; you could also do this step ahead of time.

It’s easier to arrange this salad on a platter as opposed to a bowl. Arrange the ingredients to your liking and drizzle with about half the dressing, but only if you’re sure it will all be eaten at your meal. Otherwise, dress the salads individually at the table. Sometimes I add thinly sliced apple or pear for some sweet, crispy bites. You can also add ¼ cup of dried cranberries if you want to add more color or texture.

This salad is pareve/vegan. When serving this with fish, I always add cheese to the salad and my favorite options are shaved parmesan or blue cheese, which packs a big punch when paired with the maple vinaigrette.

This serves 4 people as a side salad. If you’re adding protein and making a dinner out of it, this will amply serve 2 and keep diners interested until the very last bite.

Enjoy and bless your hands! PJC

Jessica Grann is a home chef living in Pittsburgh.She can be reached at rubia711@gmail.com