Gluten-Free Roasted Acorn Squash Salad
Updated Feb 12, 2021, Published Dec 16, 2020
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Acorn squash is a winter staple, and what better way to showcase them then by roasting them and tossing them with a simple dressing and other fresh veggies? This Gluten-Free Roasted Acorn Squash Salad is hearty for winter, yet fresh and healthy. You can serve this as a main dish anytime this winter or serve it as a side dish for your holiday dinner.
One of the shortcuts I take to make this recipe easier is to buy cooked beets from the grocery store. It’s a shortcut I find extremely worth the extra cost to help you save on time, but you can always roast fresh beets ahead of time for this, too. Other hard types of squash – butternut, for example – can be used in place of the acorn squash, just note that the roasting times may vary.
For the dressing, I used a simple yet flavorful recipe with oil, vinegar (I used Marukan’s Genuine Brewed Rice Vinegar), salt, pepper, Dijon mustard, and maple syrup. The combination is perfect for a wide variety of salads and complements the earthiness of the beets in this recipe.
Check out more gluten-free salad recipes to get your veg on!
Gluten-Free Roasted Acorn Squash Salad
Ingredients
- 2 acorn squash
- 6 tablespoons olive oil, , divided
- Kosher or fine sea salt
- Black pepper
- ¼ cup Marukan Genuine Brewed Rice Vinegar
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup, , divided
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ cup pecan pieces
- 2 large or 4 small cooked beets
- 5 ounces baby arugula
- 4 ounces crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Cut the squash in half from stem to end. Scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Cut into approximately 1-inch chunks. Place on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for 30 minutes, or until fork tender and starting to brown, stirring once or twice while cooking.
- Combine the remaining olive oil with the vinegar, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, the mustard, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Whisk well.
- When the squash is done, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the dressing and 1 tablespoon maple syrup, toss to coat, and let cool slightly.
- Toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat until warm and fragrant, stirring often, about 5 minutes.
- Cut the beets into chunks and toss with 1 tablespoon dressing.
- Toss the arugula with just enough dressing to lightly moisten. Arrange the arugula on a platter, top with the squash, beets, pecans, and cheese. Serve the remaining dressing on the side.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this for a Friend Lunch and they all raved! I added avocado and a nasturtium flower for garnish. It is a delicious Fall salad