Maple Roasted Butternut Squash & Pomegranate Harvest Salad makes a colorful and delicious presentation during the drab of winter! Golden roasted butternut squash sits atop a bed of leafy greens. Add pecans, gorgonzola and pomegranate seeds, then drizzle with a zippy blender dressing!
Today I’m sharing the recipe for a beautiful and delicious salad: Maple Roasted Butternut Squash & Pomegranate Harvest Salad. I’ve been hankering to roast butternut squash all season long and have procrastinated. I’ll tell you why. I’ve got flexor tendonitis in my right wrist. And the thought of peeling and chopping the butternut squash makes me cringe.
So I was out grocery shopping for the week the other day and came upon already-peeled butternut squash in the produce section. Well, that did it for me. I bought it then and there and the rest is history.
First, roast the butternut squash in the oven at 400°
When I work on a lot of baking recipes during the holidays especially I find myself craving greens. It’s easy to miss out on the greens during the winter months when salads get upstaged by heavier fare. But after I roasted the butternut squash with maple syrup and it was so beautifully golden, I knew it was the perfect salad topper. Such a wonderful aroma in my kitchen!
This Maple Roasted Butternut Squash & Pomegranate Harvest Salad is a nice change-up for the fall and winter menu, with vibrant colors and textures. Caramelized maple roasted butternut squash. Crunchy toasted (or try sugared!) pecans. Juicy pomegranate seeds. Leafy greens. Gorgonzola cheese. All drizzled with a zippy homemade pomegranate blender dressing. This salad is perfect on its own or with a steaming cup of soup.
While the squash roasts in the oven, whip up the homemade pomegranate dressing in the blender.
Toast the pecans or use my easy recipe for Sugared Pecans, a real treat on this salad. I used sugared pecans because that’s what I had on hand. And also what I wanted. Ha. Hope you enjoy this harvest salad!
Maple Roasted Butternut Squash & Pomegranate Harvest Salad
Ingredients
Maple Roasted Butternut Squash:
- 1/2 butternut squash peeled and cubed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- salt and freshly ground pepper
Pomegranate Dressing
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 large garlic clove minced
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 pinches salt
Salad:
- 1/2 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
- 5 cups spring mix greens washed
- 1/2 cup toasted or sugared pecan halves
- 1/4 cup gorgonzola cheese
Instructions
Maple Roasted Butternut Squash
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- In a mixing bowl, combine olive oil, maple syrup and cubed butternut squash.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
- Bake on parchment-lined, foil covered baking sheet for 20 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake 20 more minutes 'til squash is tender and beginning to brown on the bottom.
- Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
Pomegranate Dressing
- Add all ingredients in blender and process 'til smooth.
Assemble Salad
- Place greens onto plates.
- Layer with maple roasted butternut squash, gorgonzola cheese, toasted or sugared pecans, and pomegranate seeds.
- Drizzle with homemade Pomegranate Dressing just before serving.
This salad is perfect with a steaming cup of New England Bacon Corn Chowder
Karen @ On the Banks of Salt Creek says
This look yummy. Gives me something else to use my squash in.
Wishing you and yours a delightful Thanksgiving.
Denise says
This looks like a winner! I once asked Doug to cut up the butternut squash but failed to mention to peel it…I now always buy precut butternut squash!
Allie says
Oh that’s so funny D – I have to be very specific with my instructions around here too. Literalists. 🙂
Taylor@Food Faith Fitness says
This looks amazing Allie!
Mandi Korn says
This looks super healthy and yummy, thanks for sharing:o)
Anu-My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
This salad looks absolutely fabulous, Allie. Pomegranate dressing sounds intriguing. So vibrant and full of yummy flavors. Lovely share! 🙂
Kristen @ A Mind Full Mom says
Allie, this look simply incredible. The flavors sound perfect and the pictures are gorgeous. Well done 🙂
Michelle | A Dish of Daily Life says
What a beautiful salad, Allie! That dressing sounds amazing!
Gaila says
Allie!! I am loving all the flavors you put together in a salad!! so this is perfect! healthy way of using leftovers!
Aunt Pinkie says
Looks wonderful and so unique! Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Julie @ Running in a Skirt says
Wow! I love everything about this!!! So pretty and delicious!
Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction says
What a beautiful salad! Love all of these flavors!
Melissa Falk says
This hits so many flavor notes: tart, sweet and salty. Nicely done!
Sherri @ Watch Learn Eat says
Hi Allie! I love all the flavors in this salad! I wish I was eating this for lunch right now instead of leftover pizza! 🙂 I will have to make this soon! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! 🙂
Manila Spoon (Abby) says
Wow Allie that is one gorgeous looking salad! Love the vibrant colors, the textures and the taste of the maple-roasted butternut squash! This is truly amazing!
Karla @SmallTownRambler says
YUM!! This looks so good! I’m going to share this recipe with my Mom, I know she will love it too!
Shashi at RunninSrilankan says
Allie – I knew I should have played hookie and come to your house for lunch! Boyoboy what a colorful salad this Maple Roasted Butternut Squash & Pomegranate Harvest Salad is! And it sure is a nice change-up from all the baking I’ve been doing too! Glad you got your hands on some pre-cut butternut – some stores have just about every squash precut! In the meantime I sure hope you wrist starts to feel better – I don’t know much about flexor tendinitis – but I sure hope it gets better with time! And Happiest of happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! xoxo
Catherine says
Dear Allie, What a beautiful holiday salad. I could make a meal of it! So hearty and colorful…sounds perfect to me. I wish you and your beautiful family a very happy & blessed Thanksgiving holiday. xoxo, Catherine
Sarah says
This looks amazing, Allie! I know what you mean about cutting up butternut squash – my husband has pretty severe arthritis in his thumb which makes tasks like that impossible for him. Thank goodness for precut squash – it also saves so much prep time so that alone is enough to sell me on it. I hope you and your family have a great Thanksgiving!
Analida's Ethnic Spoon says
This looks fantastic! I love the flavors, photos and colors in the salad! Have a great Thanksgiving!
Lauren kelly Nutrition says
This is one beautiful looking salad! Perfect for the holidays!
Beth says
I would love to have this salad on our thanksgiving table!!
Crystal Green says
This looks delicious! I love how colorful it looks. I like how it’s a nice combination of different textures too. Now I understand also why you were drawn to my post.
puja says
This salad looks aaaaah-mazing!!
Karen (Back Road Journal_ says
Your salad looks great and is so very colorful. When we lived in New Hampshire, I used to shop at Market Basket and my store always carried halved and peeled as well as peeled and cubed butternut squash. I certainly do miss shopping there.
Carina says
Hi Allie! Wow – this looks mouth-watering amazing! Now I really want some of that golden butternut squash! I’m sorry to hear that you have flexor tendonitis – is that chronic? Hope you are having a great March so far. ?
Allie says
Thank you so much Carina – hope you get to try that roasted butternut squash. FYI the tendonitis comes and goes, but it is aggravated by doing a repetitive motion where I have to press down with hard pressure – like cutting hard veggies — or scrubbing a bath tub or pan, thanks for asking. We had a super warm week around here and then it got really really cold again. Hoping winter will depart soon, that little taste of spring gave me spring fever. Hope all is well with you and your family. XO
Ashley @ Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen says
This combo looks *SO* fantastic! And I love all the pops of color going on here.
Lisa Goldfinger says
What a gorgeous salad, Allie. I love the combo of flavors and textures. I hope your tendinitis gets better soon!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
Sooooo I’ll admit, it’s hard to NOT buy that pre=cut package of butternut squash at the store. I know its SO MUCH cheaper to just buy the squash whole and do it yourself… but sometimes I’m lazy. And I just want someone else to cut it for me. lol. 🙂 Anyways, I am LOOOOOVING this salad, Allie!!! It’s SO gawsh darn pretty! And the flavors are AMAZING! Seriously, you just packed this salad with ALL THE YUM! I could definitely eat this for breakfast, lunch AND dinner. Nom Nom Nom NOOOM. <3 Can't wait to try it! Cheers, my dear! xoxo