Happy Holidays! On the menu for Christmas Eve this year is my Winter Butternut Squash Salad! Butternut squash is one of my favorite starches around this time of year, but I wanted to do something to make it fresh and spice it up. With minimal ingredients and served warm or cold, this side is a huge crowd pleaser. It is a must at the Christmas table!

Ingredients:

  1. 1 whole butternut squash, peeled and cut into small/medium dice
  2. olive oil for roasting squash
  3. 2 tsp salt, split in half
  4. 3/4 cup of raw pecans
  5. 1 TB maple syrup
  6. 1/2 cup of pomegranate seeds
  7. 2 cups of arugula
  8. 3 TB apple Cider Vinegar
  9. 3 TB olive oil

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven 400F
  2. Toss the cubed butternut squash in olive oil and 1 tsp salt
  3. Spread onto a sheet tray and roast for 20 minutes in the oven. Flip once the 20 minutes are up and roast 20 more minutes. Once they are tender to the mouth pull from the oven, usually takes a total of 40-50 minutes.
  4. While the butternut is in the oven toss the pecans with the maple syrup. Put on a sheet tray and put in the oven for 10 minutes or until brown. Be careful, they brown fast!
  5. Once both the butternut and pecans are done let them cool to room temperature.
  6. Mix the rest of the ingredients together and add the oil, vinegar and salt. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Serve or save for later in the refrigerator! This salad is great room temperature or cold!
Print Friendly, PDF & Email Print Recipe