When I first saw this salad, I have to admit I wasn’t sure about adding butternut squash; but I tried it and now I’ve found a new salad love . . .  Mmm, toss that butternut squash in olive oil, honey, then roast it until it’s gold brown, and it is amazing- it works perfectly in the salad {or it is a delicious side dish on it’s own}.  Now combine it with cranberries, toasted pecans, goat cheese – and yes, bacon – and you got an amazing salad! 

FYI: {as if you need more to convince you to try this salad,}  butternut squash has more beta-carotene than any other type of squash.  One cup meets your vitamin A needs for the day, plus it has lots of vitamin C and potassium as well – all that for only 82 calories. 

Roasted Butternut Squash Harvest Salad

Ingredients:

1 large butternut squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 (4-oz.) packages gourmet mixed salad greens
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
3/4 cup  pecan halves
1/2 cup dried cranberries
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
poppy seed dressing (recipe here) or store-bought

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place pecans on a lightly sprayed baking sheet and toast in the oven for 3-4 minutes, stirring once.  (You can do this with the squash if  it fits your oven, or toast the pecans and then roast the squash.)

Peel and seed butternut squash; cut into 3/4-inch cubes. Toss together squash, olive oil, honey and salt and pepper in a large bowl; place in a single layer in a lightly greased aluminum foil-lined 15- x 10-inch jelly roll pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until squash is tender and begins to brown, stirring once after 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool in pan 10 minutes.

Toss together squash, gourmet salad greens, and next 4 ingredients on a large serving platter or in a large salad bowl.  Serve with poppy seed dressing.

Recipe adapted from Southern Living, November 2011