Tender greens, sweet roasty squash, chewy wild rice, crunchy apples, and creamy, tart goat chese will satisfy every fall salad craving you could possible have. A sprinkling of pecans and pumpkin seeds along with a sweet maple dijon dressing really take take this salad to the next level.
Delicata squash is one of the easier fall squash to cut up and clean. For starters, you can eat the peel which makes it faster to prep. They are plentifull in most grocery stores in the fall.
If for some reason you can't find wild rice, farro or barley would be a good substitution.
You can use what ever your favorite greens are. I love a mix of agugula, baby greens, or butter lettuce. This salad makes an impressive side to a fall dinner or you can add some roasted chicken and make it an entree. For the goat cheese haters, sub feta or shaved parmesan.
Fall Salad with Delicata Squash and Wild Rice
Serves 4 as an entree or 8 as a side
NGREDIENTS
1 large Delicata Squash (about 1 ½ pounds total)
2 TBS Olive Oil
Sea Salt & Pepper
1 Cup Wild Rice
4 cups grens (Arugula, mixed greens, butte lettuce, or a combo)
1 Honecrisp or Fuji apple, cored and diced
¼ Cup Pumpkin Seeds
¼ Cup toasted pecans
4 ounces Soft Goat Cheese, crumbled
Vinaigrette:
¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 TBS Balsamic Vinegar
1 ½ - 2 TBS Maple Syrup
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
Kosher Salt & Ground Black Pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper for easy clean up. Set aside.
Cook wild rice according to directions on package - I like to cook it for about 40 minutes or until it is tender but still has some chew. You don't wan't it to be mushy.
Meanwhile, roast the squash: Cut the delicata squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and place the squash cut side down. Proceed to cut each half into ½’’ thick half-moon rounds. Drizzle the squash rounds with oil and season generously with sea salt and a pinch of pepper. Toss to combine. Roast the squash on prepared sheet pan for 15 minutes. Flip squash over and continue to roast for 8-12 minutes, or until tender and just golden brown. (Keep an eye on the squash towards the end of roasting, as squash can go from golden to burnt quickly)
Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper. I love using my little had held milk frother to mix dressings so that they emulsify perfectly. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.
Assemble: In a large shallow bowl or platter. I like to toss the greens and rice with just a little dressing (too much will make them look wilty and sad), then layer in a platter. Next layer on the apples, squash, nuts and goat cheese. Then you can drizzle more dressing over the top or serve it along side the salad.
Prep Ahead:
To make this for guests, cook the squash and rice ahead of time and store in the fridge until ready to serve. Make the dressing ahead of time (can be left on the counter if using the same day). You will want to bring the squash and rice back to room temp before assembling the salad so pull them out of the fridge about 20 min before.
Comments