Easy Beet and Butternut Squash Salad with Goat Cheese
This colorful Beet and Butternut Squash Salad is a beautiful salad that's perfect for the fall and winter months! Roasted butternut squash and beets are mixed with leafy greens and topped with creamy goat cheese and pumpkin seeds. Everything is topped with a delicious maple dijon dressing! Meal prep it for lunch or bring it to a gathering for everyone to enjoy. 😊
Equipment
Ingredients
For Roasted Beets & Butternut Squash
- 3 cups beets, diced
- 4 cups butternut squash, diced
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (use ½ teaspoon if using fine table salt)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For Salad
- 3 cups arugula
- 4 cups baby spinach
- ½ cup goat cheese, crumbled
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds, roasted & salted
For Maple Balsamic Dressing
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ½ tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1½ tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 clove garlic, grated or minced
- pinch kosher salt & black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉ (218°C). Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper and spray with olive oil spray. Rinse and peel your beets and butternut squash. Dice them into relatively similar size bite size pieces around 1 inch.
- Add the butternut squash and beets to the prepared roasting pan. Coat in the olive oil, fresh thyme, garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper. Roast in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until fork tender.
- While the veggies roast, make the maple balsamic dressing by whisking the dressing ingredients in a small bowl or shaking them in a mason jar.
- In a large bowl, combine the greens, beets, butternut squash, pumpkin seeds, goat cheese, and pomegranates (if using). Top with half the dressing just before serving and serve with the rest of the dressing on the side.
- Hint: be careful when peeling and washing your beets not to stain your hands or clothes!
Notes
Expert Tips
- Save time by using pre-cut butternut squash.
- Make sure your vegetables are cut into similarly sized pieces so they cook evenly.
- Finely mince or grate your garlic for the dressing.
- The ingredient flavors in the balsamic vinegar dressing can vary a bit based on brand and variety so taste your dressing once it's mixed and adjust it if needed by adding more salt or syrup.
- Wait to add the goat cheese and dressing right before serving.
- I suggest either serving the dressing on the side or adding half to the salad and serving the rest on the side so everyone can decide how much they want.
- Meal Prep - make your dressing ahead of time so it's ready to go when you want to assemble the salad. You can also chop and even roast the vegetables ahead of time.
- Storage - I suggest storing the salad ingredients separately from the dressing so the salad doesn't get soggy.
- For Salad Base - store leftover salad base in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days.
- For Salad Dressing - store dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-7 days. It's normal for the oil and vinegar to separate and even solidify a bit in the fridge. Let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes and then shake to combine before using it on your recipe.
For more nutrition information and tips, visit mallorythedietitian.com. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! 😊
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