Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
This Butternut Squash Salad is the perfect fall salad for holidays and parties. Full of flavor and beautiful colors! Drizzled with the most incredible apple cider vinaigrette dressing, and topped with toasted walnuts and cranberries, your friends and family will love this vegetarian fall salad.
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This Butternut Squash Salad is the perfect fall salad for holidays and parties. Full of flavor and beautiful colors! Drizzled with the most incredible apple cider vinaigrette dressing, and topped with toasted walnuts and cranberries, your friends and family will love this vegetarian fall salad.
Why I love this recipe
This salad is one of my favourite fall salads because it’s hearty enough to be a meal on its own, but it’s also be a wonderful holiday side dish. This crowd-pleasing butternut squash salad recipe is loved by both friends AND family members. It’s the kind of salad that will convert anyone to being a salad lover, because it’s filled with roasted butternut squash, dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, and parmesan cheese. It’s topped with a tangy apple cider vinaigrette that I’m obsessed with.
RELATED: Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients for this Thanksgiving Salad
Combine these 12 ingredients and you’ll have the perfect salad for Thanksgiving dinner.
For the Butternut Squash Salad you’ll need
- Butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1- to 2-inch chunks
- Olive oil
- Spring mix
- Dried cranberries
- Toasted, chopped walnuts
- Shaved Parmesan cheese
For the apple cider vinaigrette dressing you’ll need:
- Olive oil
- Apple cider vinegar
- Honey
- Dijon mustard
- Minced garlic (I use minced garlic to save time)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
How to make this fall salad
This butternut squash salad recipe is super easy – Roast the squash, blend the dressing, and put it all together.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2: Place the squash chunks on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper, if desired. Toss well to evenly coat the squash.
Step 3: Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway.
Step 4: On a serving platter, make a bed of spring mix. Over the spring mix, layer the squash, cranberries, and walnuts. Garnish with shaved Parmesan.
Step 5: To make the dressing, add all of the ingredients to a jar or bowl. Shake or whisk until completely mixed.
Step 6: Prior to serving, pour the salad dressing over the salad and toss the salad to coat. Enjoy!!
Make this Roasted Butternut Squash Salad, then check out my 10 Minute Caramel Cheesecake Apple Dip, Butternut Squash Soup, and Classic Waldorf Salad and more of my healthy fall salad recipes.
TIPS AND FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Read on for tips and substitution ideas on how to make this recipe, and how to avoid making it a disaster.
Tips
- To prep the butternut squash: Slice the ends off of the squash, and peel the whole thing using a vegetable peeler. Then dice it up into 1-inch cubes using a sharp kitchen knife.
- For best results allow the roasted butternut squash to cool before adding it to the salad as it will cause the spring mix to wilt.
- For more flavour, sprinkle the roasted butternut squash with a seasoning mix of cumin, coriander, cinnamon and cayenne after roasting.
- You can prep all the ingredients for this Roasted Butternut Squash Salad ahead of time and keep everything stored separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator – except the nuts and dried cranberries as they don’t need to be refrigerated. Come salad time, all you have to do is toss everything together. Now that’s Thanksgiving made easy!
How to store
Store salad and dressing separately. Store the salad dressing in an air-tight jar in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Other fall recipes to try
- 10 Minute Caramel Cheesecake Apple Dip – This simple recipe is the perfect fall snack, appetizer or dessert for any occasion! Cream cheese, brown sugar, caramel, Skor chocolate bars and apples.
- Easy Instant Pot Apple Crisp – This easy Instant Pot recipe is definitely the best of the best. Sweet slightly spiced apples topped with an amazing crumble – just like your mom always made, but in a fraction of the time thanks to the Instant Pot!
- Butternut Squash Soup – This is the BEST Butternut Squash Soup Recipe I have EVER tasted, I literally licked my bowl clean. Great recipe to save for later!!
☀️ CELEBRATE SUMMER with
40+ Easy SUMMER Salad Recipes
Summer is here, and do you know what that means? It’s time to lighten things up with these fresh summer salad ideas that your whole family will love!
Roasted Butternut Squash Salad Recipe
Equipment You’ll Need
Ingredients
For the salad
- 1 butternut squash (peeled and cut into 1- to 2-inch chunks)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 5 ounce package spring mix
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup toasted (chopped walnuts)
- ¼ cup shaved Parmesan cheese
For the dressing
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¼ apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon minced garlic
- Salt and black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the squash chunks on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper, if desired. Toss well to evenly coat the squash.
- Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway.
- On a serving platter, make a bed of spring mix. Over the spring mix, layer the squash, cranberries, and walnuts. Garnish with shaved Parmesan.
- To make the dressing, add all of the ingredients to a jar or bowl. Shake or whisk until completely mixed.
- Prior to serving, pour the salad dressing over the salad and toss the salad to coat.
If you loved this salad be sure to check out my 10 Minute Caramel Cheesecake Apple Dip – This simple recipe is the perfect fall snack, appetizer or dessert for any occasion! Cream cheese, brown sugar, caramel, Skor chocolate bars and apples.
