Here’s a standout fall or winter salad starring everyone’s favorite ingredient: Butternut Squash Salad! This one is a flavor symphony in a bowl: hearty sweet squash pairs with crisp apple, chewy cranberries and a citrusy orange vinaigrette. The best flavors of fall and winter ingredients sing together in perfect harmony! We’ve served this one to guests and everyone remarks how tasty it is, especially the citrus zing of the dressing.
Elements in this butternut squash salad
This festive butternut squash salad is the poster child for fall and winter salads! It’s packed with nutrient-dense seasonal produce with all the perfect contrasts. Crisp tart apple contrast tender sweet squash, crunchy pecans contrast chewy tart cranberries. A sprinkle of salty cheese sets off the fresh vegetables and it’s covered in a zesty orange dressing. Here’s what you’ll need:
Butternut squash Apple Dried cranberries Pecans Mixed greens Feta cheese, or substitute goat cheese (omit for vegan) Homemade orange vinaigrette
Make the roasted butternut squash in advance
The trickiest part of this butternut squash salad? Roasting the butternut squash. It takes about 45 minutes total, so we suggest making it in advance if possible. You could also try roasting frozen butternut squash, but to us there’s nothing like the real thing! Here’s what you’ll need to know:
Peeling and cutting the butternut squash is the hardest part! Here’s our method for How to Cut Butternut Squash. A serrated vegetable peeler is key for removing the tough skin. Roast for 25 to 35 minutes at 425F. Go to Roasted Butternut Squash for all our tips! Leave at room temp for a few hours, or refrigerate until serving. If you make the day before, refrigerate then bring to room temperature before serving on the salad.
Tips for the orange vinaigrette
The star of the show in this butternut squash salad recipe is the orange honey vinaigrette! It makes a massive pop of citrusy flavor that brings all the ingredients together. Here’s what to know about this dressing:
The big flavor comes from orange zest, not juice! When developing this recipe, we played around with using a combination of orange juice and zest. What we found? The juice wasn’t needed (and made the dressing too watery). All you need is a hefty tablespoon of orange zest, and the flavor pops! Use about half of the dressing for the salad, then refrigerate the remainder. A good rule of thumb is about 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons dressing per serving. But you can eyeball it! Just make sure there’s good coverage (no one likes naked greens!).
Ways to serve butternut squash salad: side or main!
This butternut squash salad is the ideal fall salad or winter salad for any occasion, be it a weeknight meal or dinner party. It also works as a main dish with some added protein! Here are some ideas:
Side dish for any meal, especially Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish Add a whole grain like farro or barley for an even more filling salad (add 2 cups cooked and seasoned whole grain) Make it into a main dish salad by adding a protein like pan fried chicken or crispy tofu
More butternut squash recipes
This mighty squash is king in the fall and winter! Here are a few more tasty butternut squash recipes to enjoy this season:
Try Butternut Squash Lasagna with Sage Make a main dish of Stuffed Butternut Squash Opt for creamy Butternut Squash Puree or Mashed Butternut Squash Go for Creamy Squash Soup Try Butternut Squash Curry Grab Butternut Squash Pasta or Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
This butternut squash salad recipe is…
Vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free, omit the cheese. Use maple syrup in the dressing for vegan. 5 from 1 review
1 recipe Roasted Butternut Squash 8 cups mixed greens 1 red apple, diced ¼ cup dried cranberries ¼ cup feta cheese or goat cheese crumbles (omit for vegan) 3 tablespoons chopped pecans
For the orange vinaigrette (makes ¾ cup; use approximately 6 tablespoons for 4 servings)
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon orange zest 2 tablespoons honey (or maple syrup for vegan) ¼ teaspoon kosher salt ½ cup olive oil
