What lettuce goes well with butternut squash?

Hearty greens like lacinato kale, curly kale, baby kale, arugula, or spinach pair beautifully with roasted butternut squash. Their slightly bitter and peppery taste balances the squash's natural sweetness.

What pairs well with butternut squash?

Butternut squash pairs best with earthy, tangy, or sweet ingredients. Think kale, pomegranate, dried cranberries, red onion, maple syrup, nuts, or seeds.

What seasonings taste good on butternut squash?

Warm, aromatic flavors work best with butternut squash. Try nutmeg, fresh sage, cinnamon, thyme, or rosemary. A touch of maple syrup or smoked paprika can also enhance its natural sweetness and depth. Feel free to add more seasonings to the roasted squash as desired.

What cheese complements butternut squash?

Salty and tangy cheeses contrast beautifully with sweet roasted squash. Great options include feta, goat cheese, blue cheese, or gorgonzola. For something creamier and milder, try Parmesan or pecorino sprinkled on top.

How long does butternut squash need to be cooked?

In a nutshell, roast until tender and caramelized. For this butternut squash salad recipe, we recommend roasting for 30–40 minutes at 325°F.

Cozy Fall Cozy Fall Butternut Squash Salad

Description

This Roasted Butternut Squash Salad is a cozy fall favorite that’s as nourishing as it is delicious. Made with tender roasted butternut squash, hearty kale, toasted nuts, and a maple-sage dressing, it’s the perfect balance of sweet and savory — it’s vibrant, wholesome, and guaranteed to impress.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Butternut Squash Salad

3 cups butternut squash, cubed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces Kale (lacinato- 4 cups loosely packed)
1/4 red onion, cut in thin slivers
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup dried cranberries (or use craisins, dried currants, or raisins)

Maple Glazed Seeds

1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
2 teaspoons maple syrup

Maple Sage Dressing

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fresh sage, minced
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated if possible)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325°F.
Toast seeds. Toss seeds with maple syrup, and a pinch of salt, bake at 325°F for 10 minutes. Let cool.
Roast butternut squash. Mix cubed butternut with olive oil and salt. Spread out on a parchment paper lined sheet pan. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 30-40 minutes until tender. Let cool.
Make dressing. Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup, fresh sage, nutmeg, black pepper, and salt.
Prepare red onions. Place onion slices in a bowl and toss with a couple spoonfuls of dressing. Set aside. This will tame the bite and add flavor to them.
Massage kale. Remove ribs from kale leaves and tear into 2 inch pieces place in a large bowl and add a drizzle of dressing and a sprinkle of salt. Massage with your clean hands to work the liquids and salt into the leaves for a few minutes.
Assemble. In a salad bowl, on top of kale, layer cooled butternut cubes, red onion, sprinkle on toasted seeds (you may not need them all), pomegranate and craisins. Drizzle more dressing over the top.

Notes

Add cheese if desired. Blue cheese cheese, gorgonzola cheese, goat cheese or feta cheese would be nice.

Add nuts. Switch out the seeds for hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, or almonds. Or use a combination!

Lacinato kale is known to be more tender and mild in flavor. If you use a different kale massage longer for mature kale, less for baby leaves.

Why Massage kale? Massaging kale with olive oil (or vinaigrette) will soften some of the harsher flavors of kale and tenderize it.

Make the dressing a few days ahead and refrigerate ( keeps 5 days).

Store in the fridge in a sealed container. Leftovers are good for 2 days.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 142
Sugar: 7.2 g
Sodium: 126.4 mg
Fat: 6.9 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Carbohydrates: 18.6 g
Fiber: 3.8 g
Protein: 4.4 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg