Roasted Squash Salad

Name: Roasted Squash Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: For squash; 1 medium acorn squash,* ((halved, seeds scooped out, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices and then cut into 1-inch wide pieces)); 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; For vinaigrette; 1 garlic clove, (minced); 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard; 2 teaspoons maple syrup; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar; 1/4 cup olive oil; For salad; 5 ounces mixed baby greens; 1 cup mixed greens ((such as spring mix, baby arugula & spinach) ); 1/2 small red onion, (thinly sliced); 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds; 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese; 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds; 1/4 cup chopped pecans; 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

By Paige Adams

on Oct 28, 2013, Updated Nov 08, 2023

4.75 from 4 votes

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

You can use pretty much any kind of winter squash in this roasted squash salad. With varieties like acorn squash, you don’t even have to peel them. This salad is colorful with a base of mixed greens and has crunchy and sweet bites including pumpkin seeds, pecans and pomegranate seeds. Enjoy this salad for Thanksgiving or another holiday.

Roasted squash salad on an oval serving platter.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredients & Substitutions
Cutting Squash for This Salad Recipe
How To Make This Squash Salad
Serving
Leftovers & Storage
Recipe Tips
Recipe FAQs
More Fall Salad Recipes
Roasted Squash Salad Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

You can use any kind of winter squash. You’ll see in the photos that I like acorn squash. That’s because of its shape and that you don’t have to peel it. You can turn this into a roasted butternut squash salad too. All instructions are included in the recipe card below.

A great salad has something different in each bite. Here that mix has soft roasted squash, creamy goat cheese crumbles, sweet pomegranate seeds and crunchy walnuts and pumpkin seeds. There is so much happening with savory, sweet and salty flavors.

You can serve this salad for Thanksgiving or any day for lunch or dinner. You can’t beat the color of this vibrant salad. It will look beautiful on your holiday table and taste fantastic. But don’t forget about it for weekdays, weekends and non-holidays.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Ingredients including squash, lettuce, red onions, pomegranate seeds, pumpkin seeds, pecans, goat cheese, parsley and olive oil.

This is what you need:

Squash: As mentioned, you can take your pick with winter squash for this salad. You will need a medium squash that’s about 2 pounds before you cut it. For acorn squash, red kuri squash and other similar bumpy varieties, you can leave the peel on. It will soften as it roasts. I love that additional texture in the salad. If you use butternut squash, peel it and dice it.
Lettuce: You can use any salad mix you want such as baby arugula & spinach, spring greens or romaine. It is up to you.
Red onion: Thinly sliced, they add a nice sharpness to the lettuce and the rest of the ingredients.
Pomegranate seeds add fresh sweetness. They are juicy and tart. You can substitute with dried cranberries. Just pull them apart before you toss them into the salad because they tend to stick together in the package.
Pumpkin seeds: You can use either roasted or raw. It doesn’t matter.
Pecans are wonderful in fall salads, but you can substitute with chopped walnuts or almonds.
Goat cheese: You can toss in these crumbles or feta cheese if you want something more salty.
Parsley: I like to finish the salad with chopped fresh herbs.
Apple cider vinaigrette: The dressing has a touch of sweetness from maple syrup to go with the garlic, whole grain mustard, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.
Olive oil: Besides the vinaigrette, you will also need oil for roasting the squash.
Salt & pepper: You should season the squash before roasting it.

Cutting Squash for This Salad Recipe

I put squash into 2 categories for the recipe:

Squash you don’t peel
Squash that do peel

For the non-peeling winter squash, such as acorn squash, red kuri squash, delicata squash and kobacha squash, slice them in half and scoop out the seeds. Then cut them into 1/2-inch thick slices. After that, you can cut the slices into pieces that are about 1 inch wide. It doesn’t have to be perfect since hopefully the thickness is consistent. For butternut squash, peel it and cut it into a 1/2-inch dice.

How To Make This Squash Salad

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

1. Toss the squash with olive oil, salt and pepper. You can do this directly on the baking sheet. Then spread the squash into a single layer.

2. Roast the squash. Give it 25-30 minutes to brown on the edges and become tender in the middle. Flip it over a little more than halfway through roasting.

Squash on a sheet pan before and after it is roasted.

3. Make the vinaigrette. In a small bowl, stir the minced the garlic, mustard, maple syrup, salt, pepper, apple cider vinegar and oil.

4. Assemble the salad. Use a big bowl to combine the lettuce, roasted squash, onions, pomegranate seeds, goat cheese, pumpkin seeds, pecans and fresh parsley. Then drizzle in the vinaigrette and toss to combine.

Vinaigrette in a small bowl. Salad tossed in a bowl.

Serving

Because of the roasted turkey and all the side dishes, it’s easy to forget about a salad, but this would be a good choice for Thanksgiving. I always like having a fresh salad at big holiday meals. Put it on a serving platter or a large serving bowl that’s shallow, so the squash, seeds and nuts don’t sink to the bottom.

You can also enjoy this salad for a main dish lunch or dinner. Depending on your dietary preferences, you can add a protein such as chicken, salmon or tofu if you want to make it more filling.

Leftovers & Storage

It’s best to plan ahead if you think you’re going to end up with leftover salad or if you are doing meal prep. Do not toss all the vinaigrette into the salad. Then you can save it up to 3 days in an airtight container. If the lettuce is dressed, it will wilt and be soggy. Keep the vinaigrette in a separate mason jar or another container.

Fall slam with acorn squash, pomegranate seeds, pumpkin seeds, goat cheese and pecans in a bowl.

Recipe Tips

You can roast the squash up to 2 days in advance. Keep it in the fridge in an airtight container. Then put it out at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before you plan to eat it in the salad, so it isn’t as cold as when you first take it out of the refrigerator.

You can make the vinaigrette up to 3 days ahead of time. Keep it in the refrigerator in a jar. Take it out of the fridge 15 minutes before you’re going to drizzle it in the salad. Oil hardens and solidifies in cold temperatures. Also, give it a good stir, so it is well combined again.