This vibrant roasted butternut squash salad makes getting your greens a cinch! Offering a delicious balance of sweet and salty flavors, this vegetarian recipe is full of flavor, and pairs well with many dishes.
I am a firm believer that salads shouldn’t be boring. I may be a dietitian but that doesn’t mean that munching through a big pile of kale is my idea of a good time. Those kind of salads are the ones that give veggies a bad wrap.
This roasted butternut squash salad is a modified version of a salad I ate at a friend’s dinner party a while ago. Made with butternut squash, dates, red onion, feta, and baby spinach, it contains just a few simple ingredients but is full of flavor and spunk. In my mind, this is the way that salads should be. Happy munching!
Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Dates & Feta
Notes
If butternut squash is not available, you can use another variety of winter squash or even sweet potato.
Ingredients
Roasted squash:
- 2 cups butternut squash
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/8 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp cumin
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon
Salad:
- 4 cup baby spinach
- 3-4 medjool dates
- ¼ cup red onion
- 2 tbsp unsalted almonds
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp feta
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉/220℃ and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Chop the butternut squash into ½ inch (1 cm) cubes. Add the butternut squash to a medium mixing bowl.
- Add the olive oil, salt, cumin and cinnamon to the mixing bowl. Stir until the butternut squash is coated in olive oil and spices.
- Pour the butternut squash onto the parchment-lined sheet pan, and insert the pan into the oven. Cook for 20-30 minutes, until the squash is tender but not mushy. Allow the squash to cool before adding it to the other salad ingredients.
- Remove the pits from the dates. Finely slice the dates, and the red onion.
- Finely chops the almonds.
- Add the baby spinach, dates, red onion, almonds, and squash to a medium salad bowl.
- Before serving, drizzle the olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the salad. Gently toss the salad with tongs or salad servers.
- Sprinkle the feta on top of the salad, and serve.
Hungry for more delicious eats and treats? Check out my recipes page.