Butternut Squash Salad with Apples, Goat Cheese & Grains

This roasted butternut squash salad recipe features caramelized squash, crunchy apples, creamy goat cheese and hearty grains for a healthy, flavor-packed side dish or vegetarian main course. It's the perfect fall or winter salad, and it makes for a stunning (make-ahead!) side dish on a holiday table.

This is one of my very favorite salads. It's sweet and savory, it's packed with flavor and texture, and it can be made ahead for a healthy dinner or side dish. I love it so much that I featured the recipe in my book, Build-a-Bowl!

Ingredients and swaps:

• Roasted butternut squash: This recipe calls for a 2-pound butternut squash, which you will need to peel and dice (you can dice the squash two days in advance and refrigerate it). You can also use pre-cut squash—just cut it further into ½-inch chunks if needed. You can swap out the butternut squash for roasted delicata squash, sweet potatoes or even roasted cauliflower for a more savory approach.
• Fresh apple: Apple lends a crunchy, sweet-tart flavor. You can use cubed pear instead (just note that the pear will brown faster than the apple).
• Whole grains: You can use any whole grains you like in this recipe. Brown rice is a gluten free favorite (shown here), but you could go for quinoa, farro, barley or wheat berries. If you're looking for a shortcut, buy pre-cooked frozen brown rice, which you can find in most grocery stores.
• Goat cheese: Goat cheese lends creaminess to the salad, but you can omit it for a dairy-free version, or swap it out for crumbled feta or shaved Parmigiano Reggiano.
• Sage: Fresh sage gives the salad an herby, seasonal flavor, but you can use chopped rosemary and/or thyme instead.
• Maple Roasted Pecans: Maple roasted pecans are one of my favorite ways to add a sweet-salty crunch to dishes, from soups, to salads, to these crustless pumpkin pie custards. Here they bolster the flavor of the salad and provide texture. However, you can use regular toasted nuts or omit them completely for a nut-free salad. 
• Balsamic vinegar and apple cider vinegar: The squash is tossed with balsamic vinegar before roasting, giving it a richer, sweeter flavor, but you can use sherry vinegar instead. The dressing is made with apple cider vinegar, but feel free to swap it out for white wine vinegar (avoid balsamic vinegar, which will turn the salad a dark color).

How to make this butternut squash salad recipe:

Roast the butternut squash 

• On a parchment-lined baking sheet, combine diced butternut squash, chopped sage and whole garlic cloves (the garlic will be used for the dressing). Toss with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, then spread in an even layer. Roast the squash until it's caramelized and tender, about 30 minutes. You can do this the day before.

Make the roasted garlic dressing

• Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into a bowl, then add apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, a bit more sage and olive oil. The dressing will generously coat the squash and grains, infusing them with flavor.

Assemble the salad and toss with the dressing

• In a large bowl, combine the roasted squash, cooked grains, diced apple and chopped maple pecans. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Gently fold in the goat cheese.

• To take the salad over-the-top, garnish it with crispy fried sage leaves.

Serving suggestions

This butternut squash salad can happily sit at room temperature for several hours, making it perfect for entertaining and the holidays (it's wonderful alongside roasted turkey for Thanksgiving or Christmas). It also pairs well with chicken, pork and fish. Serve it on its own as a healthy vegetarian weeknight dinner, and save leftovers for easy lunches throughout the week!

FAQs

Recipe tips:

• For a speedier version of this salad, use defrosted frozen brown rice (found in the freezer section of most grocery stores).
• Feel free to swap out the butternut squash for other winter squash varieties, or even for roasted cauliflower.
• Baby arugula is a nice addition to the salad, if you’re craving some greens.
• For some more protein, throw in some white beans or shredded chicken!
• Find more nutritious one-bowl meals in my book, Build-a-Bowl!

*This post contains Amazon and other affiliate links to products I use and love (from which I earn income, at no cost to you). Thank you for supporting From Scratch Fast!

Other squash recipes to try:

• Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta with Ricotta & Sage
• Roasted Acorn Squash Slices with Maple Brown Butter Vinegar Sauce
• Roasted Squash Soup with Coconut & Curry
• Maple Dijon Roasted Delicata Squash
• Roasted Squash Salad with Goat Cheese & Pomegranate Seeds
• Quinoa, Apple & Spinach Stuffed Honeynut Squash
• Butternut Squash Latke Cake

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I'd love to answer any of your questions and see what you're cooking!! Don't forget to give this recipe a star rating and leave a comment below. Follow along on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube & Pinterest, and be sure to tag @nickisizemore so that I can share your creations!

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Butternut Squash Salad with Apples, Goat Cheese & Grains

Adapted from Build-a-Bowl, by Nicki Sizemore (Storey Publishing, 2018). Caramelized butternut squash gets tossed with maple-roasted pecans, brown rice (or any whole grain you like, such as farro, quinoa, barley or wheat berries), crisp apples, creamy goat cheese and a roasted garlic dressing for a salad that’s savory, sweet and full of texture and flavor. It’s a fantastic side dish or healthy main course. Best of all, it can happily sit at room temperature for several hours, making it perfect for entertaining or for packing into work lunches. If you want to really gussy it up, garnish the salad with these easy Fried Sage Leaves just before serving. *Take note that you’ll need cooked grains for this recipe (see the tips).

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: butternut squash recipes, butternut squash salad recipe, roasted butternut squash recipe

Servings: 6 -8 people

Author: Nicki Sizemore

Ingredients

Roasted squash, maple pecans and dressing

• 2- pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice (4 cups diced)
• 6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh sage, divided
• 1 ½ teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon plus ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• ¾ cup pecans
• 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup, divided
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

To assemble

• 3-4 cups cooked brown rice (from 1 cup uncooked), or other whole grains, such as quinoa, farro or barley
• 1 crisp apple, such as Fuji, Granny Smith or Pink Lady, cored and cut into ½-inch dice
• 2-4- ounces goat cheese, crumbled
• Fried sage leaves (recipe link in header), optional

Instructions

Make the roasted squash, maple pecans and dressing

• Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Line one large baking sheet and one small baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Spread the diced butternut squash on the large baking sheet and add the garlic cloves, 1 ½ teaspoons of the sage, the balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Mix everything around on the pan to coat. Roast, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender and caramelized around the edges, about 30 minutes. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Let cool (reserve the roasted garlic cloves for the dressing). Do Ahead: The squash can sit at room temperature for several hours or it can be refrigerated overnight.
• While the squash bakes, make the maple pecans. Pour the pecans onto the small baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the maple syrup. Season with salt. Toss the pecans to evenly coat in the syrup, then spread them in an even layer. Slide the pan in the oven (this can be alongside the squash) for about 5 minutes, or until the nuts are a shade darker in color and aromatic. Cool completely (the nuts will harden as they cool). Coarsely chop. Do Ahead: The maple pecans can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.
• Squeeze the roasted cloves out of their skins into a small bowl, and mash them to a paste with a pinch of salt. Add the apple cider vinegar, the remaining ½ tablespoon maple syrup and the remaining ½ teaspoon sage. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk in the remaining ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil. Do Ahead: The dressing can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Assemble the salad

• In a large bowl, combine the cooked rice, roasted butternut squash, apple and chopped pecans. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed. Gently fold in the goat cheese. If you’re feeling fancy, garnish with fried sage leaves just before serving.

Notes

Do Ahead: Once assembled, the salad can sit at room temperature for up to 2 hours (garnish with the fried sage leaves right before serving).

Tips:

• For a speedier version of this salad, use defrosted frozen brown rice (found in the freezer section of most grocery stores).
• Feel free to swap out the butternut squash for other winter squash varieties, or even for roasted cauliflower.
• Baby arugula is a nice addition to the salad, if you’re craving some greens.
• For some more protein, throw in some white beans or shredded chicken!
• Find more nutritious one-bowl meals in my book, Build-a-Bowl!