A Beautiful Autumn Salad 🥗
Hello, yes, it’s me again👩🏻🍳! Still searching for new ways to cook with and share butternut squash recipes. This time, take a summer salad 🥗 staple and change it up to make it a perfect 🍂🍁 autumn lunch or dinner. Who doesn’t love finding a new way to eat lettuce? This is out of the ordinary and tastes amazing. This month, why not try this Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Brussels Sprouts. I think you’re going to love it. Better yet, I’ve never heard anyone say, “I sure am sorry I ate that salad”!
When you roast butternut squash, it takes on such a great, caramelized flavor. As a result, the sweetness of the squash paired with the tart red wine vinegar, the pomegranate seeds, and topped with some salty Parmesan cheese, you’ll strike a perfect balance. And just because we’re not completely angelic, we top this salad with some rustic, homemade croutons flavored with thyme and sage. This really boosts your summer time staple of a salad into a hearty meal for the cold days of autumn and winter. If you don’t have the time or energy to cut up the squash, there’s plenty of frozen squash patiently awaiting a pick up right in the grocery store! Just be sure to take time to enjoy this delicious Roasted Butternut Squash Salad.
The Butternut Squash for Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
No salad ever happens without the prep. Here’s how you can do it.
Find a 1 1/2 to 2 lb butternut squash. Cut the squash in half, then using a sharp knife, cut the peel from the outside. Remove the seeds and stringy insides, discard. Chop the squash into 1 inch cubes. Note the the squash really shrinks as it roasts. You can skip this step and buy frozen, already cleaned and cut squash.
Put the squash onto a baking sheet, that’s been covered in parchment paper. Top with with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated black pepper. Toss to coat. Bake in a 400º oven for about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, toss again, then roast another 15 minutes. Roast until the squash is starting to turn golden on the edges. Bake longer if necessary. Remove the from the oven to cool, set aside.
The Croutons
What’s a delicious salad without some crunchy croutons? Make these quickly with any bread you like. Just cube about 5 big slices of bread. I like to use a sourdough wheat. Cube the bread into 1 inch pieces, then spread the bread onto a baking sheet.
Toss with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and 1 teaspoon of crushed, dried thyme leaves, then a 1/2 teaspoon of ground sage. Toss to coat and then bake for a 15 minutes at 400º.
Croutons bake for Roasted Butternut Squash Salad. Take the tray out of the oven and toss the pieces a bit a continue to cook another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven to cool.
The Veggies
Wash and dry the romaine lettuce, cut and chop as you like it, about 6 cups of romaine. Put it into a large bowl. Next, thinly chop about 3 large ribs of celery, add to the bowl. Wash about 1 lb of Brussels sprouts. Remove the bottoms and thinly slice or even better, shred them in the food processor.
Add to the bowl. Finally, add 1 cup cleaned and trimmed cauliflower floretes. Toss everything together.
The Dressing
In a small bowl, add 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil. 1/4 red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar. Next, smash and mash 2 cloves of garlic with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Using the side of the knife, let the salt help emulsify the garlic until its’ become a paste, add to the bowl.
Using the salt and the side of your knife, press garlic until it forms a pasteThen, add 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves 2 teaspoons of honey, 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper. Whisk to emulsify. Chill in the refrigerator.
Shave or grate 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese.
Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Brussels Sprouts
To Serve
Add the roasted squash to the salad along with the pomegranate seeds or the dried cranberries and the croutons. Toss with the dressing and top with the freshly shaved Parmesan cheese and serve. Enjoy!
Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1 medium butternut squash, about 1 1/2 lbs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup fresh pomegranate seeds or substitute dried cranberries
- 1 cup cauliflower florettes
- 1 lb Brussels sprouts, cleaned and thinly sliced/shredded
- 6 cups lettuce - romaine, arugala, butter, any variety or mix that you like
- 1 cup thinly sliced celery
- 1 cup cauliflower floretes
- 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds or dried cranberries
For the Dressing
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, mashed to a paste
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey
Garnish
- 1/2 cup shaved or grated Parmesan cheese
For the croutons
- 5 cups cubed sourdough bread
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried, crushed thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Cut the squash in half, then using a sharp knife, cut the peel from the outside. Next, remove the seeds and stringy insides, discard. Chop the squash into 1 inch cubes. NOTE: f you want to skip this step, buy frozen, already cleaned and cut squash.
- Put the squash onto a baking sheet, that's been covered in parchment paper or foil. Top with with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated black pepper. Toss to coat. Bake in a 400º oven for about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, toss again, then roast another 15 minutes. Roast until the squash is starting to turn golden on the edges. Bake longer if necessary. Remove the from the oven to cool, set aside.
- Wash and dry the lettuce, cut and chop as you like it. Put it into a large bowl. Next, thinly chop about 3 large ribs of celery, add to the bowl. Wash the Brussels sprouts, trim the bottoms and thinly slice or shred in a food processor with the shredding attachment. Add to the bowl. Finally, add 1 cup cleaned and trimmed cauliflower floretes. Toss everything together.
For the Vinagrette
- In a small bowl, add 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil. 1/4 red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar. Next, smash and mash 2 cloves of garlic with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Using the side of the knife, let the salt help emulsify the garlic until its' become a paste, add to the bowl.
- Then, add 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves 2 teaspoons honey, 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper. Whisk to emulsify. Chill in the refrigerator.
For the croutons
- Cut bread into cubes, spread onto a baking sheet lined with foil. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, 1/2 teaspoon ground sage, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Toss to coat. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove the tray and turn the croutons. Continue baking another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
To Serve
- Add the roasted squash to the salad along with the pomegranate seeds or the dried cranberries and the croutons. Toss with the dressing. Top with the shaved or grated Parmesan cheese.
