Do you know what is less fun than dishwashing. Laundry. Going to the dentist. And finding out the real calorie counts at Starbucks. Combined.
Apartment shopping.
For real. Craigslist and I are seriously fighting right now. That and every other apartment agency in Chicago. But I’m keeping my chin up! The Carrie Bradshaw in me still firmly believes that sparkles, cosmos, and Manolo Blahniks (or DSW) are destined for my future. And no matter what little whole in the wall me and my roomie find we will still be fabulous together in the big bad city!
So after grumpily eating myself through a bag of dark chocolate m&ms (SO good) and stalking apartment listings all Sunday, a delicious, healthy, quick and easy seasonal salad sounded absolutely perfect for dinner! And this salad is awesome. I’ve seen a bunch of butternut squash salad recipe circulating the food mags and blogs and have been dying to come up with my own.
My own version plays up the butternut squash with sweet maple syrup and tangy balsamic. Mixed with raisins, crunchy walnuts, and creamy goat cheese – this salad is perfect for a the holidays and just as perfect for a weeknight meal. I cannot wait to throw this together again on Thanksgiving!
Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette
Yields 4 dinner salads or 6 side salads
Ingredients:
For the Squash
- 2 lb butternut squash, peeled, and diced into 1/2 inch squares
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (real maple syrup guys!)
- 1 tsp coarse salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
For the Dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 6 cups spring mixed greens (baby spinach, arugula, frisee, radicchio) – the combo packs they sell at the grocery store
- 6 cups baby romaine
- 6 tbs crumbled goat cheese
- 6 tbs raisins
- 1/4 cup toasted walnuts
- Roast the Butternut Squash – Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine diced butternut squash, maple syrup, olive oil, salt and pepper on a non-stick baking tray. Toss to evenly coat. Bake for 20 minutes or until tender.
- Make the Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette – Combine dijon and balsamic in a medium bowl and whisk until combined. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking until emulsified. Add the maple syrup, whisk, and season to taste with salt.
- Make the Salad – Evenly distribute greens among 4 or 6 plates. Top with butternut squash, goat cheese, raisins, and walnuts. Drizzle with vinaigrette.
Apartment hunting is the wooooorst. Ugh.
And…Chicago? Are you not moving to NY anymore? *lip quiver*
I know!! So much to fill u in on! I”m putting school of until the summer… and avoiding an NYC winter :) But I’m visiting in December! So foodie date then please :)
That actually makes sense :P
YESS foodie date for suuure!
This salad looks amazing and totally perfect for this time of year!
PS: Good luck with the apartment hunting. Sometimes it can feel hopeless (I can totally relate), but you will find something!
Thanks Connie! :) I’m going to look at a couple new ones on Sunday so fingers crossed for me!
I am definitely loving the flavours in this :D
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Yum! Love the addition of goat cheese. I am putting squash in everything these days.
Haha me too, I have too much squash going on right now… don’t know what to do w/it all! Need an acorn squash recipe if you’ve got one please :)
I love roasted winter squash but have never tried it in a green salad before – this looks so pretty!
Thanks Jeanette! The roasted squash adds a really great hearty texture to the salad, it works really well w/the goat cheese too :)
I’m so sorry apartment hunting has been so crummy! But…AHHH I’m so excited for you to move to the city!!!!!!!! (Add a few more !! to that!) I’m already dreaming up all of the fabulous parties we can throw with our combined kitchen skills. :-)
And this salad!!! Oh my darling, I am LOVING this! Seriously, amazing.
I know!! Its going to be all about the dinner parties! I’m SO exited! My grocery budget is going to have to seriously start cutting into my shoe budget.. haha
Goat cheese, raisins, walnuts, squash? Love!
Thanks! :)
Salad perfection!
Ahh, apartment hunting is the worst!! I haven’t dared move in the past 2.5 years even though my kitchen is crap, because I dread the process of looking for places. I’m sure things will work out for you gals though!!
And this salad sounds delicious! Can’t get enough of butternut squash or maple these days :)
hahaha well don’t worry bc the kitchen’s in every apartment I’ve looked are total crap too :) I’m looking again on Sunday though so excited to see some new places!!
And thanks :) Agreed. Love butternut and maple together, I keep wanting to make a soup with those flavors too, need to find some extra time!
Fall is all about pumpkin! This roasted squash salad looks absolutely divine! So good fo a light lunch or dinner!
Thanks Katerina! I had this for a light dinner and it was perfect! Definitely love fall flavors :)
I love the squash + goat cheese combo! amazing. You’ll find the place that’s right for you, keep looking girl! I was obsessed with Zillow when we were moving.
Thank you!! Haven’t tried zillow yet, just pulled up the site! I’ve been stalking craigslist and all of these chicago sites like crazy, excited to look at a new site!
I just love this salad.So light, so refreshing with the lovely maple, balsamic dressing in there! Definitely a healthier alternative to all the heavy ‘fall’ foods that we eat :) Yumm….
This looks awesome!! I love butternut squash
The last time I looked at apartments there was absolutely nothing for weeks until bam the most perfect apartment. Keep looking and good luck!
FABULOUS! This salad is totally ‘sparkle!’ The dressing totally makes this, awesome flavor combos, darling :)
Good luck on the hunt. Don’t settle, once you find the right place you will know!
Thanks for this recipe! My family and I really enjoyed it although I used dried cranberries in place of raisins. I included this dish in my latest weekly meal plan at rainbowdelicious.com. Thank you!
I just signed on as an ardent follower of your superlative blog!!..This offering will figure majorly in my Thanksgiving dinner plans!..Such gorgeous color, texture and flavor complexity going on here…I cannot believe how young you are ….but having such DEPTH as far as culinary artistry and creativity are concerned!….Thank you for this selection. Living in France..finding the requisite crumbly chèvre shall not be an obstacle!!
Thanks for such sweet words Donna! You just totally made my day :) So happy you’re enjoying my recipes!
Definitely one of my favorite salads. I make it all the time in the fall. As for the apartment…winter in NYC will be much milder than winter in Chicago, you know. Much, much milder. I don’t think you can do Carrie Bradshaw in Chicago. Carrie only does New York. :)
Just found you and I am SO GLAD I did! We have the same taste in recipes and food, so I am going to love seeing what you have come out of your kitchen!
Thanks Tiffany! Just checked out your adorable blog too!! We have lots of recipe swapping to do :)