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Fall Harvest Salad With Cranberry Vinaigrette

5 from 3 votes
A large plate of fall harvest salad with mixed spring greens, roasted butternut squash slices, pomegranate seeds, and toasted pumpkin seeds next to a cranberry vinaigrette.
This colorful fall harvest salad recipe is a mix of seasonal flavors: roasted butternut squash, pomegranate seeds, and cranberry vinaigrette. It's a great side dish to add to any holiday table.
Author: Lindsey Jenkins
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Serving Size 4

Ingredients
 

Salad

  • extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups butternut squash, peeled and sliced thin
  • salt & pepper
  • ⅓ cup roasted pepitas
  • ⅓ cup pomegranate seeds
  • 5 cups spring greens

Cranberry Vinaigrette

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC.
  • Peel the squash, cut it just above the ‘butt’ end that houses the seeds. Then cut the neck of the squash in half and cut each half in half before slicing it into roughly ¼ inch slices. Toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cook until fork-tender but still holding their shape, about 20-25 minutes.
  • Make the vinaigrette. Add the dried cranberries to the vinegar in a small bowl and let soak for 10-15 minutes. Add the soaked cranberries along with the vinegar they're soaking in, to a blender with the rest of the dressing ingredients. Blend until completely smooth. Adjust the salt to taste.
  • Add the greens and roasted butternut squash slices to a large shallow bowl. Toss with a few tablespoons of the vinaigrette before topping the salad with the toasted pumpkin seeds and pomegranate seeds. Serve with more vinaigrette on the side.

Notes

Not serving the salad right away? Assemble the salad, but don't dress it. Only toss with the dressing right before serving, otherwise, the greens get soggy.
See the blog post for more helpful tips.

Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations

No butternut squash? - you can use another variety such as honey nut, acorn, kabocha, etc. or if you can only find orange sweet potatoes, I think those would also work
No pepitas? - use another nut or seed such as hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, pecans, or almonds.
No pomegranate arils/seeds? - use dried cranberries or cherries.
No red wine vinegar? - you can also use white wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, sherry vinegar, or apple cider vinegar. Or you could serve it with a different dressing altogether such as balsamic vinaigrette, poppy seed dressing, or a simple shallot vinaigrette.
No dried cranberries? - use dried cherries, black currants, or goji berries.
No maple syrup? - use raw honey instead.
Add-ins - thinly sliced Honeycrisp apples, red onion, dairy-free feta cheese (or regular), crispy bacon, oven baked crispy prosciutto, or sliced chicken breast to turn this side dish into a main course, wild rice, candied nuts, etc.