This post has been sponsored by Andria's Food Group. All opinions expressed are my own.
Autumn in New York. This lovely cliché conjures images of city streets lined in autumn-gold trees, and brownstone sidewalks dusted in freshly fallen leaves. Fedora-wearing pedestrians stroll the avenues dressed in Sinatra-style trench-coats. There’s a postcard depicting precisely this scene somewhere, I’m certain.
If there isn’t, there should be.
Whether this cliché still holds true or not, we’re embracing the spirit of the season, and have crafted a salad that beautifully embodies the essence of a bountiful fall harvest. We’ve done so with a little help from our longtime friends over at Andria’s Steakhouse, whose signature salad dressing is today’s key ingredient. More on them and their delicious salad dressing.
This brings us to today’s recipe – Butternut Squash Salad. This is a recipe that perfectly brings together sweet and savory, crunchy and tender, all while delivering the essence of autumn right to your plate.
At the heart of this recipe is the oven roasted butternut squash, which we’ll be pairing with fresh apples, creating a duet of textures and flavors. This Butternut Squash Salad is a lovely blend of contrasting elements. Each bite delivers the subtle sweetness of roasted squash, followed by the tartness of apple slices. The roasted pecans and pumpkin seeds add a satisfying crunch, while the tender baby spinach leaves offer a refreshing balance. To tie it all together, we’ll be topping it with Andria’s Steakhouse Salad Dressing.
So, without further ado, let's dive right in, because we have got a lot to cover. Below, I’ll provide you with an ingredient checklist to make sure you have what you need, along with tips and tricks for roasting, and variations to get your creative juices flowing.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
This salad is packed with flavor, but uses only simple ingredients and simple prep methods. Here’s why you’ll love it.
- Flavor Balance: This salad offers a fantastic harmony of flavors – the natural sweetness from roasted butternut squash and apples, the contrast from the tangy dressing, and the nutty, savory elements from pecans and pumpkin seeds. It's a delightful mix of sweet, tangy, and nutty tastes in every bite.
- Versatility: As we will touch on below, this salad is super versatile, and easily customizable. It can be a satisfying side dish, a standout at gatherings, or a complete meal with the addition of protein such as grilled chicken or chickpeas.
- Autumnal Appeal: With butternut squash and apples as the star ingredients, this salad perfectly encapsulates the essence of fall. It’s ideal for the season, whether you're preparing a family dinner or a festive gathering.
- Texture Variety: The contrast of tender roasted vegetables, apples, and the crunch of pecans and pumpkin seeds creates a delightful mix of textures in every forkful.
- Easy to Make: With a straightforward preparation, it's an easy recipe suitable for both novice and experienced cooks. It's perfect for busy days when you crave a homemade, healthy meal without too much fuss.
Ingredient Checklist – Everything You’ll Need to Make This Salad
This salad uses a medley of pantry friendly, wholesome ingredients, that are readily available at your local grocery store.
- Butternut Squash - peeled and cubed
- Notes, Tips, and Substitutions:
- For this recipe, I recommend a medium-sized Butternut Squash.
- While buying pre-cut squash can save time, I do recommend slicing it yourself for maximum freshness.
- If you prefer, this recipe also works with acorn squash or pumpkin.
- Apples - unpeeled or peeled and cubed
- Notes, Tips, and Substitutions:
- Use sweet-tart varieties like Honeycrisp or Granny Smith.
- Keep the apple pieces similar in size to the squash for even roasting.
- Feel free to experiment with other fruit, such as pears, but do note that apples work best for this oven roasting process.
- Olive Oil
- Notes, Tips, and Substitutions:
- Use a good quality extra-virgin olive oil, as the flavor of the olive oil ‘does’ come through a little.
- Consider infused olive oils like rosemary or garlic for an extra layer of taste.
- You can replace olive oil with melted butter for a richer taste, if preferred.
- Sugar
- Notes, Tips, and Substitutions:
- Helps caramelize the vegetables.
- Brown sugar can be used for a richer flavor, especially if you you’re using candied nuts in the salad.
- Salt
- Notes, Tips, and Substitutions:
- Consider using kosher or sea salt for a better balance of flavors.
- Experiment with flavored salts like smoked salt for a unique taste.
- Coarse Black Pepper
- Notes, Tips, and Substitutions:
- Freshly ground black pepper will provide a more robust flavor.
- Adjust the amount based on your preference for spiciness.
- Andria’s Salad Dressing:
- Notes and Tips:
- This salad dressing starts with a rice vinegar base, mixed with molasses and a generous splash of Worcestershire. garlic, tamarind, mixed vegetables and herbs to round out the ingredient list, creating a depth of flavor that manages to be both rich and pungent, while retaining a delicious balance. As with the steak sauce, that balance is the key. While this salad dressing will turn any salad into a delight worth savoring, it’s also incredibly versatile, being well at home on grilled veggies, a marinade for block tofu, or over fish.
- Salad Greens (e.g., Baby Spinach Leaves)
- Notes, Tips, and Substitutions:
- Baby spinach is recommended, but mixed greens or arugula work well too.
- You can blend in peppery greens like watercress for added complexity.
- Red Onion
- Notes, Tips, and Substitutions:
- Thinly sliced red onions add a mild sharpness, and a delightful pop of color. However, if preferred, you can use shallots for a milder taste.
- Soaking the slices in cold water can reduce their pungency.
- Raisins
- Notes, Tips, and Substitutions:
- Consider golden raisins or dried cranberries for a different flavor.
- Chopped dates or apricots can serve as alternatives.
- Pecans and Pumpkin Seeds
- Notes, Tips, and Substitutions:
- Roasting the nuts and seeds before adding them to the salad enhances their flavor. You can also get creative here and coat them in things like maple syrup or molasses and then dust with a mix of sugar and salt.
- Almonds or walnuts can replace pecans, and sunflower seeds can substitute for pumpkin seeds.
Getting Creative – Key Variations
- Add Protein: Incorporate grilled chicken strips, fried tofu, roasted chickpeas, or quinoa to make this salad a complete meal. These additions provide a boost of protein, making it a satisfying standalone dish.
- Cheese Additions: Enhance the flavor profile by including a sprinkling of feta (marinated feta if you’re feeling fancy), or crumbled goat cheese would also be delicious, or simply grated Parmesan.
- Mix up the Greens: Feel free to switch up the greens used in the salad. Besides baby spinach, try mixed greens, arugula, or kale to change the texture and flavor profile of the salad.
- Additional Fruits or Vegetables: Experiment with different types of fruit or vegetables. You can mix in roasted beets, grilled pears, fresh cranberries, or sliced radishes for additional layers of flavor and texture.
- Nuts and Seeds: Naturally, experiment with different nuts or seeds, such as pecans and pumpkin seeds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, or almonds. These all bring their own subtle differences to the salad.
- Spice Blends: Infuse the roasted butternut squash with various herbs and spices. Try a touch of cinnamon, nutmeg, or a sprinkle of cayenne for a little bit of a kick.
Butternut Squash Autumn Salad Recipe
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
For the Squash:
- 1 butternut squash - peeled and cubed
- 2 - 3 small apples - unpeeled or peeled and cubed
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. coarse black pepper
- 1 sheet pan
- 1 large sheet of parchment paper
For the Salad:
- 3 cups of your favorite salad greens - I used baby spinach leaves
- 1/4 red onion - sliced thin
- 1/4 cup raisins
- Handful of chopped toasted pecans - about 2 tbs.
- Handful of pumpkin seed - about 2 tbs
- Andria's Salad Dressing
Instructions
For the Squash:
- Combine the cubed squash and apples in a large bowl.
- Drizzle with the olive oil and then sprinkle with the seasoning mixture and toss.
- Place the the sheet pan prepared with the parchment paper.
- Preheat Oven 400 degrees F.
- Place in the oven for 30 - 40 minutes until slightly golden and fork tender.
- Let cool.
For the Salad:
- Place the salad greens on a platter and top with the cooled squash and apples.
- Top with the raisins, pecans, pumpkin seeds and sliced onions.
- Drizzle with the salad dressing and serve.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Salad
And that’s our Butternut Squash Salad. If you enjoyed today’s post, be sure to like, share, and subscribe, it helps us more than you can know. Once again, give Andria’s line of sauces a try, in addition to their signature Salad Dressing, their Brush-On Steak Sauce and BBQ Sauce are absolutely delicious.
As always, if you have any questions or suggestions, be sure to let us know in the comments below. We always love hearing from you.
As always, be sure to follow us on Newsbreak and MSN for even more great recipes and articles.
Happy Cooking!
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Beth says
MmmMMMM. Now that's what I call a salad. This is so much more appetizing than another bowlful of plain greens. I love it.
Hari says
I love this butternut squash salad recipe. It is truly a great appetizer for sure!
David J Myers says
Catherine, I love butternut squash and this is yet one more way for me to enjoy this very satisfying vegetable. Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
Yeah Lifestyle says
This looks so tasty. What a great way to use butternut squash in a salad with so many other delicious ingredients
Marie-Pierre says
Perfect fall salad! I love a nutty salad like this. Doing this tonight!
Stephanie says
This butternut squash salad looks so inviting. So many of my favorite flavors in this salad - squash, pecans, apples, greens, etc... Perfect for holiday gatherings.
Samantha Donnelly says
This sounds lovely, as much as I love comfort foods at this time of year, it is sometimes nice to have something lighter
adriana says
Such a delicious salad recipe! Yum thank you for sharing this! Going to try it!
Sue-Tanya Mchorgh says
"Autumn in New York" truly paints a beautiful picture of the season! 🍂 Your description of the city's fall charm is so vivid, it's as if I'm strolling through those streets myself. Embracing the spirit of autumn with a salad that captures the essence of a bountiful harvest is a delightful idea.
Luna S says
Yum! This looks so good and it is a great change up from a normal more plain salad. Thanks for sharing this.
Jupiter Hadley says
Ohh a recipe for cooking with butternut squash that isn't a soup! This salad looks so fun and filling, thank you for the recipe.
Rosey says
That's a fun salad. I Love butternut squash in anything (or even raw).
Esme Slabbert says
Oh be still my heart. This is such an awesome and wonderful and perfect salad for my family. Pinned is as I will have to make it for our next get together.
I visited you via Full Plate Thursday, 667. I linked up this week with = 44+45. Hope you will join us M-S SeniorSalonPitStop and W-S #WordlessWednesday. You will find both under BLOGGING.
Bernice says
Such pretty imagery, both the New York scene and salad photos! I love how the beautiful colors reflect the colorful season of autumn. I'm allergic to squash so I simply replaced it with roasted sweet potatoes because I love that orange theme. It was still as delicious as promised.
Gloria says
Fall flavours are the best. Squash is a favourite in our house. This salad makes the perfect side dish, or main event.
Marta says
I loved the combination of flavors and textures in this butternut squash salad. This really does showcase the flavors of autumn.
Leslie says
I absolutely love the sweet and savory flavors of this recipe! This is the perfect fall salad!
Jessica says
The dressing was delish, and the salad came together beautifully. Loved seeing that pop of autumn color on the table. Not a bite was leftover!
Kathryn says
I love cooking with butternut squash during the holidays! Love it in a salad so this was a hit! Making it again soon 🙂
Carrie Robinson says
This is such a gorgeous salad! 🙂 It would make the perfect addition to that Christmas dinner table. Definitely a crowd-pleaser!
Lisa says
I do love the different textures in this salad. Instread of bottled dressing, I dressed it with a simple homemade vinaigrette and it was absolutely delicious!
Sean says
This salad completely captures all of the fall flavors. I had to swap out the pecans for walnuts but I love this salad.
Hayley Dhanecha says
This is the perfect salad to celebrate autumn. Our dinner guests and family members enjoyed it. Great recipe.