This year we grew a bunch of butternut squash in the garden so I’ve been trying to incorporate it into our dinners. In this salad, I’ve roasted it with some Brussel Sprouts to make a wonderful fall salad.
Pick a butternut squash that is roughly 3 pounds in size. To prep, you’ll want to cut the squash in half lengthwise (as you can see in the picture below), butternut squash is pretty starchy so make sure to use caution when cutting in half. Scoop out the seeds, then use the pocket as a handle to secure that half of the squash and use a vegetable peeler to peel the skin; the seeds can be saved for planting next year, can be eaten, or can be thrown out. Use some caution as the skins are typically tough which can make the peeling difficult.
Once the butternut squash is peeled you can cube it, just cutting it into bite-size pieces. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast with Brussels at 400 for 20 minutes. Next wash and prep the Brussel Sprouts. Pick off any outer bad leaves and discard them. Also cut off the bottom stems, then half them. Toss both with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast the squash and sprouts at 400 for 18 to 20 minutes. If you prefer your Brussel Sprouts crispier, you can start by roasting them for 5 to 10 minutes then add the squash after.
While the squash and sprouts roast, prep the kale, apple, and make the dressing, dicing the apple last to minimize any browning. Kale can be prepped by just cutting into the desired size, which for me is often to Julienne.
Roughly chop your pecans, then toast in either a toaster oven or in a pan on the stove, keeping an eye on them to prevent burning.
Once the squash and sprouts have finished roasting, remove from the oven and add to the bowl of kale, apple, and dressing. Toss in the goat cheese, then top with the toasted pecans.
This is a tasty, healthy and hearty dinner salad with elements of freshness for the fall and winter seasons, as well as a great side for Thanksgiving or Christmas suppers!
- Large Butternut Squash (roughly 3lbs)
- One pound Brussel Sprouts
- Bunch of Kale, preferably Lacinato
- Large Honey Crisp Apple
- 1 cup whole pecans, coarsely chopped
- Goat Cheese (4 oz), recommend pre-crumbled
- ¼ cup Olive Oil
- 2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Maple Syrup
- 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut the butternut squash in half, scoop out the seeds, then using the pocket as a handle, peel the squash. Remove any of the bad leaves from the Brussel Sprouts, then spread out both the squash and sprouts on the baking sheet, then lightly toss both with some olive oil. For extra crispy Brussels put them in 5 to 10 minutes ahead of time, then add in the squash. Once the squash is in the pan, roast for 18 to 20 minutes until the squash is tender but not mushy.
- While the vegetables roast, mix the apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, and salt (a pinch) together. Once mixed, slowly whisk the olive oil into the other ingredients until it becomes emulsified. Taste and adjust by adding salt and pepper as desired. At this point, also wash and prepare the kale by removing the fibrous rib and roughly chopping the leaves.
- Once the vegetables are nearly done roasting, roughly chop the pecans then toast, being careful not to burn them. Lastly, cut the apple into ¼ inch pieces.
- In a large bowl add the roasted vegetable, kale, and chopped up apple. Pour in the dressing and lightly toss until evenly coated. Toss in the goat cheese and toasted pecans, and you are ready to serve.
This sounds like a tasty recipe. I’ll give it a rating after I try it. Thanks for sharing.