Now this is an autumn salad.
Once the temperature dips down into that familiar fall chill, it becomes harder and harder to handle a chilly salad. Raw vegetables, cool and crisp and lovely just one season ago- they lose some of their charm for me.
If the same is true for you, I suggest roasting all the fall vegetables you enjoy most and piling the mess of them in a bowl with dried cranberries and chopped fresh scallions. You won’t even need a dressing because the roasting process will do its job intensifying the warmth, the flavor, of each vegetable. Butternut squash will caramelize and turn syrupy sweet. Strands of onion will melt into glossy, tender noodles.
A bowlful can serve as a hearty side dish or a warming lunchtime salad.
Autumn Butternut Squash Salad
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash peeled and chopped into 1-2 inch chucks
- 1 large onion peeled and chopped
- 1 large apple peeled and chopped in pieces roughly the same size as the squash
- 2 tablespoons oil
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup dried unsweetened cranberries
- 1/4 cup chopped scallions green onions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Toss the butternut squash, apple, onion, and oil in a large bowl, using your hands to coat the fruit/vegetables well with oil.
- Spread the fruit/vegetables on a large baking sheet, salt and pepper them liberally, and roast for 1 hour. Check the vegetables after 40 minutes and flip them as best you can to ensure they do not burn on one side.
- When they are tender and able to be pierced with a fork, remove the fruit/vegetables to a large bowl. Toss with the dried cranberries and scallions.
Nutrition
Where can you get unsweetened cranberries? I’ve never seen them before but would love to get my hands on some!
YUM! I’ve been needing this. Thanks as always my dear. :)
Brilliant! This is right up my alley – thanks for the inspiration! :)
Sarah, unsweetened dried cranberries or “Craisins” as they are called, can be found near the raisins and other dried fruits in most grocery stores. They are sold in bulk at my local Sam’s Club and Sprouts Market as well. HTH.
Hi. Looks yum and a great Fall/Winter option for this seasonal salad eater!
Question: Do you roast the scallions AND add additional raw ones later?
Thanks,
Lisa
I have been in the same predicament myself! I usually love salad, but today we had a cold thunderstorm and that was the last thing I wanted. Do you roast a bunch of veggies at once and portion them out for later? What kind of green veggies would be good for this?
Hey Joy!
I recommend roasting a huge amount of them and then storing them all together in a big tupperware container. Take out the portion you want each day and reheat in the microwave. They should last 5 days but they’ll be mushier by the end.
As for a green to go with them- baby spinach is what I’d choose. Also, arugula would be fantastic because of its gentle spiciness.
Andie
Amazing and sublime combination of flavours and 5***** presentation!!
Cheers,
Lia.
Heaven in a salad bowl, right there! This is what I look forward to as summer days get shorter & cooler.
Roasted butternut squash is delicious; I love the addition of apples and cranberries. I make roasted squash with pears and puree the leftovers into soup.
Yum Yum Yum. Just when I was running out inspiration. Lovely photography.
Brilliant. I was just thinking, “I might be getting close to the annual it’s-too-cold-to-eat-salads-anymore problem.” Thanks!!
Well now that just looks delicious. I love that you roasted the apples with the squash- genius!
Mmm, this sounds like my kind of salad. Plus, I’ll bet the house smells AMAZING after roasting everything!
oooh, yum, but I would also crumble some soft goat’s cheese on top. To. die. for.
I’ve looked all over on-line and in stores for unsweetened dried cranberries or “Craisins”” and the typical bulk food product & the “craisins” are certainly full of sugar! Even at my health food stores they are sweetened with “evaporated cane juice” grrrrr. If anyone knows where to by unsweetened dried cranberries on-line let me know! Thanks!
Melody, I’ve found them at Trader Joe’s a few times!
Andie
Roasted butternut squash sounds delightful right now! So warm and delicious!
I’m making this today! Can’t wait! :-)
Erin
I linked to it here: http://spinintocontrol.blogspot.com/2012/10/i-have-squash-problem.html
So…I committed the cardinal sin of roasting veggies…and crowded the pan. The veggies steamed, rather than roasted and in order for them to get brown…I cooked them too long.
But…um…no worries. The recipe is still awesome! I popped the whole lot in the food processor, and turned it into butternut squash/onion/apple puree…and sprinkled the craisins on top! Still a total winner.
I make a salad similar to this, though more savory than sweet. It’s delish with the squash seeds salted, roasted, and tossed in/sprinkled on top. Beautiful photos! :)
This was absolutely delicious. I made it this evening for dinner but omitted the cranberries. It is a cozy feel good dish, I kinda wish it were storming here. Thank you so much for your awesome blog! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
Thank you! I made a batch of this yesterday, and I’ve been enjoying it for the past 2 days for lunch. It’s tasty, healthful, and has festive fall colors!
I just discovered your blog this weekend and I must say I am so inspired by your story and philosophy. Although I am twice your age, your story really resonates with me. I love your view on running. You are so right.
I made your autumn salad today and it was delicious. I mixed it with a bit of quoinoa for protein and used dried cherries because i couldn’t find unsweetened cranberries – I am in Canada eh. I sprinkled a few sunflower seeds on top. Did I mention it is was delicious?
Thanks so much – I feel reenergized and ready to continue my weight loss journey.
Made this last night for the first time as a side dish to roasted pork tenderloin.
Added crumbled feta on top. Everyone LOVED it. Will definitely make again.
Oh, and my butternut squash was from my garden. Unbelievable! The colour is so much richer and the vegetable is moister than any I have bought in the stores.
I made this today and it was a huge hit! I added crushed walnuts and it was delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
How many servings is this? Has anyone posted nutritional info yet? Sounds yummy!
I usually get 4-6 servings out of this, depending on whether I’m using it as a side dish for a more substantial meal or more of an equal partner to my main. Its about 608 cal for the entire thing (by my calculations, at least). This is my fall/winter staple!
I just made this and as I was eating kept saying out loud, “oh my gosh, this is so good!” I omitted the apple and cranberries because I didn’t have any but added wheat berries for a little crunch. So so so good!
Can’t wait to make this for Thanksgiving dinner!
I made this as a Thanksgiving side and everyone loved it! It was sweet, but not overwhelming. It was nice to have something lighter & without a doubt healthy on such a caloric day. This will be a new staple at family gatherings.
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