Maple Butternut Squash Fall Harvest Salad

Maple Butternut Squash Fall Harvest Salad is the perfect dinner or side dish for a gathering when the leaves start to change! It’s loaded with autumn harvest favorites like roasted butternut squash, fresh crisp apples, dried cranberry, crispy bacon and shaved Parmesan. It’s a balance of salty and sweet, warm and cold, and drizzled with a sweet maple dressing. Head out to the orchard or the pumpkin patch, and then head home to make this delicious fall salad!

Why We Love It!

• It’s seasonal and fresh! – This apple harvest salad combines the best of what’s in season! Roasted butternut squash, fresh picked apples, crisp salad greens, with cranberry and that rich maple flavor, it just screams fall!

• It’s a complete meal, side dish, or meal prep lunch! – This salad is certainly worthy of being a dinner on it’s own and easily feeds 4 people. But, it also is a great side dish for a larger group, perfect for the Thanksgiving table, and could even be made up for a few days of meal prep lunches. If meal prepping, don’t add the apple or dressing until you are ready to eat. If you love salad for dinner, be sure to check out my Chopped Dinner Salad with Roasted Potatoes!

• The flavor is amazing! – This butternut harvest apple salad is the perfect balance! The salty savory flavors of the bacon, roasted pistachio nuts, nutty Parmesan and sharp onions marry beautifully with the warm sweet maple roasted butternut squash, the sweet dried cranberries, apples and tangy maple syrup dressing. Some components are cold, some still warm from the oven, and all loaded with that crisp autumn harvest flavor!

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Butternut Squash – Prepping the butternut squash can seem a bit tricky but it’s really not! Cut off each end of the squash, then peel with a vegetable peeler. Next, cut it in half horizontally so you have the top “neck part”, and the bottom “bell part” with the seed cavity. Cut the top part into half inch slices, then cut the slices into strips and finally cubes. Slice the bell part in half vertically and scoop out the seeds, an ice cream or portion scoop works great. Then cut each half in slices, then strips, then cubes. You may not need the entire squash for this salad, but I still roast the whole thing. Your leftovers will be delicious!

• Bacon – I like to use thick cut bacon and roast it in the oven along side the butternut squash, though it will be done before the squash. It’s that crisp and salty goodness with way less mess than frying it in a pan! Leave it out if you want a vegetarian salad.

• Bread for Croutons – I used 2 cups of cubed bread from a loaf of ciabatta, but you could also use a baguette, or any type of French or Italian bread. I like to keep a loaf in my freezer for a quick and easy sandwich night, the more crusty and rustic the better! You could also skip this step and use store-bought croutons, or leave the salad gluten-free.

• Pistachio Nuts – Pistachios are a favorite, but you can also sub pecans, walnuts, pumpkin or sunflower seeds. I used raw nuts and roasted them with olive oil and a pinch of salt alongside the bread for the croutons. You could also buy nuts that are already roasted and salted and skip this step; however, I like that they are warm from the oven.

• Salad Greens – I used a little over half of a 4.5 ounce box of store-bought mixed salad greens. Whatever looks like the best quality and the freshest is your best bet!

• Dried Cranberries – This adds a punch of sweetness and a nice pop of color! Golden raisins, pomegranate seeds, or fresh fall raspberries would also be a great variation.

• Apple – Fresh picked and straight from the orchard is the best! Use your favorite apple variety, I like apples that are super crisp and crunchy, juicy and tangy!

• Parmesan Cheese – I like to buy a block of Parmesan cheese and use a vegetable peeler to shave off big pieces! It adds a nice salty nutty flavor to the salad.

• The Maple Dressing – This simple dressing is made by adding all the ingredients to a jar with a lid and shaking them together! Sweet maple syrup is balanced with sharp dijon and white wine vinegar, shaken with olive oil, salt and pepper. This is a great basic dressing for any salad, just double or triple the recipe and store it in the fridge for a month or two. Let it come to room temperature on the counter before using since the oil will solidify in the fridge.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1 – Preheat oven to 400° convection bake and prepare all ingredients (chop squash and bread, wait until the last minute to slice apples).

Step 2 – On a large sheet pan, lay out 5 strips of bacon to one side of the pan and spread the cubed squash on the other side. Drizzle the squash with 1 Tablespoon each of olive oil and maple syrup and ½ teaspoon of salt. Toss well with your hands and spread out. If your pan is too small for the squash and bacon, you can do on separate pans.

Step 3 – On a second sheet pan, add cubed bread to one side and pistachios to the other, drizzle both with a bit of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Toss well with your hands and spread out. If you are using pistachios that are already roasted or salted, you can skip this step or just throw them on the pan a few minutes to serve them warm.

Step 4 – The timing can vary by oven, this is what worked for my oven so keep an eye on things and take them out as they are done, set a timer! Bake both sheet pans together in the oven at 400°. After 10 to 12 minutes, remove the croutons and pistachios and allow to cool, and flip the bacon with tongs. Continue to cook the bacon and squash 10 to 14 more minutes until bacon is crispy and fully cooked. Remove bacon to a plate lined with paper towel to drain and chop. Continue to cook the squash 15 minutes more until cooked through and softened (taste one!). Allow to cool slightly. Remove the squash with a slotted spatula to drain any remaining bacon fat.

Step 5 – Add all ingredients for the dressing to a jar with a lid and shake well (or whisk together in a small bowl).

Step 6 – Assemble the salad. On a large platter, arrange some of the squash as a bed for the greens – especially around the edges so you can see the color. Top it with greens, more squash, croutons, red onion, sliced apples, toasted pistachios, dried cranberries, chopped bacon, Parmesan cheese and drizzle with the dressing (I used all of it but use as much as you like). Serve the salad, part warm, part cold immediately and enjoy!

Tips

• Baking Times – This recipes cooks everything together in the oven, but not all for the same amount of time. Get everything prepped and in the oven and then get your timer ready! The croutons and nuts only need about 10 minutes. If your nuts are already roasted or salted, you can skip the oven or just put them in a few minutes to warm. You can flip the bacon when you pull them out. Then another 10 to 14 minutes to finish the bacon. Remove it but continue to cook the butternut squash for another 10 to 15 minutes. All ovens can run a little different so keep timing things and checking them and take them out as they finish. The total oven time for the squash is about 40 minutes. Use the convection setting on your oven, which means the fan is blowing the hot air around, this speeds up the cooking and gets things nice and crispy!

• Storage and Meal Prep– I love making this salad for dinner, but if you are heading to Thanksgiving dinner or you want to meal prep a few lunches, it’s great to make ahead of time. When eaten fresh, this salad has a unique warm ingredient – cold ingredient combo! The butternut squash, bacon, croutons, and pistachios all warm from the oven meet the cold from the fridge, lettuce greens, apple and crisp onion. It’s a pretty delicious mix! But, it’s all fine eaten cold from the fridge the next day too! Just leave off the apple and the dressing and add those just before serving. Croutons can be made ahead and kept in an airtight container on the counter, and the dressing can always be made ahead and kept in the fridge for a month or two.

• Go for REAL maple syrup, not pancake syrup – Have you made the switch yet? You should! I know, it’s more expensive. That’s because pancake syrup is just colored corn syrup. Real maple syrup, that comes from an actual maple tree, adds depth of flavor, and is a great substitute for sugar in a lot of recipes! And, a little of the real stuff goes a long way! I cringe at the amount of Aunt Jemima I used to put on my Eggo waffles as a kid!

FAQ’s

Can I make this salad vegetarian or vegan?

Absolutely! Just leave off the bacon for vegetarian and also the cheese to keep it vegan. This is such a hearty apple harvest salad with the butternut squash and extra protein from the nuts, so it’s easy to adapt it to specific diets. You could also add quinoa or chickpeas to bump up the protein.

More Favorite Recipes for Fall!

• Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables and Couscous
• Apple Pecan Granola
• Cranberry Baked Oatmeal Cups
• One-Pot Maple Pork Roast
• Grilled Split Italian Sausages with Giardiniera
• Sweet Potato Bake
• Leftover Sweet Potato Waffles
• Chicken Tortilla Soup

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