Description
Roasted beets and butternut squash are served over spicy arugula and topped with crunchy pepitas, creamy goat cheese, fresh herbs, and a simple balsamic vinaigrette. Enjoy it for lunch, dinner, or as a colorful side dish for your fall and winter holiday meals.
Ingredients
Roasted Beet & Butternut Squash Salad
- 1 pound beets, trimmed and washed
- 2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and sliced into 1/2-inch thick slices
- a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 8 cups arugula
- 3 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled
- 1/3 cup pepitas or pumpkin seeds, toasted
- 1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives, coarsely chopped
Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Roast the beets and squash: Wrap the beets individually in aluminum foil. Place the butternut squash on a parchment-lined baking pan and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Spread the butternut squash out evenly on the baking sheet and place it, along with the aluminum wrapped beets, into the oven to roast. Roast the butternut squash for 25 to 30 minutes until tender. Roast the beets for 50 minutes to 1 hour, depending on their size, until a small sharp knife can be easily inserted into the middle indicating that they are tender. Unwrap each beet and set aside for 10 minutes, until cool enough to handle.
- Make the balsamic vinaigrette: Add all of the vinaigrette ingredients to a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake until combined.
- Prepare the beets: Once the beets have cooled enough to be able to handle, peel their skins. Or you can also use a paper towel to rub off the skins. Then slice the beets into 1/2-inch thick slices.
- Arrange the salad: Place the arugula on a platter. Arrange the beets and butternut squash in alternating rows (this makes it super pretty but definitely isn’t necessary for a great tasting salad). Generously sprinkle pepitas, goat cheese, and fresh chopped herbs over top. Finish it off with a yummy drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette and serve!
Notes
The equipment section above contains affiliate links to products I use or recommend.
It doesn’t really matter how you slice (or dice) the beets and squash. Slice them as I have suggested or dice them into cubes. Either way is fine. It’s really more about how you would like your salad to look. 😉
This salad can be served warm or cold. If you have roasted your veggies in advance and would like to serve your salad warm, just lay the roasted veggies out on a baking sheet and give them a quick re-roast in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 12 to 15 minutes.
Beets are great at staining hands and surfaces so consider slicing your beets on a dark-colored plastic cutting board that can be easily washed and bleached versus a wooden cutting board. And unless you like the color pink, DO NOT slice your beets on light-colored or marble countertops. To protect your hands from staining, wear latex gloves.
Prep your roasted veggies in advance: Roasted beets and butternut squash keep well in the fridge for about 3 to 5 days so roast the veggies in advance or roast extra to use later for more salads during the week. Store the roasted veggies in an airtight container until you are ready to use them!
- Category: Salads
- Method: Roast
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
