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Butternut Squash and Feta Salad With Apple Vinaigrette

Butternut squash and feta salad has warm squash, creamy feta, quick pickled red onion, mixed greens, and a homemade apple vinaigrette. This seasonal side dish is gluten free, dairy free, and makes a great addition to any holiday table.

Looking for more recipes using seasonal vegetables? Try my harissa roasted cauliflower with fresh herbspersimmon salad, or fall harvest salad with cranberry vinaigrette.

What You’ll Love About This Recipe

  • Flavorful – This hearty salad has the perfect balance of flavors from the sweetness of the squash to the salty feta cheese, tangy pickled red onions, and nutty flavors from the crunchy walnuts.
  • Healthy – This warm butternut squash salad would make a great addition to thanksgiving dinner.
  • Simple ingredients – A healthy fall salad made with seasonal fall produce and a few pantry staples.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this roasted butternut squash salad:

  • Butternut squash
  • Spices – ground cumin, ground cinnamon, and ground ginger.
  • Quick pickled red onion – thinly sliced red onion, rice vinegar, organic cane sugar (or white sugar), and a pinch of salt.
  • Salad greens – baby spinach, baby kale, spring mix, hearty greens like massaged kale, etc. I used mixed baby greens.
  • Dairy free feta 
  • Walnuts
  • Apple vinaigrette ingredients – apple of choice, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, kosher salt, and black pepper.

How to Make Butternut Squash and Feta Salad: Step By Step

Here are some quick visual instructions. The full instructions and ingredient list will be in the printable recipe card below!

1. Roast the squash. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin from the squash, then use a sharp knife to cut the butternut squash into bite-sized cubes. Toss with a little olive oil, ground cinnamon, ground cumin, ground ginger, kosher salt, and black pepper. Arrange the seasoned squash cubes into a single layer on a rimmed sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

2. Make the dressing. Add all the dressing ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth and season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. If your apple is more tart, add one to two teaspoons of maple syrup. Season to taste.

3. Make the quick pickled red onions. In a small bowl, stir the sliced onions, rice vinegar, sugar, and salt until combined. Set aside.

4. Assemble the salad. Add the greens to a large salad bowl. Top with the roasted butternut squash, quick pickled sliced red onion, feta, and walnuts. Pour the dressing over, toss to combine, and serve immediately.

Helpful Tips

  • Only dress the amount you’re going to eat right away, otherwise, it’ll get too soggy.
  • The squash should be fork tender, but not mushy.

Storage

Store the salad, quick pickled onions, and dressing in a separate airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Toss with the pickled onions and dressing just before serving.

Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations

Please remember that recipes are just a starting point.

How can you make this butternut squash salad recipe using what you already have? Here are some ideas…

  • No red onion? – use 1-2 shallots.
  • No walnuts? – you can also use pumpkin seeds (also called pepitas), roasted sunflower seeds, pistachios, or pine nuts.
  • Add-ins – pomegranate seeds, dried cranberries, or cooked wild rice.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do you serve with this butternut squash and feta salad?

I love serving it with cooked protein such as salmon fillets (or BBQ salmon bites), crispy air fryer chicken bites, baked bang bang chicken skewers, etc.

More Fall Recipes

I hope you love this Butternut Squash and Feta Salad! If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment & a star rating below. Thank you!

Butternut Squash and Feta Salad With Apple Vinaigrette

Two bowls of butternut squash and feta salad with apple vinaigrette.
Butternut squash and feta salad has warm squash, creamy feta, mixed greens, and a homemade apple vinaigrette. This seasonal side dish is gluten free, dairy free, and makes a great addition to any holiday table.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients
 

Roasted Butternut Squash

Apple Vinaigrette

  • 1 medium apple of choice (I used Fuji) peeled, core removed and cut into large chunks
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • diamond crystal kosher salt to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • optional: 1-2 teaspoons maple syrup if your apple is more tart

Quick Pickled Red Onion

Salad

  • 8 cups mixed greens or greens of choice 5 ounces
  • cup dairy free feta or regular feta if not dairy free
  • cup walnuts roughly chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425ºF/220ºC and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Toss the butternut squash cubes with olive oil, ground cinnamon, ground cumin, ground ginger, kosher salt, and black pepper.
  • Arrange the seasoned squash cubes into a single layer on a rimmed sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 minutes, stir the squash then bake for another 20 minutes or until fork tender.
  • Add all the dressing ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth and season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. If your apple is more tart, add one to two teaspoons of maple syrup.
  • In a small bowl, stir the sliced onions, rice vinegar, sugar, and salt until combined. Set aside.
  • Add the greens to a large salad bowl. Top with the roasted butternut squash, quick pickled sliced red onion, feta, and walnuts. Pour the dressing over, toss to combine, and serve immediately.

Notes

See the blog post for helpful tips, storage, and FAQs.

Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations

No red onion? – use 1-2 shallots.
No walnuts? – you can also use pumpkin seeds (also called pepitas), roasted sunflower seeds, pistachios, or pine nuts.
Add-ins – pomegranate seeds, dried cranberries, or cooked wild rice.

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