I first served this butternut squash salad as the opening course for a pork tenderloin dinner, and it’s become my go-to whenever the weather turns cold. Maple-roasted squash, tart cranberries, toasted walnuts, and ribbons of shaved Parmesan come together over peppery arugula with a warm apple cider vinaigrette. It’s the best flavors of autumn and winter in one beautiful bowl, from Thanksgiving straight through the holidays. A small portion makes an elegant start to a dinner party, and a bigger bowl is hearty enough to stand on its own as a meal.
Why You Will Love This Ina Garten Butternut Squash Salad
It’s a salad that tastes like the season and looks like you went to a lot of trouble, when really you didn’t. Sweet maple-roasted squash, tart cranberries, earthy walnuts, and salty Parmesan come together with a bright, tangy warm cider vinaigrette. The recipe comes from Ina Garten’s cookbook Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics. She created it after a friend described a warm butternut squash salad he’d been served and asked if she could make one. Like most of Ina’s recipes, it’s beautifully balanced, and I don’t mess with a good thing. The one detail I’d point out is the Parmesan. Don’t reach for the fine grater. Ina grates hers on the large holes of a box grater, and I either do the same or shave it into wide ribbons with a vegetable peeler. Bigger pieces hold their own against the arugula and squash, and they look stunning on the plate.
How Long to Roast Butternut Squash Cubes
Roast 3/4-inch butternut squash cubes at 400 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until a fork slides in easily but the cubes still hold their edges. That’s the sweet spot for a salad, and size matters as much as time. Oversized chunks are awkward to eat and never quite balance with the arugula in each bite. Overcooked squash is worse: the moment you toss it, it breaks down and turns to mash, and your beautiful salad turns muddy.
Pro Tip: Give the squash room on the sheet pan. A crowded pan traps steam, so the squash softens before it ever gets those golden, caramelized edges. If the cubes don’t fit in a single layer with a little space between them, use two pans.
Can You Use Pre-Cut Butternut Squash?
Yes, and this is the one place I make an exception. I’m not usually one to buy pre-cut vegetables. You never know how long they’ve been sitting there, and they start losing freshness the moment they’re cut and packaged. But butternut squash can be a real chore to peel and cut, so a shortcut earns its keep here. The catch is size. Look for a package with evenly cut pieces close to 3/4 inch, so everything roasts at the same rate and you’re not stuck cubing the cubes yourself.
Don’t Skip This Warm Apple Cider Vinaigrette Recipe
It’s tempting to grab a bottle of dressing, but this vinaigrette is what turns a good salad into a memorable one. You simmer fresh apple cider with cider vinegar and minced shallots until it reduces to about 1/4 cup, then whisk in Dijon mustard and olive oil off the heat. Reducing the cider concentrates its flavor, so the dressing tastes like apples and autumn, not just tang. Ina loves the interplay of hot and cold in this salad, and that’s what makes it feel special: warm squash and warm dressing against cool, peppery arugula.
Use sweet apple cider, the cloudy kind from the produce section or farm stand, not hard cider. Apple juice works in a pinch, but cider has more depth.
Use a quality apple cider vinegar too. I reach for Bragg’s or a similar raw, unfiltered vinegar that still contains “the mother,” the cloudy strands that form naturally as the vinegar ferments. Clear, filtered store brands have that removed, along with some of their apple flavor, and in a dressing this simple, you’ll taste the difference.
Don’t walk away from the pan. Once the cider reduces, it goes from syrupy to scorched quickly.
Go light when you dress the salad. Spoon on just enough to moisten the leaves and toss. Arugula is delicate, and too much warm dressing will wilt it.
Can You Make This Easy Fall Salad Ahead?
Mostly, and that’s what makes this such an easy fall salad for entertaining. Roast the squash ahead of time, then pop it back into a 400 degree F oven for just a few minutes before serving to take the chill off, or even less if it’s been sitting at room temperature. If you’re roasting the day before, pull the squash just shy of tender. It keeps cooking from carryover heat after it comes out of the oven, and it’ll soften a bit more when you reheat it. Toast the walnuts and shave the Parmesan earlier in the day too. For the vinaigrette, measure out the cider, vinegar, shallots, mustard, and oil, and set them by the stove so it’s ready to make right before serving. It only takes a few minutes, and it’s best warm and fresh. The one thing you can’t do ahead is dress the salad, because arugula wilts quickly once it meets warm vinaigrette.
A Winter Salad for Holiday Entertaining
This salad doesn’t retire when the leaves fall. Butternut squash and cranberries carry right through the holidays, which makes it as much a winter salad as a fall one. Serve it as a first course at Thanksgiving, as a Christmas salad before a holiday roast, or as a bright start to a New Year’s dinner party.
I first served it before a pork tenderloin, and it’s a perfect match, especially with my Cider Roasted Pork Tenderloin. The apple cider in both dishes ties the whole meal together, and the sweet squash and tangy vinaigrette play beautifully off the pork.
For a dinner party, plate small portions as an elegant first course. For a cozy weeknight or a lunch, serve it in bigger bowls; it’s hearty enough to stand on its own as a meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do You Have to Peel Butternut Squash?
Yes. Some people eat the skin once it’s roasted, but I never recommend it. It stays tough and chewy, and you want every cube soft and tender when you toss it with the greens. A sturdy Y-peeler makes quick work of it, or buy evenly cut pre-cubed squash and skip the peeling altogether.
What’s the Difference Between Apple Cider and Apple Juice?
Apple cider is pressed apple juice that hasn’t been filtered, so it’s cloudy, with a fuller, slightly tart apple flavor. Apple juice is filtered until clear and tastes sweeter and simpler. Either works in this vinaigrette, but cider gives the reduced dressing more depth. If you use juice, expect a slightly sweeter dressing.
What Goes With Butternut Squash?
Sweet, tangy, salty, and crunchy partners all play beautifully off its mellow sweetness. Maple, tart cranberries, apple cider, toasted walnuts, and salty Parmesan, everything in this salad, are classic pairings. So are sage, pecans, and pork, which is why this salad is so good alongside a cider-roasted pork tenderloin.
Can You Freeze Roasted Butternut Squash?
You can, but I don’t recommend it unless you’ll be using for soup or puree. Frozen roasted squash softens and turns watery as it thaws, so it won’t hold its shape once tossed with the greens. For the salad, roast it fresh, up to a day ahead. If you do end up with extra, freezing it for butternut squash soup is a great use, since soup freezes beautifully.
How Do You Toast Walnuts?
Spread the walnuts in a single layer on a sheet pan and toast them at 350 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes, until fragrant and a shade darker. Check them often, because nuts go from toasted to burned in moments. Let them cool on a plate, not the hot pan, so they don’t keep cooking.
Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Equipment
- sheet pan
- small saucepan
- whisk
- large salad bowl
- vegetable peeler or box grater for the Parmesan
Ingredients
For the squash
- 1 1/2 pounds butternut squash- peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper- freshly ground
For the vinaigrette
- 3/4 cup apple cider- or apple juice
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar- raw and unfiltered, such as Bragg’s
- 2 tablespoons shallots- minced
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper- freshly ground
For the salad
- 4 ounces baby arugula- washed and spun dry (if not pre-washed)
- 3 tablespoons dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup walnut halves
- 3/4 cup Parmesan- shaved with a vegetable peeler or coarsely grated
- 1 pinch kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper- to finish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the walnuts in a single layer on a sheet pan and toast for 8 to 10 minutes, until fragrant and a shade darker. Transfer to a plate to cool, then raise the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss with the olive oil, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Spread it into a single layer with a little space between the cubes. If it’s crowded, use two pans so the squash roasts instead of steams.
- Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until a fork slides in easily but the cubes still hold their edges. Don’t overcook it, or it will turn to mash when you toss the salad.
- While the squash roasts, make the vinaigrette. Combine the apple cider, cider vinegar, and shallots in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until reduced to about 1/4 cup. Don’t walk away; once it reduces, it can scorch quickly.
- Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the mustard, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Place the arugula in a large salad bowl and add the warm squash, cranberries, toasted walnuts, and Parmesan. Spoon on just enough warm vinaigrette to moisten the leaves, and toss gently. Finish with a pinch of salt and pepper and serve immediately.
What readers are saying about Butternut Squash Salad
made this for a table of 4 last night prior to serving steaks and it was the highlight of the night. Can’t wait to make again. Will probably serve with chicken or a lighter protein.