Roasted Delicata Squash Salad
This hearty fall and winter salad is like a cross between a grain bowl and a salad. Packed with vibrant cold weather vegetables, tangy feta cheese and a creamy maple vinaigrette, it has all of the elements of a satisfying meal. Serve it alongside your Thanksgiving meal for a bright and fresh break from all the decadence.
Ingredients
Maple Roasted Delicata Squash & Red Onions
- 2 Delicata Squash seeded and cut into ½" slices
- 1 Red Onion ¼" vertical slices
- 4-6 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 ½ teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 1 ½ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes or less, to taste
- 2-3 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2-3 tablespoon Maple Syrup
- Kosher Salt and Black Pepper to taste
Barley (or Farro)
- 1 C Dried Barley or sub farro
- 1 C Apple Cider or apple juice
- 1 C Water
- 1 - 2 Cinnamon Sticks
- 1 Bay Leaf
- Kosher Salt and Black Pepper to taste
For Assembly
- 3 - 4 handfuls Arugula
- 6 oz Crumbled Feta or goat cheese
- 4 tablespoon Toasted Pecans chopped, optional
- ¼ C Dried Cranberries optional
- ½ C Maple Dijon Salad Dressing divided, or more to taste
Instructions
- Toss sliced squash, red onions, garlic, seasonings, olive oil, and maple syrup together in a large bowl, then spread in a single layer on parchment lined sheet pans. Roast at 450F for about 10-15 minutes, then remove from the oven. Using tongs, turn over all slices of squash, then return to the oven (switching racks if using more than one sheet pan) for 10-20 minutes, until golden and cooked through.2 Delicata Squash, 1 Red Onion, 4-6 cloves Garlic, 1 ½ teaspoon Dried Thyme, 1 ½ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes, 2-3 tablespoon Olive Oil, 2-3 tablespoon Maple Syrup, Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
- Combine barley, apple cider, water, cinnamon sticks, bay leaf, and salt & pepper in a saucepan with a lid. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook per package instructions. Drain any excess liquid, remove cinnamon sticks and bay leaf, season with salt and pepper.1 C Dried Barley, 1 C Apple Cider, 1 C Water, 1 - 2 Cinnamon Sticks, 1 Bay Leaf, Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
- Drizzle a bit of dressing on the warm barley. Next, toss arugula and feta with a bit more dressing. Sprinkle barley in with arugula mix and toss to incorporate. Plate up, then top with roasted squash, red onions, nuts, and cranberries. Enjoy!3 - 4 handfuls Arugula, 6 oz Crumbled Feta, 4 tablespoon Toasted Pecans, ¼ C Dried Cranberries, ½ C Maple Dijon Salad Dressing
Notes
Storage Instructions:
- Maple Dijon Dressing - Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Shake or whisk before using to re-emulsify.
- Roasted Squash & Onions - Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature or warm gently before assembling the salad.
- Barley - Cook up to 3 days ahead, and toss with a few tablespoons of dressing before storing to keep it flavorful and prevent it from drying out.
- Assembly - Wait to assemble the salad until just before serving. Store all components separately to preserve freshness and texture.
- Vegan - Feel free to either omit the feta or substitute a plant based version, and follow instructions to make the maple syrup dressing vegan-friendly (as outlined in the dressing post). Alternatively, use the maple dijon vinaigrette from my sheet-pan chicken sausage dinner.
- Gluten-Free - Barley contains gluten, so you’ll want to swap it out for a celiac-friendly grain. Sorghum and buckwheat groats have the most similar consistency to barley, but you can also use brown rice, wild rice, or quinoa. Note that you may need to adjust how much cooking liquid you use; just keep a 50/50 mix of apple cider and water for the intended autumnal flavor boost.
- Nut-Free - Omit the pecans, or swap in crunchy pepitas or sunflower seeds. Can’t do seeds either? The crispy chickpeas from my fall kale salad would be great, too!
- Drizzle the dressing on your barley while it is still warm to impart the most flavor. Why? Grains are more porous when they’re warm, so they can soak up extra goodness.
- Serve the delicata squash salad warm or at room temperature for the best flavor. Cold foods taste less potent and often feel like they need more salt than if they’re warm.
Nutrition
Calories: 679kcalCarbohydrates: 90gProtein: 17gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 576mgPotassium: 1376mgFiber: 16gSugar: 31gVitamin A: 4343IUVitamin C: 37mgCalcium: 421mgIron: 5mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!