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Roasted Delicata Squash Apple Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

October 21, 2017

Enjoy the flavors of fall with this pretty and delicious Roasted Delicata Squash Apple Salad. A perfect side dish or starter salad, especially for the holidays.

fall salad recipe roasted delicata squash apple salad

 

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It’s not news that gut health is a hot topic in the nutrition world and beyond these days, but what you may not know is that your immune system relies on good gut health to stay strong. This is especially important as we head into cold and flu season, which is what led to this month’s topic for The Recipe ReDux.

Good Gut Health

With cold and flu season upon us, the best defense may be good gut health. Since much of our immune health begins in the gut, show us your healthy, delicious recipe to bolster gut health. 

When we talk about gut health, we most often discuss foods rich in prebiotics and probiotics like asparagus and onions (prebiotics) and kefir and miso (probiotics). But there are other foods that also boost our gut health and are in season this time of year.

Fiber-Packed Ingredients

The stars of this Roasted Delicata Squash Apple Salad are both excellent sources of dietary fiber, a nutrient we know is important for a variety of reasons, including blood sugar stabilization, keeping us full, and gut health

While more research is needed, there are some studies showing that apples have a positive effect on gut health, mostly due to the soluble fiber pectin, which acts as a prebiotic in the gut. (1, 2) Given the old adage, “an apple a day will keep the doctor away,” it’s no surprise that there are more good reasons to bite into this popular fruit.

In addition to fiber, delicata squash and other winter squash are excellent sources of vitamin A and C, both of which support our immune system.

delicata squash fall salad

 

What Is Delicata Squash?

If you’re not familiar with delicata squash, it’s an oblong yellow squash with green stripes. Most winter squash are super hard to cut into, but delicata is a little softer and the skin is edible, so there’s a lot less work involved in preparing it, which is why it’s one of my favorite winter squash!

In addition to eating the skin of delicata squash, you can also eat the seeds – hooray for ending food waste! All you have to do is scoop out the seeds, rinse them off, toss with olive oil, and roast for 5 to 8 minutes. They add a great crunch to this Roasted Delicata Squash Apple Salad.

Fall Flavors Unite

Pomegranates are another of my favorite fall fruits. Not only do they make any dish pretty thanks to their ruby red color, but they are also rich in immune-boosting antioxidants.

No salad is complete without a fabulous dressing to bring it all together. To go along with the fall flavors, I made a dressing using apple cider vinegar and maple syrup. Apple cider vinegar gets touted for a lot of health benefits, including acting as a probiotic (assuming it has the “mother” in it); however, there isn’t any research to back up that claim. If you’re curious to learn the truth about apple cider vinegar, check out this article by fellow RD Ellie Krieger.

This Roasted Delicata Squash Apple Salad is perfect for starting a holiday meal or serving as a side to a weeknight dinner. Just see for yourself how easy it is to make in the video above!

Do Your Kids Eat Salad?

Kid Tip: This salad tends to go over well with kids because they like the roasted squash and fruit is always a winner. Even if they start by picking out the parts of the salad they like and leave over the greens, that’s a great introduction to making salad part of their diets.

delicata squash recipes

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Enjoy the flavors of fall with this pretty and delicious Roasted Delicata Squash Apple Salad. A perfect side dish or starter salad, especially for the holidays. via JessicaLevinson.com | #pomegranates #delicatasquash #fallrecipes #salad #vegan #dairyfree #glutenfree #nutfree #apples

Roasted Delicata Squash Apple Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

This pretty and delicious salad is full of the flavors of fall. Arugula is topped with apples, pomegranate arils, roasted delicata squash and seeds, then tossed in an apple cider vinaigrette sweetened with pure maple syrup. Serve as a side dish or starter salad.

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray
  • 1 Delicata squash, (~3/4 lb)
  • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon olive oil,, divided
  • 5 ounces arugula
  • 1 large or 2 medium crunchy apples,, sliced thin
  • 1/2 cup pomegranate arils

For the Apple Cider Vinaigrette:

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper, , to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line two large sheet pans and one small sheet pan with foil and coat with cooking spray.
  2. Cut delicata squash in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds, reserving them for later, and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch thick half moons. (If using a mandoline, use #2 setting.)
  3. In a large bowl, toss squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Spread squash on prepared large sheet pans, making sure not to overcrowd the pans. Toss reserved squash seeds with remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil and spread on the prepared small sheet pan.
  4. Roast squash seeds for about 6 minutes, stirring once while cooking, until crispy. Roast squash for 10 to 12 minutes, flipping squash and rotating the pans halfway through, until squash is caramelized and slightly crisp. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
  5. While the squash is cooking, make the dressing. In a small bowl or mason jar, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, salt, and pepper, to taste.
  6. In a large serving bowl, combine the arugula, sliced apples, roasted squash and seeds, and pomegranate arils. Toss with dressing and serve immediately. 

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Have you tried delicata squash?

Share with me in the comments below!

Roasted delicata squash apple salad with text overlay

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  1. This looks like such a flavorful salad! I bet my kids would at least pick some parts out and eat it! P.S. – I love the salad bowl you used – so fun!

  2. 5 stars
    What a delicious looking salad! So many wonderful fall flavors! And the bowl is adorable!

  3. This looks so simply delicious, I love all the flavor! I don’t have any delicata squash but lots of acorn and butternut from the garden so might try it with one of those.

    1. Thanks Sarah. This would work great with any winter squash really, and acorn squash you can cut into half moons like I do the delicata if you want the same look 🙂 Let me know if you try it!

  4. I’ve been looking everywhere for delicate squash after seeing this recipe on your Facebook page – it’s so pretty! Hopefully I find it soon 🙂

  5. This salad just says “fall” to me… it looks delicious! And it contains pomegranates… my oldest son’s favorite fall fruit. I can’t wait to try it this weekend!!!

  6. There’s just something about a fall salad that trumps all other salads. I think it’s the addition of roasted and almost caramelized veggies. That punch of warmth adds so much to the other crispy components. I love this one, and the vinaigrette sounds amazing!

  7. What a lovely fall salad! And I have a delicata sitting on the counter along with some apples, waiting to be made into this.

  8. 5 stars
    What a beautiful fall salad! I wish I was eating this for lunch. Love the use of delicata squash (I need to use this more) and pomegranate arils (one of my favs)!

  9. Yum! I love delicata squash but haven’t had any this season yet!! Thanks for the reminder 🙂

  10. I LOVE adding roasted vegetables on a fresh salad! The combo of flavors and textures makes it so much more interesting.

  11. I love delicata squash SO much, and cooked like this, it looks fantastic! I bet they would make a nice creamy winter squash soup garnish too. 😉

  12. What a gorgeous bowl (and the actual serving bowl is quite fun) And BTW: I recently tried Delicate squash and it roasted deliciously. 😉

  13. This is an awesome breakfast idea, Jessica! Excellent combination of healthy and nutrient-dense ingredients!

  14. I have never had delicata squash! I need to try it. I’ve never noticed it at the grocery, but I have probably never looked either 🙂

  15. 5 stars
    This is such a pretty salad Jessica! And, so nourishing too. Confession time. I’ve never cooked a Delicata squash before 🙁 I will definitely be making this soon!

    1. Thanks EA! OMG, I cannot believe you have never made delicata! I know a lot of people aren’t familiar with this type of squash, but I would not have guessed you are one of them! Hope you get to try it asap!

  16. 5 stars
    What a beautiful salad! I love all varieties of squash; it’s hard to come by delicata in Australia unfortunately but I’m sure this salad would be awesome with other types in there too 🙂

    1. Thanks Monique. This would definitely work with other forms of squash. Acorn squash would give you the same look and texture. Other squash like butternut are starchier, so the cook time and texture will be different. Would love to know if you try it!

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