Harvest Salad

When summer ends, and fall squash is in season, I crank up the oven and go into roasting mode. It's my favorite way to cook butternut squash and other "winter squash" like acorn, pumpkin, and kabocha. Harvest salad combines crispy lettuce, buttery squash, sweet apples and pomegranate with the easiest dressing you'll ever make (just 5 ingredients). Put this on your autumn table and watch it disappear!

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Ingredients

Serves 6-8

Salad:

• 2 heads of Romaine lettuce, chopped or 4 cups of greens

• 1 apple, sliced thinly

• 1 butternut squash or other winter squash

• 1/4 cup olive oil for drizzling over squash

• 1 pomegranate

• 3 ounces goat cheese, cut  into 1” chunks

• 1/2 cup toasted pecans

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoons kosher salt 

• ½ teaspoons black pepper

Process

Salad:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice butternut squash in half lengthwise. Peel both halves and remove seeds and membrane with a spoon and knife. Slice squash thinly into 1” pieces. Place pieces on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 35-40 minutes, or until golden and starting to crisp. Let cool.  

Squeeze pomegranate, pierce with a skewer and allow juice to fall into a glass (drink the juice, it’s good for you). Slice pomegranate in half. Using a wooden spoon, hammer the outside of each half, allowing seeds to fall into a bowl. I prefer to do this in the sink to prevent a huge mess. Reserve 1/2 cup of seeds. 

In 1 large bowl, add lettuce, apple, pom seeds, squash, pecans, and goat cheese. Add dressing and toss.  

Dressing:

Combine olive oil, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper. Shake to combine.