A roasted acorn squash salad featuring tasty winter squash paired with greens, creamy goat cheese, pistachio nuts, and a balsamic vinaigrette.
So oddly enough, my husband and I returned one week ago today from our amazing 2-week Western Mediterranean cruise to weather that was hotter than almost all of the cruise port destinations we visited during our trip. I mean, like 90 degree weather in September? What is happening? I’m craving pumpkin-spice-everything, oversized sweaters layered with plaid scarves, and cozy boots with camping socks. Well I’m happy to say that the weather finally seems to be (somewhat) cooperating with us!
I’ll be posting recaps of some of our destinations in the weeks to come. We had an absolutely unbelievable time, and being away from work for two weeks provided us both with a much-needed reboot. The hardest part is staying away from those two adorably little puppies of ours, though! Now that we are back in the Mitten and fall is on it’s way (it is on it’s way, right?), I’m craving all things comfort food. When we returned home from our trip, our garden was overgrown (of course!) and required a lot of trimming back on my hubby’s part! But we also were greeted with a whole harvest of fresh veggies, including a plethora of acorn squash. Today I’m featuring these beauties in a simple roasted acorn squash salad.
Related: Asian Butternut Squash Soup
The salad starts by prepping your acorn squashes, and then they are roasted in the oven with olive oil, salt, pepper, and dried sage. While the acorn squash are roasting, you can prepare the other ingredients. The salad is dressed simply with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt. After the acorn squash are finished roasting, you can pair them with the dressed greens, creamy goat cheese, and chopped pistachios.
Related: Chorizo and Butternut Squash Frittata
Now it’s your turn: what is your favorite autumn side dish salad? Share with me by commenting below!
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- 1 acorn squash
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons dried sage
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 2 cups greens of choice (such as a spring mix)
- 2 oz. goat cheese
- 1/4 cup pistachio nuts, chopped
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice top and bottom off acorn squash. Slice squash in half, and remove seeds. Cut each half section into 1/2" to 3/4" thick slices. Transfer slices to lined baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. In a small bowl, combine dried sage, salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the squash slices. Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until fork-tender. Preheat the broiler and toast slices under the broiler for 3-4 minutes until browned.
- Meanwhile prepare the greens. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt. Add greens and toss to coat.
- To assemble, plate greens and top with squash slices, crumbled goat cheese, and pistachios. Drizzle with extra olive oil or balsamic vinegar if desired. Enjoy!