This is an easy recipe for vegan arugula and roasted butternut squash salad with cinnamon maple vinaigrette dressing, toasted walnuts, crisp apples and pomegranate seeds. My favorite part is the vinaigrette with it’s hint of vanilla extract and touch of ground ginger.
This arugula and butternut squash salad recipe makes ~6-8 servings. It’s a great addition to any holiday spread, but could also just be enjoyed whenever.
A few things…
- ・For best results, use either peeled and cubed fresh butternut squash from your grocer’s produce department, or peel and cube up a butternut squash by hand. I do not recommend using frozen cubed butternut squash, because it’s texture can be a bit soggy.
- ・To manually prep the butternut squash, use a high quality peeler and peel away all the outer skin. Then, slice off the stem and the bottom part. Slice the squash lengthwise. Spoon out the seeds and squashy bits, and discard them. Then, slice the squash into cubes. Aim to make the cubes all roughly the same size, so they cook through in a more uniform fashion.
- ・This arugula and butternut squash salad is best served right away. After some time, the arugula wilts. If you want to serve it later, it’s best to prepare each item, keep them separate, and assemble everything right before serving.
Please enjoy this delicious vegan roasted butternut squash salad with arugula, apples, walnuts and pomegranate seeds! And discover more UVK recipes, like Stuffed Acorn Squash with Wild Rice, Apples and Walnuts, Butternut Squash Spinach Soup, Vegan Chili Mac and Cheese, or Coconut Curry Carrot Soup.
Arugula and Butternut Squash Salad
1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed (OR ~5 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash) – (see notes above)
⅓ cup olive oil (+ more to drizzle)
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 shallot, finely chopped (OR ~¼ cup finely chopped shallot)
⅔ cup finely chopped walnuts
3 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
½ tsp dijon mustard
¼ tsp vanilla extract
¾ tsp salt
The seeds of 1 large pomegranate (OR ~1 cup pomegranate seeds)
1 large Honeycrisp apple, cubed
5 ounce package of fresh arugula (OR ~5-6 cups fresh arugula)
- 1. First, you’ll roast the butternut squash for the salad. Preheat the oven to 400º F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Spread the butternut squash over the parchment paper.
- 2. Drizzle the butternut squash with olive oil, and sprinkle with ½ tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ground ginger, and a dash of salt. Move the squash around until it’s coated. Spread the squash back out across the parchment leaving some space between each cube. Bake at 400º F for 30-35 minutes or until the squash is tender and roasted. Remove from the oven and cool.
3. As the butternut squash roasts, work on toasting the walnuts. Add the walnuts to a dry small skillet over high heat. Constantly stir them around over high heat until they are fragrant and toasty (a few minutes). Remove from heat and cool.
4. Next, you’ll work on the cinnamon maple vinaigrette for the arugula and butternut squash salad. In a small skillet, add the shallots and ⅓ cup olive oil. Turn the heat to high. When the shallots sizzle around the edges, stir them around for 30 seconds. Remove the skillet from heat and cool.
5. When the olive oil and shallots are cool, add them to a large mixing bowl with 1½ tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ground ginger, the maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, vanilla extract and salt. Whisk together. Taste and adjust the flavor, if needed (more cinnamon? maple syrup?).
6. Finally, it’s time to assemble the arugula and butternut squash salad. Toss the arugula in the dressing, and then, add the roasted butternut squash, apples, pomegranate seeds and the toasted walnuts. Toss everything together. Taste and adjust flavors, if needed (salt?). Serve immediately.
