Grilled Butternut Squash Salad
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Fall is in the air and what better way to celebrate than with this Grilled Butternut Squash Salad recipe? Loaded with fall flavors and is easy to make, this simple salad recipe will be on repeat.
Enjoy alongside my Crispy Tofu Cutlets, Crispy Chicken Cutlets or Pan Roasted Juicy Chicken Breasts.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Loaded with flavor. This simple salad recipe is loaded with flavor. Enjoy it alongside my Crispy Chicken Cutlets or Oven Baked Crispy Chicken Thighs.
- Customizable. You can swap the pomegranate arils fro dried cranberries or cherries. Feel free to make this salad how you’d enjoy it most.
- Simple yet satisfying. With only a few ingredients this salad is simple but totally satisfying.
Recipe Ingredients
- Lettuce – You’ll need massaged kale and baby spinach for this recipe. Remove stems and roughly chop.
- Broccoli Slaw – Adding broccoli slaw adds texture and flavor to this salad.
- Butternut Squash – You’ll need to grill squash for this recipe.
- Fruit – Fresh pomegranate arils add a pop of brightness to this salad.
- Almonds – Lightly toast the shaved almonds to enhance the flavor.
- Cheese – Crumbled goat cheese brings this salad together.
- Seasoning – Season with kosher salt and cracked black pepper.
- Dressing – Combine extra virgin olive oil, finely diced shallots, white wine vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, kosher salt and cracked black pepper.
How to Make
Prepare the Dressing
- Combine the extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, diced shallots, kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Whisk until well combined. Set aside.
Grill the Squash
- Preheat the grill to 400-450 degrees. Brush the grates with avocado oil right before add the squash.
- Pearce the skin of the squash and microwave it for 2.5-3.5 minutes. Carefully remove it from the microwave. It will be hot to touch.
- Once cool, peel the squash with a vegetable peeler. Remove the ends and slice the squash into ½ inch thick rounds. Use a spoon to carefully scrape out any seeds from the center of the rounds.
- Add the sliced squash to a bowl with olive oil, kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Coat well.
- Place the prepared butternut squash on the prepared grill grates.
- Close the lid and grill for 5-6 minutes per side. Flip only once.
- Remove squash from the grill and allow it to cool. Option to cube the squash or leave it in rounds.
Assemble
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the roughly chopped kale, baby spinach and broccoli slaw. Next, add the toasted almonds, pomegranate seeds, and grilled / diced butternut squash. Toss well. Add as much or little dressing as you desire. Taste and season with kosher salt and cracked black pepper accordingly. Top with crumbled goat cheese and serve.
Storage
- Store any extra grilled butternut squash covered in the refrigerator for three to four days. Reheat the butternut squash in the microwave or enjoy at room temperature.
- The salad is best enjoyed immediately once dressed. Leftover salad can be stored covered in the refrigerator for one to two days. If dressed, the salad may wilt in the refrigerator.
Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t like kale can I use a different lettuce?
Yes! You can try chopped romaine or gem lettuce.
Should I massage my kale?
Yes! Massaging the kale helps soften it texture and makes it more flavorful.
Other Salad Recipes to Consider Trying
Grilled Butternut Squash Salad
Fall is in the air and what better way to celebrate than with this Grilled Butternut Squash Salad recipe? Loaded with fall flavors and is easy to make, this simple salad recipe will be on repeat.
Equipment
- 1 gas grill
- 2 mixing bowls
Ingredients
Shallot Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons shallots, finely diced
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- cracked black pepper, to taste
Butternut Squash
- 1 small butternut squash, peeled, sliced, seeded, grilled, then cubed
- 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
- pinch kosher salt, season
- few turns cracked black pepper, season
Salad
- 2 cups baby spinach, remove stems
- 2 cups baby kale, remove stems, roughly chop
- 1 cup broccoli cabbage mix
- 1.5-2 cups butternut squash, grilled and cubed as instructed
- ½ cup pomegranate arils
- ¼ cup shaved almonds, lightly toasted
- 2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
- kosher salt and cracked black pepper, to season
Instructions
Prepare the Shallot Dressing
- Combine the extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, diced shallots, kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Whisk until well combined. Set aside.
Prepare the Butternut Squash
- Preheat the grill to 400-450 degrees. Brush the grates with avocado oil right before add the squash.
- Pearce the skin of the squash and microwave it for 2.5-3.5 minutes. Carefully remove it from the microwave. It will be hot to touch. Once cool, peel the squash with a vegetable peeler. Remove the ends and slice the squash into ½ inch thick rounds. Use a spoon to carefully scrape out any seeds from the center of the rounds.Add the sliced squash to a bowl with olive oil, kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Coat well. Place the prepared butternut squash on the prepared grill grates. Close the lid and grill for 5-6 minutes per side. Flip only once. Remove squash from the grill and allow it to cool. Option to cube the squash or leave it in rounds.
Assemble
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the roughly chopped kale, baby spinach and broccoli slaw. Next, add the toasted almonds, pomegranate seeds, and grilled / diced butternut squash. Toss well. Add as much or little dressing as you desire. Taste and season with kosher salt and cracked black pepper accordingly. Top with crumbled goat cheese and serve.
Notes
The salad is best enjoyed immediately once dressed. Leftover salad can be stored covered in the refrigerator for one to two days. If dressed, the salad may wilt in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving or 1/4 of the salad with 1/4 of the dressing., Calories: 417kcal, Carbohydrates: 42g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 17g, Trans Fat: 0.003g, Cholesterol: 7mg, Sodium: 262mg, Potassium: 1201mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 28229IU, Vitamin C: 93mg, Calcium: 221mg, Iron: 3mg
4 Comments on “Grilled Butternut Squash Salad”
Just made this salad for my lunch, delicious! First time deseeding a pomegranate, don’t wear white! I cheated and microwaved the butternut squash but it was still good as it was fresh from my garden. I also subbed champagne vinegar as it is milder and suits my taste. A definite go to new combo!
My new go to salad! I first made it for a girls wine night served with harvest rolls and farm butter and everyone raved. Tonight I made it with chicken breasts marinated in your roasted chicken platter marinade. Yummy! I have a few other additions and variations I want to try. I will be sure to share them.
This salad will be on repeat this Fall! The flavor combos are perfection – all the ingredients work so well with heartier greens like kale, spinach, broccoli slaw etc. I added a little fresh rosemary and also a tad bit of honey to the dressing then served it with grilled chicken. . To save time while the chicken grilled I diced and roasted the squash – worked perfectly. Healthyish recipes always feel so doable/practical and the flavors pop – love your Instagram acct and recipe blog!
Absolutely delicious!