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
Scale
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.