I first had a variation of this salad at the Valley Commissary (a restaurant that sadly may be closed as of this date) in McMinnville, Oregon. I remember enjoying lunch because I was with my sister, and I ALWAYS enjoy time with Anna….but this salad….it was punctuated with so many great flavors and textures I remember literally wanting to lick my plate when I was done. And while I’ve certainly been known to lick a dessert plate, it may have been the first time I had that desire after finishing a salad! So I knew I had to at least attempt to re-create some of this deliciousness!
The original salad was made with Delicata Squash, which was amazing. But apparently I proved out the old saying “necessity is the mother of invention” because there were no Delicata Squash to be found in our small mountain town when I was recently craving this salad, so I turned to my fall favorite Butternut Squash and it did not disappoint! I bought an entire squash (thank you again small mountain town), peeled it, cut it up and roasted it with olive oil, cumin, salt and pepper. But many grocery stores today sell cubed butternut squash which makes the prep a cinch!
This recipe also calls for pomegranate arils, which are the juicy seed pockets found inside this gorgeous fruit. Many grocery stores now carry just the arils which makes prep work so much easier. But again, thank you small mountain town, I only have access to whole pomegranates so it takes a little doing to extract the seeds. And actually, I like seeding the pomegranate myself as then I know their freshness factor.
The only cautionary tale regarding seeding pomegranates is that the juice can be a bit messy! For that reason I like to cut the ends off, score the skin from top to bottom several places around the pomegranate and then gently pry the fruit open in a large bowl of water. The arils should easily loosen from the flesh and sink to the bottom of the bowl, while any white fleshy material will float. I skim the the water to remove any of the floating debris and then strain and rinse the arils.
Once all the ingredients are prepped:
- Quinoa is cooked and cooled
- Arugula is washed and dried
- Squash is roasted and cooled
- Pomegranates are seeded
- Pecans are rough chopped
Simply layer them on a platter or in a shallow bowl. Top with crumbled goat cheese and torn cilantro and toss with the Maple Vinaigrette and get ready to want to do some plate licking!
Roasted Butternut Squash Arugula Salad with Maple Dijon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Roasted Butternut Squash Arugula Salad
- 2 Cups Butternut Squash, cut into 1" cubes
- 1-2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
- 3/4 Teaspoon Cumin
- 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 1 Cup Cooked Quinoa
- 4-5 Big Handfuls Arugula
- 1/3 Cup Pomegranate Arils
- 2-3 Ounces Goat Cheese
- 1/3 Cup Cilantro leaves
- 1/3 Cup Chopped Pecans, roasted and salted
Maple Vinaigrette
- 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
- 1 Tablespoon White Wine Vinegar
- 1 Teaspoon Maple Syrup
- 1/2 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
Roasted Butternut Squash Arugula Salad
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss cubed butternut squash with EVOO, cumin, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper on a prepared baking sheet lined with a Silpat mat or parchment paper for easy clean up.
- Arrange squash in a single layer and roast for 25-30 minutes until tender turning squash over once with a spatula to promote even browning. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
- If you don’t have cooked quinoa on hand, cook enough for one cup quinoa and allow to cool
- Build the salad in a shallow bowl or on a platter. Spread quinoa on serving dish, top with several handfuls of arugula, place squash on arugula. Scatter the goat cheese, pomegranate arils, cilantro and chopped nuts over the top.
- Right before ready to serve, toss with just enough dressing to lightly coat salad.
Maple Vinagrette
- Whisk together all vinaigrette ingredients until well blended.
Notes
- Preheat oven to 400°. Wash 1 large or 2 medium squash and slice crosswise into ½ inch rounds. (No paring is necessary, the skin will roast up nicely!) Either with a spoon or paring knife, clean each round of seeds and pulp. Place rounds on a cookie sheet and drizzle with EVOO, using your fingers to work the oil into the rounds if necessary. Sprinkle with cumin, salt and pepper.
- Roast for 20-24 minutes, flipping rings halfway through roasting. Squash should develop some nice browning on each ring.