When’s the last time you took a week off? Like, really took a week off. Where you just sit around, drink tea, and read a book? Listen to the rain? Cook all the delicious meals you’ve been dying to try, but never have the energy to make? Part of me is kicking myself for not timing an actual vacation with a week off from working on my blog, but even so, it was nice for a little break. And what did I do on my break? I cooked a lot of food. Took lots of photos. And I’m ready with a whole new list of yummies to share with you. Funny how my week off turns into a burst of inspiration and creativity. I need more time off, apparently. So let’s dig into my favorite recipe I made during this past week—a delicata squash salad with apple cider vinaigrette.
While salad isn’t always the most exciting dish in the world (compare to, say, a cheesy chicken tortellini bake), I admit, it’s one of my favorite things to photograph. Salads are always full of colors. I mean they really like to show off in front of the camera compared to any other dish. And this delicata squash salad was more than ready for its close up.
The inspiration from this salad naturally came from where most of my recipe inspiration comes from—a good look at what I have leftover in my fridge. I had a delicata squash sitting on the bowl in our kitchen ready to be roasted, and I kind of worked my way from there.
When I put together a new salad recipe, I typically go for the same type of elements. My salad formula includes:
- Something sweet
- Something creamy
- Something crunchy
- Some kind of “main” event (usually a protein)
- Leafy greens
- Dressing
This form isn’t exactly to a tee, because there are a lot of different sweet and crunchy elements in this particular salad. But generally, I try to have those same textures in each salad. The formula hasn’t failed me yet.
For this delicata squash salad, you’ll need…
- Delicata squash (grab two if you’re making a large salad)
- Fresh baby arugula
- Pomegranate seeds (I love to scoop out my own, here’s how)
- Raw pecans
- Goat cheese crumbles
- Roasted & salted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
And for this salad, we’re making an apple cider vinaigrette from scratch. It just seemed appropriate given all the flavors in this salad—and the season. You’ll need…
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
I admit, I didn’t exactly measure for this recipe. Just sort of threw everything together. But if you want measurements and a recipe to save, here it is!
Delicata Squash Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Ingredients
For roasting the squash
- 2 delicata squash
- 2 tsp olive oil
- Salt & pepper
For assembling the salad
- 1 5 oz. bag fresh baby arugula
- 4 oz. goat cheese
- 1 pomegranate or pomegranate seeds
- 1/2 cup raw pecans chopped
- 1/4 cup roasted pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)
For the apple cider vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Cut the squash in half the long way (you would be slicing through the stem on the top). Scoop out the seeds and discard.
- Slice the squash into thin half-moon pieces, about 1/4 inch thick.
- Toss the delicata squash slices in a bowl with 2 teaspoons of olive oil and at least 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the delicata squash slice son the sheet in a single layer—making sure they aren't on top of each other.
- Roast in the oven for 15 minutes.
- While the squash is roasting, prep the dressing. Add all of the ingredients for the dressing in a small mason jar. Seal and shake.
- Add all of the salad ingredients to a large platter. Top with roasted squash slices and drizzle on the apple cider vinaigrette. Toss and serve.
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