Butternut squash is my FAVORITE vegetable and it’s not even close. If your family is anything like mine, butternut squash is usually served mashed and isn’t anything very exciting. While I do love some mashed squash I wanted to create something a bit more exciting with more levels of flavor. This warm take on a salad is a great side dish for your Thanksgiving/Friendsgiving! You could also add more vegetables like brussels sprouts, acorn squash or sweet potatoes if butternut squash isn’t your fave!
Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Salad Ingredients
Butternut Squash: Butternut squash is the star of this dish. For best results, I like to roast the peeled and cubed butternut squash in the oven in cubes until they get nice and browned to use for this recipe. See below for the instructions.
Spices: The spices you’ll need for this recipe include salt, rosemary, cinnamon and thyme. These are basic spices that I use in a lot of my fall and winter baked goods because they really do just taste like a warm, home cooked meal when put together.
Pecans: I have to say, I think the candied pecans really are the star of this butternut squash salad. They’re perfectly salty and sweet and add a different texture to the whole dish. Be sure to use raw pecans and they will be perfect!
Pomegranate Seeds: Adding in some fresh pomegranate seeds to the salad serve as little bursts of flavor. I absolutely love pomegranate seeds but the act of actually getting the seeds out of the fruit can be a pain.. feel free to buy the seeds at the store or you could replace the pomegranate with crasins or roasted cranberries.
Goat Cheese: I really just love putting goat cheese on everything during this time of year. It’s the best! The goat cheese is soft and creamy and pairs perfectly with the salty butternut squash and sweet maple pecans. You can of course skip it if you don’t do dairy.
Maple Syrup: Maple syrup is the pecans beautifully candied. Coat the pecans in the maple syrup and cinnamon and roast them in the oven to caramelize. When they come out of the oven, a little sprinkle of sea salt is the perfect final touch.
How To Make Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Salad
Step One: Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step Two: Add the peeled and cubed butternut squash to the baking sheet and drizzle with the oil, salt, rosemary and 1 tsp of the cinnamon.
Step Three: Bake the butternut squash for 40 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of the pieces. Check for doneness with a fork or toothpick and look for browning on the outsides.
Step Four: Transfer the butternut squash to a bowl or casserole dish and set aside. On the same baking sheet, add the raw pecans and drizzle them with the maple syrup and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon.
Step Five: Bake the pecans for 5-10 minutes, allowing the maple syrup to coat the pecans. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
Step Six: Add the candied pecans, pomegranate seeds and crumbled goat cheese to the butternut squash and lightly mix to combine. Top with the thyme leaves and serve warm.
Step Seven: Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to five days and reheat by placing in the oven on low heat.
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Recipe by Jenn Lueke
Prep time
10
minutes
Cooking time
40
minutes
Diet
Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Vegetarian, Refined Sugar-Free
Butternut squash is my FAVORITE vegetable and it’s not even close. If your family is anything like mine, butternut squash is usually served mashed and isn’t anything very exciting. While I do love some mashed squash I wanted to create something a bit more exciting with more levels of flavor. This warm take on a salad is a great side dish for your Thanksgiving/Friendsgiving! You could also add more vegetables like brussels sprouts, acorn squash or sweet potatoes if butternut squash isn’t your fave!
Ingredients
~1 + 1/2 lbs butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2 tbsp avocado or olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp + 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup raw pecans
3 tbsp maple syrup
1/3 cup pomegrante seeds
1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the peeled and cubed butternut squash to the baking sheet and drizzle with the oil, salt, rosemary and 1 tsp of the cinnamon.
- Bake the butternut squash for 40 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of the pieces. Check for doneness with a fork or toothpick and look for browning on the outsides.
- Transfer the butternut squash to a bowl or casserole dish and set aside. On the same baking sheet, add the raw pecans and drizzle them with the maple syrup and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon.
- Bake the pecans for 5-10 minutes, allowing the maple syrup to coat the pecans. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
- Add the candied pecans, pomegranate seeds and crumbled goat cheese to the butternut squash and lightly mix to combine. Top with the thyme leaves and serve warm.
- Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to five days and reheat by placing in the oven on low heat.
