Calling all salad lovers! This is my new fall favorite and it’s just in time for the holidays! Soft, cinnamon coated butternut squash nestled in a bed of fresh arugula, shaved brussel sprouts, creamy goat cheese, crunchy pepitas, and tangy apple…Yes, please!
I was motivated to create this Colorful Fall Inspired Salad in an effort to put more veggies on the Thanksgiving table and find a good way to eat fresh greens in the cold, wet months of fall here in the Pacific Northwest. When it gets to this time of the year, my intuition gets messed up. I know that eating fresh produce makes my body and mind feel good long term, but in the moment I just want to curl up on the couch with something hot and full of fat. I started making this salad in an attempt to trick myself into eating salad again this season, and boy did it work! The squash and cheese satisfy my fall and winter cravings while I also get tons of fiber and lots of fresh food. I’ve served this at multiple gatherings now and it’s quickly become a fan favorite!
Tell me in the comments below, have you ever mixed squash into your salad before?
Ingredients
- Butternut squash
- Arugula
- Cranberry goat cheese
- Pepitas
- Brussel sprouts
- Green apple
- Olive oil
- Maple syrup
- Apple cider vinegar
- Pepper
- Salt
- Cinnamon
. I’m gonna give it to you straight: whole butternut squashes are a pain to work with. With practice it isn’t hard, but processing a squash requires some extra kitchen tools and time. If you’ve got some wiggle room in the budget, snag some pre-cubed squash in your grocery store’s refrigerated produce section. another good reason to buy this pre-packaged is that most whole squashes will yield more squash than you need for this salad.
. Any goat cheese will do for this salad, but cranberries are perfect for fall. Before going and buying a 2oz brick from your specialty cheese section, try Costco. In certain regions, Costco sells a large brick of cranberry cinnamon goat cheese at a very reasonable price.
. Some produce sections have pre-shaved brussel sprouts. If you’re low on time, this is a perfectly fine option, but I do suggest shaving or cutting your own so you can have a consistent texture and thickness.
How to Make This Salad
Before we talk about making this salad, we’ve got to talk about how to prepare whole butternut squash. First off, cut both ends off your squash to it’s more stable. Second, peel the skin off your squash. You don’t want to eat it. Third, scoop all the seeds and soft tissue out of the bottom end of the squash with a spoon. Once you’ve scooped out the insides, cut your squash into equal sized 1″ rings, then cut the rings in half. Stand the halves up so they make a rainbow shape, then carefully cut equal sized cubes. I have yet to find an easier way to cut squash, so if you’ve got tips or tricks, leave them in the comments below.
After you’ve cut your squash, toss it with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Lay it out flat on a lined baking sheet and bake it at 400° for about 25 minutes. You want it cooked yet firm so it doesn’t fall apart in your salad but is still soft enough to eat. After it’s cooked, let it cool to room temp and prep the remainder of the salad.
Add your arugula to a large salad bowl and add other ingredients as they’re ready. Cut and crumble your goat cheese, shave or slice the peeled and washed brussel sprouts, and wash and chop your apple into bite sized bits. Add the above ingredients and your measured pepitas to the large salad bowl with the lettuce, then once the squash is ready, add it in and toss it around.
To make the dressing, simply add all the dressing ingredients to a small container and mix vigorously with a fork until it’s combined. Taste it and adjust as needed, then mix it into the salad and serve!
Helpful Tools
Large vegetable peeler: This size vegetable peeler is helpful for larger produce items like butternut squash or eggplants. Unlike your traditional vegetable peeler, the large vegetable peeler works when you pull it towards you instead of pushing the peel away. You may be thinking that it’s silly to own more than one vegetable peeler, but when you eat a lot of fresh produce, having different tools for different projects can save a lot of time.
Mandoline slicer: I’ve talked about this product before. It’s perfect for slicing or shaving large quantities of produce, like shaved brussels or even potato chips. This saves a ton of time otherwise spent carefully slicing away at the cutting board.
Cut gloves: While the mandoline slicer is one of my favorite kitchen tools, it can be dangerous to use. As you slice away at your food, your fingers get closer and closer to the ultra sharp blade. It only took me one accident with this tool to learn to invest in a set of cut gloves.
Apple corer: A tool every apple lover should have. This makes it easy to quickly and evenly cut your apple into wedges.
What to Pair this With
This salad is good enough to eat on its own, but it also makes a great side dish or appetizer. This pairs well with roast chicken, turkey, or buttery steak. If meat isn’t in your diet, adding in some crispy pan fried soy curls or even a traditional Tofurkey could do the trick.
Colorful Fall Inspired Salad
Equipment
- Large Bowl
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 cups butternut squash, cubed
- 6 cups arugula leaves
- 1 cup cranberry goat cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 cup pepitas, unsalted
- 2 cups brussel sprouts, shaved
- 1 green apple, cut into small pieces
Dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Take raw cubed squash and toss with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Lay on a lined baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes or until tender enough to eat. Once cooked, let the squash cool to room temperature, about 15-20 minutes.
- While the squash cools, prepare the other ingredients. Crumble the goat cheese, shave or thinly slice the brussel sprouts, and chop the green apple. Add to a bowl atop arugula leaves and pepitas. Once the squash has cooled, add it to the salad and toss lightly.
- To make the dressing, at all the ingredients to a bowl or cup and stir with a fork until combined, then immediately drizzle over the salad and toss once more to fully incorporate.
Notes
- This can easily be made vegan by subtracting the cheese.
- You can purchase pre-cubed butternut squash at most large grocery stores, but if you have a whole squash and aren't sure how to process it, see the above paragraph on how to make the salad.