This healthy salad is made with fresh seasonal apples and squash and is so tasty! You can eat it as a side salad or add some grains or chicken to it to easily make it a heartier main dish.
There is nothing better than getting access to fresh ingredients in season. I love going to the apple orchard to get apples picked from the trees, squash and pumpkins and then turn them into something delicious.
This salad uses Honeycrisp apples, roasted butternut squash with pumpkin seeds and some mixed greens. It is dressed with a vinaigrette made with oil, cider vinegar, maple syrup and cinnamon. What says Fall more than that!
What You’ll Need:
- butternut squash
- avocado and olive oils
- maple syrup
- salt and pepper
- cinnamon
- pumpkin seeds
- apple cider vinegar
- mixed greens
- apple
- dried cranberries
Making the Recipe:
You’ll start by peeling the butternut squash, cutting it in half and removing the seeds. If you don’t want to bother with all of that, buy some squash already cut at your local market.
Once you’ve cut the squash into bite sized pieces, add them to a bowl and toss them with oil, maple syrup, salt and ground black pepper. You’ll broil the squash first, then top the squash with pumpkin seeds and broil a little bit longer. It’s key to keep an eye on the squash mixture when broiling, so that it gets lightly browned but not burned.
If you don’t plan to eat the salad right away, you can store the squash mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator, until you are ready to assemble the salad. I’ll usually make the vinaigrette too and store that in the refrigerator, making it really quick to assemble the salad at lunch or dinner.
Once you’re ready to eat the salad, place the mixed greens in a bowl. Slice the apple into matchsticks and add it and the cranberries to the salad. Top with some of the squash mixture and add the dressing.
This salad is delicious as a side or can be served as a main dish. It is gluten free, vegan and vegetarian as a salad. Add some hearty grains to it and turn it into a bowl or top it with some cooked chicken for the meat lovers in the family.
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Healthy Fall Harvest Salad
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Description
This healthy salad is made with fresh seasonal apples and squash and is so tasty! You can eat it as a side salad or add some grains or chicken to it to easily make it a heartier main dish.
Ingredients
For the Roasted Squash:
- 3 cups of butternut squash, peeled and diced into cubes
- 3 Tbsp. avocado oil
- 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
For the Vinaigrette:
- 1/4 cup olive oil (or avocado oil)
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, organic
- 1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp. non-dairy milk
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
For the Salad Base:
- 6 cups mixed greens
- 1 Honeycrisp apple, sliced into thin matchsticks
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to broil on high. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper covering just the bottom of the pan.
- Peel the butternut squash. Slice and cut the squash into cubes. Try to keep the cubes fairly even in size so they cook evenly.
- Place the squash in a mixing bow. Add in the oil, maple syrup, sea salt and pepper and mix well. Put the mixture on the baking sheet and place it in the oven. Broil on high for 5-10 minutes. Check it at 5 minutes and watch carefully every 2 minutes to make sure it browns lightly but does not burn.
- Once the squash is cooked, sprinkle it with the pumpkin seeds. Return to broil for 3-5 minutes. Once it is done, set the pan aside and let the squash cool.
- Mix the vinaigrette ingredients together and whisk. Set aside.
- Slice up the apple into matchsticks.
- Put the greens in a large mixing bowl. Add the squash and pumpkin seed mixture, the apples and the cranberries to the bowl. Toss the salad with vinaigrette and serve.
Notes
- Squash – substitute acorn squash or another of your favorite squashes for the butternut.
- Greens – not everyone likes mixed greens. Use spinach or another green your family loves instead.
- Apples – other apples like Ambrosia, Sweet Tango, Jazz and Pink Lady could also be used.
- Reduce the amount of greens and add some grains (quinoa, buckwheat groats, etc.) to make this salad more substantial as a main dish.
- If not eating vegan/vegetarian, consider adding some cooked chicken to the dish to make it a heartier main meal.
- If you want to prep this recipe ahead, make the squash mixture and vinaigrette. Store them in airtight containers in the refrigerator. Cut the apple at the time you assemble and toss the salad.