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Wholesome Fall Harvest Salad with Maple Vinaigrette

fall harvest salad - featured image
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A hearty, meal-worthy salad featuring warm roasted butternut squash, crisp apples, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, and a creamy maple vinaigrette. Perfect for weeknights or holiday gatherings.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 cups cubed butternut squash (about 1 medium squash)
  • 5 ounces fresh baby arugula
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
  • ½ cup pecan halves or pieces, toasted
  • 1 large Honeycrisp or Fuji apple, cored and thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
  • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
  • ¼ cup pure maple syrup
  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt (plus more for squash)
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (plus more for squash)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (for roasting squash)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Toss cubed butternut squash with 2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Spread in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway, until tender and caramelized.
  3. While squash roasts, toast pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, shaking frequently, until fragrant. Remove from pan and cool.
  4. Make the vinaigrette: In a small jar or bowl, combine maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, ¼ teaspoon salt, and a pinch of black pepper. Shake or whisk to combine. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while whisking or shaking continuously until emulsified. Set aside.
  5. In a large salad bowl, add arugula. Drizzle about half the vinaigrette over the greens and toss gently to coat.
  6. Let roasted squash cool for 2-3 minutes. Add warm squash, sliced apple, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, red onion, and feta (if using) to the bowl.
  7. Gently toss everything together, adding more dressing as needed. Serve immediately while squash is warm.

Notes

For meal prep, store components separately and dress just before serving. To prevent apple browning, toss slices in a little vinaigrette or lemon juice. The vinaigrette can be made up to a week ahead.

Nutrition

Keywords: fall harvest salad, maple vinaigrette, butternut squash salad, healthy salad, easy salad recipe, gluten-free salad, vegetarian salad

Find it online: https://evabake.com/wholesome-fall-harvest-salad-with-maple-vinaigrette-healthy-and-easy-recipe/