Butternut Squash Salad is the ultimate fall salad! Made with roasted butternut squash, sweet pears, dried tart cranberries, tangy feta, and homemade apple cider vinaigrette, the flavors come together to create a memorable salad bursting with healthy flavors.
Looking for more recipes that let pumpkin salad shine? Don’t miss it Twice Baked Butternut Squash, Butternut Squash Chiliand Quick Zucchini Soup.
The perfect fall salad recipe
There is something truly magical about highlighting seasonal produce in salads. Strawberry Spinach Salad is the obvious choice for spring, as is a caprese salad during the summer months. But when the temperatures start to drop, this signature Butternut Zucchini Salad recipe is the best of fall produce.
Made with nuts roasted butternut squashsweet juicy pears, tart cranberries, and a tangy apple cider vinaigrette, this Butternut Squash Salad is a masterpiece of flavor and texture—and so easy to make!
How to Make a Fall Butternut Squash Salad
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You’ll find detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Roasted butternut squash. Roasting butternut squash cubes allows the squash to become tender, nutty, and irresistibly good. Simply season the diced squash with salt, pepper, and olive oil and roast until tender. Just remember to let the roasted squash cool slightly to prevent the delicate lettuce from wilting.
- Make an apple vinaigrette. Making homemade salad dressing is as easy as mixing together apple cider, honey, salt, pepper, garlic and olive oil. It takes about a minute to make and tastes a million times better than anything store bought.
- Toast the nuts. If your nuts are raw or unroasted, it’s best to take the extra step of toasting the nuts in a dry pan to bring out their flavor.
- Wear the Greens. Avoid over-dressing the salad by tossing only the greens with ¼ cup of the dressing. Serve the remaining dressing on the side of the salad.
- Assemble and serve. Add the roasted pumpkin, toasted nuts, diced pears, dried cranberries and crumbled feta to the lightly dressed vegetables. Toss and serve immediately with the remaining dressing on the side.
Serving a crowd?
If you’re serving people with a variety of dietary preferences, I suggest placing the ingredients for this Butternut Squash Salad in separate bowls and letting people assemble their own. That way, people can omit the feta cheese and/or nuts if they wish.
Preliminary instructions
This Butternut Squash Salad, like most salad recipes, is best served immediately after assembly. But you can prepare the components ahead of time, which makes it easy to throw this salad together when you’re entertaining.
- Up to 3 days in advancewash and dry the greens, prepare the dressing and toast the nuts. Store the vegetables and cooled squash in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Allow the nuts to cool and store in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Immediately before servingdice the pears, toss the greens with a little of the dressing and then top the salad with the dried cranberries, roasted pumpkin, feta and nuts. Serve the remaining dressing on the side for people to use as desired.
Pairing suggestions
Roasted Butternut Squash Salad is the perfect addition to yours Thanksgiving menu or serve with any of the following appetizers for a cozy fall dinner.
If you’ve tried this Butternut Squash Salad, I’d love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Butternut Squash Salad
Made with roasted butternut squash, sweet pears, dried tart cranberries, tangy feta, and a homemade apple cider vinaigrette, the flavors come together to create a butternut squash salad that’s bursting with strong flavors.
Portions: 6
Calories: 182kcal
ingredients
For the apple vinaigrette
Instructions
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Roast Butternut Squash. Preheat oven to 400℉. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss 2 cups diced squash in 2 teaspoons oil and season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Spread the seasoned squash in a single layer. Bake for 25 minutes, remove from oven, flip and return to oven and continue baking for 15-20 minutes or until browned and fork tender. Allow the squash to cool slightly before adding to the salad.
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Prepare the dressing. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons honey, ½ teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Once combined, slowly whisk in ½ cup olive oil.
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Toast the nuts. If your nuts aren’t already toasted, place them in a dry skillet over medium heat. Heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat as soon as you smell the nuts.
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Assemble the salad. Toss greens with ¼ cup salad dressing. Top vegetables with roasted butternut squash, pears, blueberries and walnuts, if using. Toss lightly. Serve with additional dressing on the side.
Notes
The green ones: Tender, baby greens are best for this salad as they are mild and won’t overpower the flavor of the squash and pears.
Pears: Choose ripe but firm pears. Bartlett, Bosc or Red varieties are good options.
Feta cheese: I love the salty contrast that feta adds to this salad, but diced sharp cheddar is also a delicious option. And of course, skip the cheese altogether for a dairy-free salad.
Nuts: Toasted walnuts or almonds add a nice crunch and earthiness to the salad. Feel free to omit candied nuts or honey-roasted peanuts for allergies or substitutions.
Eating
Calories: 182kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 2g | fats: 10g | Saturated fats: 2g | Cholesterol: 7mg | sodium: 877mg | potassium: 246mg | Fibers: 2g | sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 5265IU | Vitamin C: 16.6mg | calcium: 69mg | Iron: 0.6mg
Originally published in August 2018, updated in 2024.
