Description
Seasonal Sunset Harvest Salad delights diners with roasted butternut squash, crisp apples, and tangy goat cheese. Nutty pecans and maple vinaigrette complete this elegant autumn-inspired dish you’ll savor.
Ingredients
Scale
- ½ large butternut squash, cut into ½-inch cubes (about 4 cups / ~1 L)
- 1 (5 oz / 142 g) package baby kale
- 1 medium apple, cut into ½-inch pieces
- ½ cup (120 ml) pomegranate seeds (seeds from ½ medium pomegranate)
- ½ cup (70 g) pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds), toasted
- ¼ cup (30 g) feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsps apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
- ½ tbsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat: Set oven to 400°F, creating an ideal roasting environment for maximizing flavor development.
- Prepare Squash: Toss butternut squash cubes with olive oil and seasonings, ensuring thorough and even coating for optimal caramelization.
- Roast Squash: Spread seasoned cubes on a baking sheet, allowing generous spacing to achieve crispy, golden-brown edges. Roast for 30 minutes, turning midway to ensure uniform cooking.
- Compose Salad Base: Layer baby kale as the foundational green, creating a vibrant and nutritious canvas for additional ingredients.
- Add Texture and Flavor: Strategically arrange sliced apples, pomegranate seeds, crumbled feta, and toasted pepitas across the kale, building a complex flavor profile with varied textures.
- Create Vinaigrette: Whisk apple cider vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, and seasonings into a smooth, balanced dressing that will unite all salad components.
- Finalize Salad: Gently fold roasted squash into the prepared salad, then delicately drizzle vinaigrette, ensuring each ingredient is lightly coated and harmoniously blended.
Notes
- Roast with Care: Space cubes evenly on the baking sheet to achieve crispy, caramelized edges without steaming the squash.
- Temperature Matters: Maintain a consistent 400°F to ensure optimal roasting and prevent burning or uneven cooking.
- Dressing Technique: Whisk vinaigrette ingredients thoroughly to create a smooth, well-emulsified dressing that clings perfectly to salad components.
- Serve Strategically: Allow roasted squash to cool slightly before adding to salad to prevent wilting delicate greens and maintain textural contrast.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 230 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg