5 from 7 reviews

I have a guest recipe today from the lovely Caroline Hurley of Taste, Love & Nourish. She is sharing a beautiful autumn salad today, that I can’t wait to make for myself: Baby Arugula and Butternut Salad with Maple Vinaigrette with fresh apples and walnuts. Doesn’t that sound delicious? I love all things sweet and savory, so this kind of salad is for me! Plus you all know I have a thing for maple syrup. Wink wink. Note this salad is also paleo, vegan and gluten-free!

Arugula Salad with Butternut Squash, Apple and Maple Vinaigrette by Caroline Hurley on HealthySeasonalRecipes.com #glutenfree #vegan #paleo


In Caroline’s Words: Why You’ll Love This Arugula Butternut Squash Salad

This salad just won my heart. I ended up eating it almost every day for lunch last week.  It’s just a perfect, healthy and delicious fall salad.

The sweetness of the butternut squash, especially once roasted, pairs really nicely with the baby arugula. Just those two ingredients alone make this salad a nutritional powerhouse, giving you lots of folate, potassium, Vitamin A and C.  Why stop there?  Oh, let’s just add all of my favorite fall ingredients!  Crisp apples, sweet cranberries and maple roasted walnuts.  They come together giving this salad a variety of wonderful flavors and textures.  

Baby Arugula Butternut and Apple Salad with Maple Vinaigrette

Ingredients For This Recipe

Baby Arugula

Arugula, also known as rocket, is at its best in cooler seasons.  It has a peppery flavor that can be much more pronounced as the leaf matures.  So, look for baby arugula. Its flavor is much more mild and is my personal favorite. 

Maple Syrup

Maple syrup is often a really great addition to salad dressings. It lends the perfect amount of sweetness and works well with the acidity in the apple cider vinegar. If you don’t have any maple syrup on hand, opt for honey instead.

Butternut Squash

For this recipe, you can either purchase pre-cut cubes of peeled butternut quash or buy a whole one and cut it up yourself. The former might save you some time in the kitchen, but both work equally as well.

Other Ingredients For Salad

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • kosher salt and pepper
  • 1/2 cup maple roasted walnuts
  • 1 medium apple, cored and cubed
  • 1/3 cup dried cranberries

Other Ingredients For Maple Vinaigrette

  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon shallot, finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Step By Step Instruction To Make This Salad with Maple Vinaigrette

This recipe only takes about an hour with as little as 25 minutes of actual prep time. It’s the perfect salad for the winter seasons as it’s light, yet full of filling and heart-healthy ingredients. If you end up loving the maple vinaigrette as much as I do, make yourself an extra batch and store it in the fridge for the next salad you make. Trust me, it’s good on everything.

Step 1: Preheat Oven

Preheat your oven to 375ºF.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 2: Bake Squash

Spread the butternut squash cubed out into an even layer on the baking sheet. Drizzle with some olive oil and a pinch or two of salt and black pepper.  Toss the butternut quash with your hands to evenly coat.  Bake for about 45 minutes, or until cooked through and softened. I like to bake them until they begin to turn golden-brown and are charred in spots. Remove the squash from the oven and set aside to cool.  Reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF.

Step 3: Toast Walnuts

Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.  Place the walnuts on the baking sheet and toss with just a drizzle of maple syrup and a small pinch of salt.  Bake until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes.

Step 4: Whisk Vinaigrette

Remove the walnuts and set aside to cool. In a small bowl, whisk together all of the the ingredients for the vinaigrette. Set aside until ready to serve.

Step 5: Assemble & Serve

Assemble the salads on two large dinner plates. Begin with the baby arugula, then top with some of the butternut squash, apple, cranberries and the walnuts.  Top each salad off with some of the dressing.

Baby Arugula Salad with roasted butternut squash, apples, cranberries and walnuts .

FAQs and Expert Tips

What could I use instead of butternut squash?

If you don’t have butternut squash or are not a big fan, use sweet potatoes instead. They taste just as good mixed together with the other ingredients.

Can you make this salad ahead?

Yes. Cook the butternut squash beforehand and store in the fridge in an airtight container until ready to serve. You can also whisk together the maple vinaigrette ahead of time and store it in the fridge. If you’re making it a few hours before eating (ex. bringing it to a dinner party), assemble all the salad ingredients together and keep the dressing in a small container on the side. Dress right before serving.

Does butternut squash need to be peeled before cooking?

You don’t technically have to peel the squash before cooking, but you should remove the peel before eating. If you were to make a butternut squash soup (for example), you could cook it with the peel on and remove the squash meat from the peel with a spoon after. But, if you want to eat the squash in cubes, you should remove the peel first, as it’ll be difficult to cut into cubes after.

Additional Squash Recipe To Try

At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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Baby Arugula Salad with roasted butternut squash, apples and walnuts from Caroline Hurley on healthyseasonalrecipes.com

Baby Arugula and Butternut Salad with Maple Vinaigrette

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5 from 7 reviews

  • Author: Katie Webster
  • Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Yield: 2 servings 1x
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Description

Arugula salad with roasted butternut squash, apple, walnuts and cranberries with maple vinaigrette made with cider vinegar and shallot.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Salad

  • 2 cups butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cubed into bite sized pieces
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • kosher salt and pepper
  • 1/2 cup maple roasted walnuts
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup, dark or amber
  • 4 cups baby arugula
  • 1 medium apple, cored and cubed
  • 1/3 cup dried cranberries

Maple Vinaigrette

  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon shallot, finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup, dark or amber
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment.
  2. Spread the cubes of butternut squash onto the baking sheet. Drizzle with some olive oil and a pinch or two of kosher salt and black pepper.  Toss the cubes with your hands to get them all coated.  Bake for about 45 minutes or until softened.  I like to bake them until they just begin to get a tiny bit of a char on the tops.
  3. Remove the squash from the oven and set aside to cool.  Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
  4. Line a small baking sheet with parchment.  Place the walnuts on the baking sheet and toss with just a drizzle of maple syrup and a small pinch of kosher salt.  Bake for 5 minutes.
  5. Remove the walnuts and set aside to cool.In a small bowl, whisk the ingredients for the vinaigrette.  Set aside.
  6. Compose the salads on two large dinner plates. Begin with the baby arugula, then top with some cubes of the butternut squash, apple, cranberries and the walnuts.  Top each salad off with some dressing.

Notes

Make Ahead:

Cook the butternut squash beforehand and store in the fridge in an airtight container until ready to serve. You can also whisk together the maple vinaigrette ahead of time and store it in the fridge. If you’re making it a few hours before eating (ex. bringing it to a dinner party), assemble all the salad ingredients together and keep the dressing in a small container on the side. Dress right before serving.

  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Category: Entree Salad
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 salad
  • Calories: 324
  • Sugar: 25 g
  • Sodium: 476 mg
  • Fat: 17 g
  • Saturated Fat: 2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 45 g
  • Fiber: 11 g
  • Protein: 8 g

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