Eating salads on a regular basis is a way to positively affect your health. However, many people who eat salads regularly may be bored with the standard lettuce and accompanying raw vegetables in certain types of salad. Adding variety to your salads with the inclusion of fruit, meat or warm ingredients helps to keep you motivated to continue eating them. Root vegetables such as squash are flavorful additions to a salad; they must be cooked first, giving them a soft texture and sweet flavor.
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
Step 2
Peel the skin off a butternut squash with a sharp knife and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Dice the squash into bite-size cubes.
Step 3
Toss the squash cubes in a bowl with a mixture of 2 tbsp. of extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tbsp. of maple syrup, honey or brown sugar. Add 1 tsp. of cayenne pepper if you want some spice.
Step 4
Lay out the dressed squash pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet. Slide the sheet into the oven to bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the squash is fork tender. Turn the cubes once during the cooking process.
Step 5
Make vinaigrette for the salad with 1/3 cup of extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp. of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and 1 tsp. of minced shallot or onion. Add 1 tbsp. of Dijon mustard to act as an emulsifier if you want thicker dressing.
Step 6
Remove the squash from the oven when they're done and allow them to cool slightly for five to 10 minutes.
Step 7
Add the cooled squash to a mixing bowl with 3 to 4 oz. of washed arugula or spinach, ¾ cup of grated Parmesan cheese and ½ cup of chopped walnuts or other nuts.
Step 8
Mix the ingredients together and dress the salad with your salad dressing before serving.
Things You'll Need
- Butternut squash
- Knife
- Spoon
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus 2 tbsp.
- 1 tbsp. maple syrup or honey
- 1 tbsp. brown sugar
- 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
- Baking sheet
- Fork
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp. minced shallot or onion
- 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- Mixing bowl
- 3 to 4 oz. arugula or spinach
- ¾ cup Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup walnuts
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