Description
A vibrant and refreshing Autumn Harvest salad featuring crisp Honeycrisp apples, roasted butternut squash, tangy feta, crunchy nuts, and sweet cranberries, all tossed with a zesty apple cider vinaigrette. Perfect for fall gatherings or a light, nourishing meal.
Ingredients
1 large Honeycrisp apple, thinly sliced
2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
6 cups mixed salad greens (arugula, spinach, or spring mix)
⅓ cup feta cheese, crumbled
⅓ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
¼ red onion, thinly sliced
Vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey (or maple syrup)
Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Toss the cubed butternut squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and spread on a baking sheet.
- Roast for 20–25 minutes until golden and tender. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper to make the vinaigrette.
- Thinly slice the apple and red onion.
- In a large salad bowl, combine salad greens, roasted squash, dried cranberries, chopped nuts, red onion, apple slices, and crumbled feta.
- Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad just before serving.
- Toss gently to combine and serve immediately.
Notes
Toss apple slices with a little lemon juice to prevent browning.
Roast the squash and prepare the vinaigrette a day in advance for easy assembly.
Substitute feta with goat cheese or blue cheese for a flavor variation.
Make it vegan by using plant-based cheese and maple syrup instead of honey.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, keeping dressing separate.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Roasting and Tossing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1/5 of recipe)
- Calories: 240
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 290mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
