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.
Ingredients
Roasted Butternut Squash
- 1 medium butternut squash peeled, seeds removed, and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon diamond crystal kosher salt use ½ teaspoon if using anything else
- freshly ground black pepper
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
- ½ small red onion thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons organic cane sugar or white sugar
- pinch kosher salt
Salad
- 8 cups mixed greens or greens of choice 5 ounces
- ⅓ cup dairy free feta or regular feta if not dairy free
- ⅓ 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.