I have a quick and easy recipe for you today, this lovely, roasted butternut squash salad. We have had this a few times in the last few weeks and we love it, and I thought you might like it too. So, this is a really easy salad to pull together, all you need to do is roast some butternut squash, finally, whip up an easy dressing and you’re done. It really is that easy, it also tastes amazing, so if you’re serving this for friends I’m sure they will be suitably impressed.
Roasted butternut squash is so deliciously sweet against the spinach and red onion. The creamy feta crumbled over the warm squash is I think a marriage made in heaven. Add more sweetness with the pomegranate seeds and sun-dried tomatoes and you have a very tasty butternut squash salad. So, for texture, I have added pumpkin seeds and walnuts however you could use whatever you have in your pantry. You could use sunflower seeds and hazelnuts in this dish, they work really well too.
Finally the dressing, this is an easy lemon and thyme dressing, quickly whisked together this dressing can be added to the salad or serve it on the side, it’s up to you. This dressing can be made ahead of time if you wish and can be stored in the fridge for up to a week. If you decide to take this salad to work for lunch, keep the dressing separate until you are ready to eat it.
What’s so good about this butternut squash salad?
- Quick and easy to make, ready in 30 minutes max!
- Packed full of healthy fats: avocado, nuts, seeds
- Get 5 of your 10 a day in one salad, result!
- Great for taking to work
- Tasty, filling and good for you!
Butternut Squash Salad
Ingredients
- 290 g butternut squash (to get the slices in the photos use the fat end of the butternut squash) peeled, seeds removed and cut into slices
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 100 g spinach
- 5 sun-dried tomatoes thinly sliced
- 1 avocado (180g) peeled and sliced
- 1/2 medium red onion (60g) thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup walnut halves (30g)
- 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 80 g feta cheese
- The seeds of half a pomegranate
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 1/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C / 374 F. Please note I use a fan assisted electric oven, please adjust according to your oven.
- Place the butternut squash on a baking tray, add the olive oil, sea salt and black pepper. Make sure all the squash is covered in oil then bake for 20 minutes.
- Add the spinach, red onion, sun-dried tomatoes and avocado to a large serving bowl and toss.Once the squash is cooked add it to the salad. Add the pumpkin seeds, crumble in the walnuts and the feta then add the pomegranate seeds.
- To make the dressing, add the extra virgin olive oil to a small bowl, whisk in the lemon juice then add the thyme leaves and salt and pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the salad then toss gently. Serve straight away.
Notes
- Please note that calories are approximate, 370 calories per portion without the dressing, the dressing is approximately 94 calories per serving.
- If you are not keen on raw red onion then you could roast them with the butternut squash, you may need a little more oil if you decide to do this. Cut the onion into wedges then add to the baking tray.
- To make this a vegan salad simply omit the feta.
- This salad can be kept in the fridge for two days, you will need to keep the dressing separate. You should also add the avocado just before serving. The dressing can also be stored in the fridge in an airtight container.
Nutrition
More very tasty butternut squash recipes:
- Roasted Butternut Squash with Sage and Walnuts
- Halloumi Salad with Butternut Squash & Quinoa
- Roast Butternut Squash & Parsnip Soup
- Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry
- Roast Butternut Squash with Quinoa, Kale and Feta
If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe. Let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to see more delicious food.
Mmm. This looks so delicious! I love butternut squash and the addition of this wonderful vegetable in a salad is the perfect idea!! The salad is so colorful and pretty!!
Thank you so much Elaine x
Oh I love adding fall veggies in my salads this time of the year. Love how simple and easy this is. The Feta must really do a great job of adding that zing. Love feta.
Butternut squash and feta sounds like a delicious combination! I can’t wait to try it!
Thanks Kelly, I hope you enjoy it x
Could the colors of this autumnal salad look any more gorgeous? This has all my favorite ingredients and I love the lemon and thyme dressing! This one is dinner party material and will be bookmarked right away!
Thank you so much Kiki, I hope you enjoy it Xx
Fall veggies make such pretty salads and they taste so good. I haven’t made a butternut squash salad yet but this has certainly inspired me. And that dressing will be perfect to perk up the flavors of the salad.
Thank you Marisa x
This salad looks delicious! I’m not a big fan of roasted butternut squash, but I do love to pan fry it to make it a little crisper. This would be a perfect lunch or light dinner
These are such lovely fall ingredients in this salad. I could eat this everyday! I am definitely adding this to my meal plan. The combination of butternut squash, pumpkin seeds, and feta are brilliant.
Thank you Katie, I hope you enjoy it x
Lovely combination of ingredients in the salad. So colorful and delicious!
I am loving all these Fall flavors combined together, and that little pop of sweetness from the pomegranate is so good!!
This is such a fabulous seasonal salad. I love the butternut and feta…so good. Saving this for the upcoming holidays!
Thank you Tammy x
This salad is very autumnal and I’m loving all the flavours! I love butternut squash, and I definitely want to give it a try with the pomegranate and sun-dried tomato!
Thanks Nicole x I hope you enjoy it 🙂
What a great combination of flavors. Makes for the perfect fall salad.
Thank you Jacque 🙂
I’m a huge fan of butternut squash and your salad recipe with lemon and thyme dressing looks delicious and I love the idea of adding pumpkin seeds and walnuts. Perfect for a light lunch!