Sweet Roasted Butternut and Spring Mix Salad
This year I planted a few butternut squash in my garden and they produced about a bajillion delicious squash. Here is one of the new ways I am serving it up this Fall. Enjoy!
Sweet Roasted Butternut and Spring Mix Salad
Roasted Butternut, sweet balsamic dressing, pecans, cranberries, apples
Servings 6 people
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash peeled, chopped
- 5 cups spring mix
- 1 large gala apple cored, chopped
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
Candied Spiced Pecans
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 dash cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup pecans
Sweet Red Balsamic Viniagrette
- 1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
- 1/2 cup Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 clove Garlic minced fine
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees. Prepare squash by cutting in half, scooping out pulp and seeds and peeling off the skin with a vegetable peeler. Cut into 1 inch cubes .
- Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and then spray with cooking spray. Place cubed squash in a single layer on the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and garlic.
- Roast Squash for 10 minutes. Stir with a plastic spatula and roast for another 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, combine all vinaigrette ingredients into a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake the dressing until the honey is totally dissolved.
- Using a large mixing bowl, stir about 1/3 cup dressing into the spring mix. (A bigger mixing bowl allows for more surface area to coat each leaf with dressing. Top greens with remaining salad ingredients and glazed nuts. Drizzle another tablespoon or two of dressing before serving.
Candied Spiced Nuts
- Toast nuts in a 350 degree oven while waiting for the sugar to melt in the following step. This should take about 5 minutes.
- Over medium-high heat, warm sugar, salt and cayenne pepper in a nonstick pan until the sugar begins to melt. Give it a little mix until all the sugar has melted. Remove from heat and add the walnuts. Stir until nuts are coated.