Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

This roasted butternut squash salad is loaded with fall vegetables, quinoa, and kale. It is topped with pomegranate seeds, pickled red onions, and horseradish vinaigrette. This roasted butternut squash salad recipe is perfect for lunch, weeknight dinner, or Thanksgiving!

Let's welcome autumn with roasted butternut squash salad full of fall flavors. As soon as I see butternut squash at the farmer's market, I get a little excited for the end of Arizona's hot summer. This roasted butternut squash salad recipe is easy to make and a beautiful salad for a weeknight meal or Thanksgiving.

Jump to:

• Nutrient-Dense Foods
• Salad Ingredients 
• Salad Ingredient Substitutions
• How to Cut Butternut Squash
• Roasting the Vegetables 
• Salad Dressing Ingredients
• Salad Dressing Ingredient Substitutions
• Recipes FAQs
• Tips
• Vegan Salads to Try this Season
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

Arizona has five seasons: hot summer, wet summer, fall, winter, and spring. So, for me, butternut squash signifies the beginning of fall and a fabulous butternut squash salad recipe. Even though my recipe includes many of my favorite fall vegetables, I also call this a roasted butternut squash salad with kale to applaud one of my favorite greens. 

Celebrate butternut squash by including it in lasagna, soup, or a delicious pasta salad.

Nutrient-Dense Foods

Among the most nutrient-dense foods, kale is a cruciferous vegetable like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, and Brussels sprouts. According to Healthline, a single cup of raw kale (about 67 grams or 2.4 ounces) contains:

• Vitamin A: 206% of the DV (from beta-carotene), Vitamin K: 684% of the DV, Vitamin C: 134% of the DV, Vitamin B6: 9% of the DV
• Manganese: 26% of the DV
• Calcium: 9% of the DV
• Copper: 10% of the DV
• Potassium: 9% of the DV
• Magnesium: 6% of the DV
• It also contains 3% or more of the DV for vitamin B1 (thiamin), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin), iron, and phosphorus.

However, some people experience bloating and difficulty digesting kale. Therefore, I suggest chopping kale into tiny pieces to make digesting kale easier. 

Salad Ingredients 

Although roasted butternut squash is the hero of this salad, I also included various roasted vegetables, raw vegetables, and a little sweetness from pomegranate seeds. In Arizona, pomegranates are in season and plentiful. For that reason, adding some pomegranate arils (the seed pods) worked perfectly with my selection of fall vegetables. 

Raw Ingredients

• Kale: I chop kale finely to make chewing and digesting it easier.
• Pomegranate Seeds: Pomegranate seeds are also rich in antioxidants, which can help protect the body against inflammation and free radical damage. Antioxidant content varies between pomegranate varieties, but all contain high levels of these healthful bioactive components.

Roasted Vegetables 

• Butternut Squash: Butternut squash, or winter squash, is harvested in the fall, but it keeps well for several months. It is a good source of fiber, potassium, and other vital nutrients. The nutritional content of squash makes it beneficial for digestion, blood pressure, and healthy skin and hair.
• Cauliflower: Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable naturally high in fiber and B vitamins. It provides antioxidants and phytonutrients that can protect against cancer. It also contains fiber to enhance weight loss and digestion, choline essential for learning and memory, and many other vital nutrients.
• Brussel Sprouts: Eating a lot of Brussels sprouts and other cruciferous veggies may help protect against cancers of the stomach, lungs, kidney, breast, bladder, and prostate. Crunchy veggies like Brussels sprouts may also help you stave off other health issues, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, and diabetes.

Other Ingredients

• Red Quinoa: Red quinoa is rich in protein, fiber, and many essential vitamins and minerals. Plus, it's higher in antioxidants than other varieties of quinoa, which may benefit heart health. As a gluten-free pseudocereal, it may also improve the overall nutrient quality of a gluten-free diet.
• Pickled Red Onions: I make my own quick and easy pickled red onions, which give the salad a sweet and tangy flavor.
• Tofu Feta Cheese: Tofu feta cheese adds a creamy and savory component to the salad.

Salad Ingredient Substitutions

• Choose any greens, such as Romaine lettuce, collard greens, or spinach.
• Try raspberries instead of pomegranate seeds. As the fruit most similar in flavor to pomegranate is the raspberry, it makes sense that this delicious fruit would come top of our list! Or cranberries or red currants are also great options.
• Use acorn squash, buttercup squash, hubbard squash, or delicata squash instead of butternut squash.
• Root vegetables or broccoli replace cauliflower in this salad recipe.
• If you don't like Brussels sprouts, try asparagus instead.
• Any color of quinoa works well if red quinoa isn't available.
• Raw red onions or white onions substitute red pickled onions.

How to Cut Butternut Squash

1. Begin by cutting the ends off the butternut squash with a sharp knife. 
2. Although many prefer peeling butternut squash, cutting it into ⅓ inch-3.4 inch slices is easier.
3. Then, using a sharp knife, cut the rind off each circle.
4. Now cut into equal-sized cubes.

Roasting the Vegetables 

1. First, always cut the vegetables in similar sizes when roasting together to roast equally. Not only does this prevent uneven cooking, but it's also nice to cook all the vegetables on the same baking pan. 
2. Also, use a silicone baking mat or parchment paper to prevent sticking when cooking without oil. Another suggestion is to wash the cut vegetables before placing them in a single layer on the baking sheet, allowing seasonings to stick to the vegetables without oil. 
3. Prepare the other ingredients while the butternut squash, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts roast. Because pickled onions require a few hours to marinate in the refrigerator after cooking, I make the onions ahead of time. But feel free to use raw red onions as well. 
4. Roast the vegetables in a 425-degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until brown; remove from the oven and cool completely before adding to the roasted butternut squash salad.
5. Cook quinoa according to directions and allow to cool completely, or make ahead of time and leave covered in the refrigerator until ready to use.
6. Remove the stems from the kale leaves, chop coarsely, and place them in the base of a bowl or large platter. 
7. If using pickled red onions, remove them from their brine and place ½ cup of red onion pieces on a few paper towels to absorb some of the brine.
8. Now, add the cooked, cooled quinoa and cooled roasted vegetables. 

• Then add the pomegranate seeds. 
• I added tofu feta cheese for savory goodness, but this is optional. 

Salad Dressing Ingredients

For this roasted butternut squash salad recipe, I chose a Horseradish vinegarette. I first tasted Horseradish vinaigrette at True Food Kitchen, one of Scottsdale's favorite organic vegan-friendly restaurants. But, of course, their dressing contains oil, so I created a similar oil-free version of that salad dressing. 

After a lengthy trial and error, I nailed it, and I must say, I like this new concoction of flavors. And it pairs perfectly with my roasted butternut squash salad. 

• Champagne Vinegar: Champagne vinegar is a mild, floral vinegar typically made from Chardonnay and pinot noir grapes.
• Horseradish Root: Horseradish root is naturally rich in antioxidants, which can help protect your body from cellular damage by attaching itself to free radicals. Early studies also suggest that horseradish may prevent the growth of colon, lung, and stomach cancer cells, though more research on humans needs to be done.
• Stone Ground Mustard: Stone ground is milder than Dijon because many seeds are left whole, not crushed, to release the spice and flavor.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic gives the horseradish dressing a deep flavor.
• Green Onions: These mild-tasting onions add an excellent, fresh taste to the dressing.
• Lemon Juice: I prefer fresh lemon juice whenever possible for the best flavors.
• Red Pepper Flakes: Red pepper flakes give the dressing a little spice but not too much.
• Water: The water helps thin the ingredients in the dressing.

Salad Dressing Ingredient Substitutions

• Asian rice vinegar is a good substitute, as is white wine or sherry vinegar, even though it's a touch harsher. Red wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar can work, but they're going to be less sweet and much more flavorful and colorful.
• If you need a horseradish substitute, you should find several options in your local supermarket. Wasabi, brown mustard, fresh ginger, black radish, and horseradish sauce all work well.
• Choose dijon mustard instead of stone ground mustard.
• Jarred minced garlic and garlic powder will usually be the most accessible, common substitutes, but there are other options. Garlic salt can also work in a bind—use ¾ tsp—of garlic salt for one clove of garlic.
• Chives substitute green onions. This herb has a remarkably similar flavor to the green onion and looks very similar. However, the flavor of chives is a bit more delicate, so you could use a few more if desired.
• Use bottled lemon juice when fresh lemon juice isn't available.
• A pinch of cayenne pepper is a great way to replace red pepper flakes.

Because fresh horseradish root is difficult to find sometimes, don't despair, these dressing recipes taste as spectacular as the horseradish dressing.

• Maple Dijon Dressing
• Champagne Vinaigrette Tahini Dressing
• Vegan French Dressing
• Roasted Pumpkin Vinaigrette

Recipes FAQs

Tips

• Cut Brussel Sprouts by removing the stems and discarding some outer leaves; then cut in halves.
• Soak Brussel Sprouts in salt water for at least 30 minutes to remove excess debris and little critters that sometimes are inside the leaves. 
• Meal prep by chopping all the vegetables beforehand makes salad meal preparation easier. 
• Substitute raw red onions for pickled red onions as a time saver. 
• Although I love red quinoa, any cooked quinoa works well with this roasted butternut squash salad recipe. 
• If using horseradish root, peel only the area you plan to grate and freeze the rest for future use. 

Try roasted butternut squash salad for lunch, dinner, or a beautiful holiday salad this fall.

Vegan Salads to Try this Season

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