Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

Name: Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 medium butternut squash, ((about 3 pounds) peeled and diced 1/2-inch); 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs; 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans; Zest of 1 lemon; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 garlic clove, (minced); 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; Juice of 1 lemon; 1/4 cup olive oil; 5 cups chopped kale; 1/4 cup finely chopped red onions; 1/4 cup dried cranberries; 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds; 1/4 cup grated parmesan (plus more for serving); 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

By Paige Adams

on Nov 14, 2024

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This roasted butternut squash salad is nutty, a little bit crunchy and full of so much good flavor. While the squash roasts in the oven, I toast a mixture of panko breadcrumbs and chopped pecans on another sheet pan. Then I toss everything with kale, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, red onions, parmesan and fresh herbs. The salad is dressed with lemon vinaigrette.

If you’re looking for another fall salad try this harvest kale salad or this apple walnut quinoa salad.

Roasted butternut squash salad in a large bowl.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s a sheet pan salad. Roasting is a requirement for fall vegetables like winter squash and sweet potatoes. When you roast butternut squash in this recipe, it lightly browns on the outside and becomes creamy and tender in the middle.

These pecan breadcrumbs might be better than croutons, and I am a crouton person. They are great because you get good toasty crunch in every single bite.

This salad is great on any day of the week, but it’s special enough for a holiday meal. Because kale is very hearty, it is great for Thanksgiving or Christmas when food tends to sit out longer. There’s no risk of wilted greens.

The Ingredients

Ingredients including kale, squash, lemon, dried cranberries, red onions, pumpkin seeds, parmesan, olive oil, pecans, panko breadcrumbs, mustard and garlic.

This is what you need:

Butternut squash: You want to pick a medium squash that’s around 3 pounds. If you prefer a shortcut, you can buy peeled and cubed butternut squash. Also, you can substitute with sweet potatoes.
Kale: Either curly kale or lacinato kale will work for the salad. Tear the leaves off the center stems before chopping them. If you aren’t a kale fan, you can substitute with baby spinach or a spring mix.
Panko breadcrumbs: These Japanese-style breadcrumbs are fantastic because they are very crunchy. They are a staple in my pantry.
Pecans: It’s best to finely chop the nuts, so they easily combine with the breadcrumbs.
Red onions give the salad a sharp accent.
Pumpkin seeds: You can use either raw or roasted seeds.
Dried cranberries give the salad something sweet and slightly tart. You can substitute with pomegranate seeds. They will be more fresh and juicy.
Parmesan cheese: Since it’s finely grated, the parmesan will disappear right into the salad, but you will still be able to taste it. Once I plate the salad, I do sprinkle more on for a final garnish. You can leave it out or use a plant-based, dairy-free substitute if you are vegan.
Lemon: Nothing goes to waste. The zest gets mixed into the breadcrumbs, and the juice goes into the vinaigrette.
Olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper: You need all of these for roasting the squash and in the salad dressing. Use a high quality extra-virgin olive oil.
Lemon vinaigrette: The dressing is made with garlic, mustard, olive oil, fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper.

How To Make This Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

1. Prep the squash. Toss it with oil, salt and pepper. You can do this right on the baking sheet. Then spread it into a single later.

2. Roast the butternut squash. Give it 25-30 minutes to lightly brown and become soft in the middle.

Butternut squash on a sheet pan before and after it is roasted.

3. Make the breadcrumbs. Stir the panko breadcrumbs, chopped pecans, lemon zest, salt pepper and oil in a bowl. Then pour them on a lined sheet pan.

4. Toast the breadcrumbs. Because the oven is already hot, they will only need 7-8 minutes. Be careful not to burn them.

Breadcrumbs on a sheet pan before and after they are toasted.

5. Make the vinaigrette. Stir the garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil in a small bowl.

6. Toss the kale with the vinaigrette. It’s up to you if you want to take your hands and really massage it into the greens.

Vinaigrette in a small bowl. Kale leaves dressed with vinaigrette in a large bowl.

7. Stir the roasted squash, breadcrumbs, red onions, cranberries, pumpkin seeds, parmesan and parsley into the kale. Sprinkle with more parmesan as desired while serving.

Salad ingredients all tossed together in a large bowl.

Serving

As mentioned, this would be a wonderful recipe for Thanksgiving dinner. For this big meal, it is important to have a fresh salad with oven-roasted turkey and all the side dishes. This a salad that’s big enough to be a main dish lunch or dinner on a regular day. You can add a protein such as chicken, salmon or tofu.

Leftovers & Storage

You can make the squash, breadcrumbs and vinaigrette up to 3 days in advance. Keep them all in separate airtight containers. The breadcrumbs at room temperature and the squash and the dressing in the fridge. Let them sit out a room temperature for at least 15 minutes before assembling the salad.

You can save leftovers up to 2 days. They will still taste good, but the breadcrumbs will lose some of their crunch. The kale will soften, but it won’t wilt like other kinds of lettuce.

Meal Prep Tips

If you are making this salad for meal prep such as a week of work lunches, only toss the amount of kale in the dressing that you are planning to eat at that time. The same strategy applies for the breadcrumbs. For texture, it’s best to dress the salad and toss in the breadcrumbs right before you are going to enjoy it.