This salad has become my newest favorite! It combines so many great fall flavors with the added bonus of being packed with superfoods! The peppery arugula against the sweet roasted butternut squash, crisp fall apples, sweet and tangy cranberries and the buttery crunch from maple roasted walnuts will make this your new favorite too!
I’m so excited to share this recipe with you and to introduce you to one of my favorite food bloggers, Katie, from Healthy Seasonal Recipes. I’m thrilled to be guest posting on her blog! Katie and I share the same passion for healthy whole foods and I know you’re going to love her site as much as I do! Katie is a professional recipe developer, food stylist and author. She’s working on a new book right now! I can’t wait to get my hands on it!
Baby Arugula Butternut Salad with Maple Vinaigrette
2 cups butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cubed into bite sized pieces
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
ground black pepper
1/2 cup walnuts
1 to 2 teaspoons maple syrup
4 cups baby arugula
1 medium apple, cored and cubed
1/3 cup dried cranberries
Maple Vinaigrette
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon shallot, finely minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Spread the cubes of butternut squash onto the baking sheet. Drizzle with some olive oil and a pinch or two of kosher salt and black pepper. Toss the cubes with your hands to get them all coated. Bake for about 45 minutes or until softened. I like to bake them until they just begin to get a tiny bit of a char on the tops.
Remove the squash from the oven and set aside to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Line a small baking sheet with parchment. Place the walnuts on the baking sheet and toss with just a drizzle of maple syrup and a small pinch of kosher salt. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove the walnuts and set aside to cool.
In a small bowl, whisk the ingredients for the vinaigrette. Set aside.
Compose the salads on two large dinner plates. Begin with the baby arugula, then top with some cubes of the butternut squash, apple, cranberries and the walnuts. Top each salad off with some dressing.
Serves 2
How many does this salad serve? Enough for six? Can I make it all in one bowl to bring as a passing dish with dressing on side as preferred?
Love your recipes- thanks!
You can absolutely make this in one bowl, June. That’s a great idea! This recipe makes two dinner sized salads or 4 side salads. Honestly, I think if you just increased the amount of arugula to 5 or 6 cups and added one more apple, this would serve 6 perfectly. Enjoy! Let me know how you make out! :) Oh…and thanks so much for your kind words! xo
This one salad hits so many of my “favorite combination” buttons – salad and roasted vegetables, butternut squash and walnuts, arugula and apples – plus it’s so gorgeous! Sometimes fresh and simple is best – and this salad proves that.
I’m so glad you like this salad, Laura! Those flavors are some of my favs too! Thanks so much for your sweet comment!
Thanks so much for sharing this stellar salad over on my blog today! I love it! <3
Thank you for having me, Katie! :)