Mixed green Butternut squash Salad
This is a delicious light salad that is absolutely perfect for spring even though squash is a more fall vegetable. The flavors and vibrance in this salad scream spring. Also I rarely put up salad recipes cause i’m not a huge fan so when I share one, know its AMAZINGGGG!! The dressing is so fresh and flavorful with a hint of sweetness. The tomatoes gives bursts of freshness in every bite and the goat cheese balances everything so well. This salad is so good that there was a time I literally made it every 4/5 days. You can easily meal prep a lot of the ingredients that makes it perfect for weekday lunches and it’ll keep you full. Trust me when I say this salad can be a star of your meals! Use vegan (goat) cheese and this recipe is vegan!
Happy Cooking!
Servings: 6-8 servings
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1.5 hours
Ingredients:
Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
1.5-2 tbsp maple syrup
2-3 tsp balsamic vinegar
Juice of 1/2 lime about 3 tbsp
1/2 inch Ginger or 1 tsp Ginger paste
2.5-3 tbsp parsley
Salt to taste
A pinch of black Pepper
1/2 tsp Chili flakes
1/8 tsp Cumin powder
Butternut Squash:
1/2 butternut squash cut in about 1.5 inch cubes
1 tbsp Olive oil
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1/2-1 tsp Chili flakes
Assembly:
1-1.5 white onions caramelised
8-10 grape tomatoes cut in half
6-8 oz baby arugula
4-5 oz baby spinach
2-4 oz goat cheese crumbles
3 tbsp pine nuts
1-2 oz croutons
Pumpkin seeds - optional
Directions:
Butternut Squash: Preheat oven to 420F. Cut Butternut squash in cubes. Toss the cubes in olive oil, salt, pepper and chili flakes. Place it on a baking tray and bake at 430F for about 18-22 mins, flipping it midway till fork tender. Let it cool once out of the oven.
Caramelised Onions: Cut white onions in thin slices. Cook it on low heat with 1/2 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Stir it frequently. It should take about 20- 30 mins to caramelise. Let it cool.
Dressing: In a food processor add all the ingredients for the dressing and mix till almost combined. I like keeping the parsley in pieces and not fully blended it just for the color. When its fully blended in the color may not be as appetising.
Assemble:
On a serving plate, layer the arugula and spinach.
Top with prepared butternut squash and caramelised onions, grape tomatoes, goat cheese, pine nuts and croutons.
Drizzle dressing over it. Use as much or little as you like. I use about 2/3 of the dressing and store the rest.
Mix and enjoy!
Another way to serve is mix everything in a bowl and serve.
Notes/Tips:
If you can, skip on using pre-cut butternut squash. I’ve found it becomes too soft in the oven (even when cooked for a shorter time) and then becomes mush in the salad.
You can use walnuts if you want instead of the pine nuts.
You can meal prep the squash, dressing and caramelised onions and keep for this salad making it super convenient for weekdays.
This salad pairs really well with agilo e olio.
Arugula and spinach are the best greens for this salad.
