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Fresh, maple roasted cranberries and roasted butternut squash are mixed with soft spinach leaves and creamy goat cheese to create a new favorite salad! This roasted butternut squash salad with cranberries is perfect for the holidays or any day!

Roasted Butternut Squash and Cranberry Salad

*Please note* This post was originally published in 2017. I’ve since redone the text but the recipe remains the same.

I know, I know. Where the cookies at y’all!? It’s December! Full-on Christmas baking season! What is this….. “salad” you’re trying to entice us with? Pffft.

But you guys, as much as I love all of the cookies and the eating and the teeth brushing (wait – what)? I really, really, need some green in there too. And not the kind that comes out of a food colouring bottle. My body craves it sometimes. Especially since I’m just coming down from the last few months of being a strict bread-tarian.

Now that I’m finally feeling more like my old self and vegetables are once again appealing, I’m finding myself craving salads, soups, and all sorts of dishes filled with colour.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Cranberry Salad

It was my birthday yesterday (yay me!) and obviously, we had a weekend-long affair of delicious food – and cake! On Saturday we went to a little Italian restaurant and stuffed ourselves with antipasti and bucatini, among other things that I can’t pronounce 😉 My wonderful friend Deb made me the most delicious chocolate and peppermint cake, sending us home with leftovers and saving me from baking what would be my third cake in a week and a half. You HAVE to have cake on your actual birthday!

So, since all of that pasta and cake is still digesting, I am in desperate need of a few lighter meals. Enter this roasted butternut squash salad WITH cranberries!

How do you make a roasted squash salad?

Honestly, I could eat this salad every day (multiple times a day) for a week! It’s SO good. The tart cranberries are such a welcome flavour against the sweet butternut squash and creamy goat cheese. Roasting the fresh cranberries in maple syrups softens them up and lessens their bite. Paired with slightly sticky, sugary pecans and a maple and red-wine vinaigrette, you’ve got yourself a winner.

Start the salad by roasting the squash and cranberries together so they have time to cool down, and at the same time, start the quinoa. It will also need time to cool down!

Lately I almost always add quinoa to my salad – like this kale salad – not only for the extra boost of protein, but I love how quinoa attaches itself to the greens it’s placed with, and adds a little bit of texture to every bite.

Oh – and I almost forgot! The candied pecans. They’re so easy to make yourself! I usually do up a big batch of them at one time so I can have them on hand to toss into my salads. They’re also done in minutes; whisk together brown sugar with a pinch of salt, some water and a bit of vinegar, and heat it up over the stove with some lightly toasted pecans. The mixture gets syrupy and sticks to the pecans, coating them in a sweet layer of deliciousness. You’ll have to resist eating them all before adding them to the salad!

You can also try this salad with my healthy candied walnuts. So good!

How do you make the maple and red wine vinaigrette?

The vinaigrette is also super simple! You likely have everything you need in your house already:

  • Dijon mustard
  • red wine vinaigrette
  • maple syrup 
  • lemon juice
  • olive oil
  • salt

The recipe makes more dressing than what you’ll need for the salad, so I would just add a little at a time.

Toss everything together and you’ve got yourself a fresh, filling meal or a wonderful salad to serve alongside a main course. Take a break from your holiday sweets and get some greens in!

Roasted Butternut Squash and Cranberry Salad

Roasted Butternut Squash and Cranberry Salad

Some other delicious salad recipes from the blog:

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roasted butternut squash salad with cranberries

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Cranberries


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  • Author: Katherine
  • Total Time: 60 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x

Description

Fresh, maple roasted cranberries and roasted butternut squash are mixed with soft spinach leaves and creamy goat cheese to create a new favorite salad! This roasted butternut squash salad with cranberries is perfect for the holidays or any day!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups butternut squash, diced into 1/2” pieces
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries
  • 2 tsp maple syrup
  • 8 cups fresh spinach
  • 1 cup quinoa (cooked and cooled)
  • 1 cup goat cheese

Candied Pecans

  • 1/2 cup pecans
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Maple-Red Wine Vinaigrette

  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinaigrette
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Peel and slice about 1/2 butternut squash into 1/2″ pieces, enough to get about 2 cups. Toss the sliced squash in 1 tbsp of olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt. Spread the squash onto the baking sheet in a single layer. Roast the squash for 10 minutes; while the squash is roasting, combine the cranberries with the maple syrup and remaining tbsp of olive oil. Remove the squash from the oven, flip with a spatula, and scatter the cranberries throughout the squash onto the baking sheet. Place the baking sheet back into the oven for another 5-6 minutes, or until the cranberries and squash are tender. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow it to cool completely.
  2. In a large salad bowl, combine the spinach, quinoa and goat cheese. Set aside.
  3. Make the candied pecans: In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, water, vanilla extract and salt. In a skillet on the stove over medium heat, toast the pecans for 3-4 minutes or until just starting to become fragrant. Add the sugar mixture to the skillet and stir continuously, until the sauce thickens and begins to stick to the pecans. There should be hardly any liquid remaining in the skillet before you remove it the heat. Immediately scatter the pecans onto a parchment-lined baking sheet to cool completely.
  4. Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients until thoroughly combined. Add the cooled pecans, butternut squash and cranberries to the salad, then slowly pour the vinaigrette over everything. Start with half the dressing, before tossing and testing. Add more dressing as desired. Enjoy immediately!

Pre-dressed leftover salad will store in the fridge for 1-2 days; undressed salad will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.

  • Prep Time: 35 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: salads
  • Method: no-bake
  • Cuisine: american
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Roasted Butternut Squash and Cranberry Salad

 

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Cranberries

About Katherine

Heeey! Thank you for stopping by! I like 30-minute dinners and giant peanut butter cups made with only 3 ingredients. I LOVE food! If you do too, you're in the right place.

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36 Comments

  1. Looks yummy! The candied pecans look like perfection! I hope you had a happy birthday Katherine! Xoxo 🙂

    1. I had a wonderful birthday!! Thank you my dear! And yes – the candied pecans are SO good!!!

  2. Happy belated birthday, Katherine! It sounds like it was a good one, and coming out of your bread-tartan diet was an added bonus. I’m glad you were able to enjoy food with names that you can’t pronounce 😄. I love this salad! It’s definitely something that I need more of this time of year. I’ve been sampling way too much sweets.

    1. Thank you Thao!! It was a great day! Haha – it was a nice change from my strict bread and cheese diet!! I am with you – my body is on sugar overload!! Hope you had a great weekend!!

  3. This is definitely my kind of salad! I usually add quinoa to my salads too, and it really does make a filling meal! And the best part – if you eat this, you can totally justify the cookies for dessert! 😉

    1. Quinoa in salads is the best!!! And YES – you’re so right. I definitely make up the calories with dessert but at least I’m getting those greens in!! 🙂

  4. Such a nutrient-dense salad recipe, Katherine! I love healthy salads and this one is definitely worth trying. Can I use honey instead of maple syrup?

    1. I love healthy salads too, Agness! Thank you!! You could definitely use honey, it just won’t have that “maple” flavour to it 🙂 I’m sure it would still be delicious!!

  5. This is such an amazing salad Kathy!! I hate spinach, but you have combined it with such good things..I could eat two bowls of this salad :D. Love those candied pecans for crunch, and that Vinaigrette sounds amazing!!

    1. Oh no! Haha I used to hate spinach with a passion too. You could totally make this with kale or even romaine too! Either way, you’ve gotta try the candied pecans!! Thank you friend!

  6. This is such a fantastic way to use up any butternut squash! I love the addition of cranberries and nuts too Katherine!