This Autumn Delicata Salad is cozy, colorful, and full of flavor and texture. The roasted delicata squash brings natural sweetness, while the crisp greens, creamy cheese, and crunchy nuts balance everything out. Enjoy this salad at your next holiday or add your favorite protein for an easy weeknight dinner!
About This Recipe
This salad is one of my favorite fall salads. It’s full of amazing flavor and texture and is perfect for any meal. It’s perfect topped with my Sweet Mustard Lemon Vinaigrette, which is a super easy, sweet and tangy dressing the ties everything together.
I love this salad because it feels special enough for a holiday table but easy enough for a weeknight dinner. You can enjoy this salad with my Marinated Flank Steak, Balsamic Herb Grilled Chicken, Rosemary Garlic Pork Tenderloin, or any of your other favorite proteins for a completel meal.
No matter which way you decide to enjoy this salad, it’s a delicious way to enjoy fall flavors at their best!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Delicata squash: Delicata is a small, oblong winter squash with pale yellow skin and green (sometimes orange) stripes. Unlike many other squashes, its skin is thin and tender, which means you don’t have to peel it, making prep incredibly easy. The flavor is naturally sweet and slightly nutty, often compared to a cross between butternut squash and sweet potato. You can usually find delicata squash during the fall and early winter months, typically from September through December, though some stores carry it longer depending on the season
- Dressing: I love serving this salad with this light and tangy Sweet Mustard Lemon Vinaigrette, however, any dressing of choice works for this salad.
- Arugula: Or use any other greens of choice, like spring mix, fresh spinach, kale, etc.
- Red onion: The crisp bite of red onion pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the pear.
- Pear: I love pears in the fall but you can also easily sub for apple if you prefer.
- Goat cheese: Goat cheese is my go-to for so many salads but can easily be subbed for feta or favorite cheese. Use dairy-free cheese if needed.
- Craisins: Add the perfect amount of chewy sweetness, but feel free to omit!
- Walnuts: Or use your favorite nut! You could also try pecans or slivered almonds. If you have a few extra minutes, I love tossing my walnuts in a warm pan to toast them for a few seconds to really bring out the nutty flavor!
Dietary Adaptations
To keep this dairy-free, skip the goat cheese and use your favorite dairy-free cheese. I love the dairy-free feta by Follow Your Heart.
How To Make
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Wash and dry your squash. Cut the ends off, then cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seedy center, and slice each half into ¼ inch half-circles. Spread the squash out on a LARGE (21×14) sheet pan. Spray with olive oil and sprinkle with seasonings. Roast for 25-30 minutes, tossing once halfway through, until tender and starting to brown.
- While the squash is roasting, slice your red onion and pear, and chop your walnuts. If you’re making a dressing, like this Sweet Mustard Lemon Vinaigrette, go ahead and make that now.
- You can either add all ingredients to a large bowl to build one big salad for the family and scoop out one portion, which should be 325 grams of dressed salad. OR– keep things prepped separately to make individual salads.
- For one portion, to your large individual salad bowl add: 2 cups arugula (75g), 2 tbsp red onion, sliced thin (15g), ¼ cup pear, sliced thinly (40g), 1 cup roasted delicata (112g), 2 Tbsp goat cheese (14g), 1 Tbsp craisins (14g), and 2 tsp toasted walnuts, chopped (10g). Top each salad with 3 Tbsp (45g) of the dressing. Finish with some salt and pepper and enjoy with some grilled protein!
Protein Pairings
Pair this autumn salad with some protein to make it a meal! Some of my favorites include:
- Marinated Flank Steak
- Green Goddess Grilled Chicken
- Herby Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Tenderloins
- Balsamic Grilled Flank Steak
- Balsamic Herb Grilled Chicken
For More Delicious Salad Recipes
- Winter Citrus Salad
- Wild Rice and Kale Salad
- Harvest Chopped Kale Salad
- Chopped Kale Salad, Delicata Squash, and Crispy Shallots
- Super Green Salad
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Autumn Delicata Salad
Ingredients
Roasted Delicata (Serves 6):
- 2 medium delicata squash 1019g, halved, seeded, and slice into half-circles
- 1 Tbsp olive oil 15g
- 1 Tbsp kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp dried rosemary
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- ¼ tsp pepper
Dressing (Serves 6):
- ¾ cup clear balsamic vinegar 180g, fruit infused if you have it!*
- ¼ cup dijon mustard 60g
- 3 Tbsp olive oil 45g
Salad (Serves 1)
- 2 cups arugula 75g
- 2 tbsp red onion 15g, sliced thin
- ¼ cup pear 40g, sliced thinly
- 1 cup roasted delicata 112g
- 2 Tbsp goat cheese 14g
- 2 tsp craisins 10g
- 2 tsp toasted walnuts 10g, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Wash and dry your squash. Cut the ends off, then cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seedy center, and slice each half into ¼ inch half-circles. Spread the squash out on a LARGE (21×14) sheet pan. Spray with olive oil and sprinkle with seasonings. Roast for 25-30 minutes, tossing once halfway through, until tender and starting to brown.
- While the squash is roasting, slice your red onion and pear, and chop your walnuts. If you’re making a dressing, like this Sweet Mustard Lemon Vinaigrette, go ahead and make that now.
- You can either add all ingredients to a large bowl to build one big salad for the family and scoop out one portion, which should be 325 grams of dressed salad. OR– keep things prepped separately to make individual salads.
- For one portion, to your large individual salad bowl add: 2 cups arugula (75g), 2 tbsp red onion, sliced thin (15g), ¼ cup pear, sliced thinly (40g), 1 cup roasted delicata (112g), 2 Tbsp goat cheese (14g), 1 Tbsp craisins (14g), and 2 tsp toasted walnuts, chopped (10g). Top each salad with 3 Tbsp (45g) of the dressing. Finish with some salt and pepper and enjoy with some grilled protein!
Notes
Nutrition
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