Butternut Squash Salad with Feta
September 15, 2023
Butternut Squash Salad with Feta to change things up this fall; instead of the typical soup, go for this autumnal salad! Paired with a salty feta, slightly bitter rocket salad, crunchy pistachios and juicy pomegranate.
A simple appetizer for everyone, so simple and comforting, this Butternut Squash Salad with Feta will raise a few eyebrows this fall. Butternut squash has long pieces with its skin still attached to keep its form. You must oil them lightly, sprinkle a little salt, and roast them in the oven until perfection. This smooth veggie is nutty and sweet, perfect for the little ones. To contrast the sweetness of the squash, salty feta cheese and crunchy pistachios will help bring this salad to another level. Last element but not least, the tiny but powerful pomegranate arils bring in some juicy, fun touch!
Kid-Friendly Squash
I leave the rocket salad behind for the kids and serve them the squash with all the other ingredients, balsamic glaze included; they love it! It becomes a simple squash steak and is easy to pair with lovely tuna croquettes or zucchini fritters to make a whole dish!
A Comforting Appetizer
Butternut Squash has this unexplainable way of smoothing the mood, maybe in its creaminess, sweetness, or both, but nothing calms you more than this veggie! There are zillions of ways to make it, especially remarkable in soups but rarely appreciated in salads. If you roast them, they become nuttier than boiled strangely. I like to put them on the grill directly to give them these burn stripes we all love to see. Also, make sure to keep the skin; otherwise, the squash won’t hold and get saggy. We want the butternut to shine, similarly treated like meat is on a plate: the centrepiece! Bring out the butter knives to eat this one!
Feta Cheese to Counter Balance
Salty, crumbly and easy to pair, Feta is the perfect ingredient to calm down the often too-sweet Butternut Squash. Nothing like a perfect balance. Sweet and Salty are, over here, the protagonists of the Appetizer. The salad wouldn’t work without the cheese; it would work without all the other ingredients but not the feta. Another element could calm the sweet squash, like a spicy or acidic one, but we choose a sweet and salty approach over here. A famous duo!
Variations
As mentioned earlier, all the elements could be changed except the basic Squash and Feta duo. The rest, like the rocket salad, could be any lettuce you prefer, although I like the bitterness of this dish. Dried cranberries or even blueberries could replace the pomegranate. And the pistachios by whatever salty nuts you dig at the moment. Also, if you like the famous Green Goddess dressing, it would be a great place to use it or this avocado-tahini dressing.
To Serve with
This Butternut Squash Salad with Feta is supposed to be an Appetizer, but it could easily be turned into a light lunch served with:
Ingredients
- 1 Small butternut squash cut into 8 long pieces with skin
- 100 g Feta Cheese
- 4 tbsp pomegranate arils
- rocket salad
- salted pistachios crushed
- salt
Dressing
- Olive Oil
- Balsamic Glaze
Instructions
- Start by cutting and cleaning the seeds off the butternut Squash.Cut into long, thick slices with the skin on. Cover lightly with olive oil and salt.
- Roast on the Grill in the oven at 200°C (400F°) for 30 minutes.
- Assemble the Salad and drizzle with the olive oil and balsamic glaze.
I ate this salad for lunch and it was delicious. Great flavors and easy to prepare!