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Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

This Roasted Butternut Squash Salad has it all! Tender, golden butternut squash, salad greens, pomegranate arils, goat cheese, walnuts, and pepitas. Packed with flavor and served up with a crave-worthy pomegranate dressing that you will absolutely love.

close up shot of salad greens topped with squash, pomegranate arils, nuts, and goat cheese

Is there anything butternut squash can’t be? I’ve cooked it in soups, casseroles, sheet pan dinners, entrees, sides, you name it, and this salad is just one more way to eat up this tender treat. In this recipe, we’ll make a lovely salad using roasted butternut squash, nuts, fruits, goat cheese, and more, arranged on a bed of greens and lightly dressed with a homemade pomegranate dressing.

Why I Love This Salad

  • Seasonal: Perfect for Thanksgiving or autumn, this salad can be a festive choice for holiday meals.
  • Light and Flavorful: Combining nutrition and taste, this salad is a delicious way to enjoy a wholesome meal.
  • Flexible: Whether a casual lunch or a formal dinner, it is versatile enough to be a main course paired with soup and bread or served as a side dish.
  • Customizable: You can personalize this butternut squash salad with various substitutions and additions.
wide overhead shot of wooden salad bowl with salad greens, pomegranates, squash, and goat cheese

Butternut Squash Salad Ingredients

  • For the Squash: butternut squash, olive oil, maple syrup, salt, and pepper.
  • For the Salad: mixed salad greens, pomegranate arils, pepitas, walnuts, and goat cheese.
  • For the Dressing: olive oil, pomegranate juice, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper.

How to Make Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

There are several ingredients here, but assembling them is easy! Once you’ve roasted the squash and mixed up the vinaigrette, you just arrange and toss the ingredients on a large platter.

  1. Roast Squash: Preheat the oven to 425˚F and line a baking sheet with foil. Transfer the squash to the baking sheet and drizzle with the oil and maple syrup. Season with salt and pepper, and roast for about 15 to 18 minutes.
  2. Assemble the Salad: Arrange the mixed greens and arugula on a large salad plate. Add pomegranate arils, pepitas, and walnuts. Set aside.
  3. Combine the Ingredients: Combine the olive oil, pomegranate juice, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper in a small jar or bowl. Shake or whisk the dressing ingredients to combine. Taste and adjust accordingly.
  4. Top the Salad: Drizzle the dressing over the salad. Add prepared squash and goat cheese, gently toss to combine, and serve.
prepping butternut squash salad in a wooden salad bowl

Recipe Tips And Variations

  • Substitutions: This recipe is very flexible! Try it with my roasted acorn squash recipe or a delicata. Swap pomegranate arils with raisins, dried cranberries, apples, or grapes. Feel free to use your favorite greens, nuts, and seeds, such as pecans or sunflower seeds.
  • Selecting Squash: Look for winter squash that’s firm, heavy, with minimal scarring, and a matte finish on the rind.
  • Protein Options: To add protein, consider cooked (and cooled) chicken or turkey, hard-boiled eggs, deli meats, or bacon crumbles.
  • Adjust Flavor to Taste: Personalize the salad. If it’s bland, a bit more salt often does the trick. Adjust the dressing’s saltiness or sweetness, and seasoning levels as needed.

Serving Suggestions

Butternut squash salad makes a great light lunch or dinner on its own, but it also pairs well with a simple Chicken Noodle Soup. Try it with my Instant Pot Garlic Pork Tenderloin for an easy take or whip up this simple Grilled Chicken Cordon Bleu.

overhead shot of salad greens in a wooden salad bowl, and topped with squash, pomegranate arils, nuts, and goat cheese

How to Store Leftovers

If planning to have this salad later, store the dressing separate from the salad greens, fruits, and nuts. Combine when ready to serve. You can also store the dressing in a small jar for up to 5 days.

More Salad Recipes

close up shot of salad greens topped with squash, pomegranate arils, nuts, and goat cheese

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

Katerina | Diethood
This amazing Roasted Butternut Squash Salad is packed with tender butternut squash, salad greens, pomegranate arils, goat cheese, walnuts, and pepitas, tossed with a tangy pomegranate dressing.
5 from 9 votes
Servings : 8
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients
  

For the Roasted Squash
  • 1 pound butternut squash, peeled and sliced into half moons or diced into 1-inch cubes
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the Salad
For the Dressing

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 425˚F.
  • Line a baking sheet with foil. Transfer the diced butternut squash to the baking sheet and drizzle the squash with oil and maple syrup; season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.
  • Roast for 15 to 18 minutes or until tender.
  • Arrange mixed greens and arugula on a large salad plate or a salad bowl. To the salad greens, add pomegranate arils, pepitas, and walnut halves. Set aside.
  • Meanwhile, make the dressing, and in a jar or a mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, pomegranate juice, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper; shake or whisk to combine. Taste and adjust accordingly.
  • Pour the dressing over the salad greens and gently toss to combine.
  • Remove the butternut squash from the oven and add it to the salad; toss gently to combine.
  • Top the salad with goat cheese, taste and adjust accordingly, and serve.

Notes

  • Try this salad with different winter squashes like acorn or delicata. Use raisins, dried cranberries, apples, or grapes, and add in your favorite greens, nuts, and seeds.
  • To add protein, consider options like cold-cooked chicken, hard-boiled eggs, deli meats, or bacon crumbles.
  • If the salad tastes a bit bland, add more salt and pepper, or adjust the dressing’s saltiness or sweetness and seasonings as needed.
  • FYI, this salad can serve up to 8 people as a side salad. 

Nutrition

Calories: 325 kcal | Carbohydrates: 21 g | Protein: 8 g | Fat: 25 g | Saturated Fat: 5 g | Trans Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 7 mg | Sodium: 77 mg | Potassium: 487 mg | Fiber: 4 g | Sugar: 10 g | Vitamin A: 6637 IU | Vitamin C: 24 mg | Calcium: 81 mg | Iron: 2 mg

Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.

Course: Lunch, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: butternut squash salad, easy salad, healthy salad, pomegranate salad dressing, squash salad
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