This Butternut Squash & Apple Fall Harvest Salad will definitely put you in the mood for Fall! Made with seasonal produce, this salad is vegan & gluten free
My fall cooking has officially swung into high gear this year, I’ve made butternut squash everything – butternut squash patties, butternut squash quinoa salad, this amazing butternut & apple fall harvest salad, & then to top it off, I made pumpkin zucchini bread bars & apple crisp – which turned out incredible & will be showing up here on the blog VERY soon! But for today, I’m here with this amazing salad that I put together on Monday for lunch! It’s very fall inspired with crisp apples, beets, warm butternut squash, walnuts, & more!
While I’m not huge on salad, which might come as a surprise because there’s definitely a misconception that people who are gluten free LIVE off of salads. But in actuality, I rarely eat salads. For me to eat a salad, it has to have all of the right components. I like something that will add a good crunch, really crisp lettuce, a little sweetness, something for a little protein, I love adding nuts, & of course, you need a good dressing as well!
This fall harvest salad checks off all of the boxes!
And it’s very filling, which is often a problem I have when eating salad – I need some substance! With add-ins like walnuts, hemp shells, & beets, it’s a great way to get some extra nutrients in during lunch! Also, if you’re familiar with making beets, they are seriously a PAIN to prepare. A few weeks ago, I found & bought pre-cooked packaged beets at Trader Joe’s in the produce department & they’ve been a game changer & a major time savor! They come already prepared & you can enjoy them hot or cold. For this salad though, I kept them cold & they were delicious!
And for a topper on this fall salad, I sprinkled a little dairy free cheddar cheese from a new brand I found called Violife Foods (@ Whole Foods). For a cheese substitute, it has pretty good ingredients. Much better than leading brands, such as Daiya! And it tastes SO good on top of this salad!
For dressing, I drizzled on Primal Kitchen’s Honey Mustard Vinaigrette, made with Avocado Oil & it added the best flavor, plus just a hint of the sweetness I was looking for! I’m really picky when it comes to salad dressings, but I really like this option because the ingredients are really clean, it’s not made with canola oil, & it tastes amazing! My Maple Tahini Dressing would taste really good on this salad too – you can find that recipe here!
Ready for the full recipe?!
Butternut Squash & Apple Fall Harvest Salad
Ingredients
Preparing the Roasted Butternut Squash
- 1 Medium Sized Butternut Squash
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Cumin
- Himalayan Pink Salt & Black Pepper
Preparing the Fall Harvest Salad
- Mixed Greens - I used Baby Red & Green Leaf
- Half of an apple - sliced
- Cooked Beets - warm or cold
- Walnuts
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Hemp Shells
- Diary Free Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Dressing
- Primal Kitchen Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
Instructions
Preparing the Roasted Butternut Squash
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Preheat oven to 420 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Peel, de-seed, & slice the butternut squash into small cubes & place them onto a lined baking sheet. Add the olive oil & spices, & toss well, making sure all of the squash is coated.
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Bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the tray from the oven, flip the squash, & bake for another 5-10 minutes, based on how soft you like your squash to be. I baked mine for an additional 10, after the initial 20.
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Remove from oven & let the squash cool.
Putting together the Fall Harvest Salad
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Add your choice of mixed greens to a salad bowl or large plate.
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Next add the warm butternut squash cubes, sliced apple, & sliced, cooked beets.
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Add the remaining salad add-ons - walnuts, pumpkin seeds, hemp shells, & dairy free cheddar.
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Drizzle on your dressing of choice - I used Primal Kitchen's Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
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Enjoy!
Like I said, I’m not the biggest fan of salads, but when a salad has enough substance to fuel me for a few hours, tastes delicious, & includes seasonal produce – count me in! I hope you enjoy this fall harvest salad as much as we did! And speaking of fall recipes, stay tuned for an apple crisp recipe coming soon!
If you tried this Fall Harvest Salad, or any other recipe on the blog, let me know if you enjoyed it by leaving a comment or rating below!
