Did Fall take its time arriving this year or what?! At least here in Indy it sure did. As much as I’m all for an endless summer, being half-way into October with warm temps and the trees green as ever was starting to feel a bit odd! As we move into November, the heat has been turned on, the trees are beautiful and full of color, and I have lots of raking in my future.
So bring on the fall flavors! Time to switch up the salad routine and add a bit of fall comfort food twist. This Fall Harvest Salad gets that from roasted squash and it delivers! This one’s a new favorite for sure. I LOVE the flavors in this salad.
With mixed greens, cinnamon roasted squash, sweet pear, dried cranberries, crunchy walnuts, creamy goat cheese (or cashew cheese for dairy free) and a maple-apple cider vinaigrette, this salad is pure autumn comfort and goodness. It’s also pretty (and delicious) enough for the holidays. So keep this one in mind as a potential salad for your Thanksgiving table or holiday entertaining!
I think that out of all the yummy ingredients above, the cinnamon is the ingredient that takes this over the top! Sprinkling the squash with plenty of cinnamon prior to roasting, really took it to another level. I used an acorn squash when I created this recipe, but butternut, kabocha or really any winter squash would work equally well.
Like any salad recipe, this is totally versatile. Use massaged kale instead of mixed greens, or apple instead of pear, pecans instead of walnuts. Leave off the cheese to keep it dairy-free or use a creamy cashew cheese. I always want to encourage you to get creative in the kitchen and feel free to use ingredients you have on hand. Salad is pretty hard to mess up and takes very little skill to throw together, so don’t be afraid to experiment!
The squash roasting is the only time-consuming part to this recipe. If you do that ahead of time, this salad can be thrown together quickly and easily. The dressing is simple and the other ingredients take very little prep.
I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did!
Fall Harvest Salad
Serves 4
Ingredients:
For Roasted Squash:
1 medium acorn squash (can sub small butternut squash or other winter squash)
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon cinnamon (or more to taste)
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 pear, sliced
¼ cup dried cranberries
½ cup walnuts
6 cups mixed greens
2 oz. goat cheese
Maple-Apple Cider Vinaigrette
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup raw apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Pinch of sea salt
Directions:
To roast the squash:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Wash and dry squash. Cut in half and scrape out the seeds. (There is no need to peel acorn squash if you don’t want to. The skin is edible. But if the squash skin doesn’t sound appetizing to you, slice it off with a sharp knife.) Slice the squash into ¼ inch thick slices, or cube it. Toss the squash slices or cubes with olive oil and place on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the squash with sea salt and cinnamon. Roast 30-40 minutes until tender and sweet. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes.
Make the dressing:
Whisk the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup and sea salt in a small bowl until well combined.
Assemble the salad:
In a large salad bowl, add the mixed greens, roasted squash, sliced pear, cranberries, and walnuts. Add dressing to taste, and toss well. Garnish with crumbled goat cheese.
Serve and enjoy!
