Name: Maple Roasted Acorn Squash Salad
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 acorn squash (approx 2 lbs); 3 tbsp maple syrup; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1/2 tsp sea salt; freshly ground pepper; 6 large handfuls of baby arugula (or green of choice); 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds; 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas); 2 tbsp red wine vinegar; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1/4 cup pomegranate juice; 1 tsp maple syrup

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The ultimate fall salad is this maple roasted acorn squash salad tossed with a deliciously decadent pomegranate vinaigrette. The perfect way to get in your seasonal veggies!

When I have a good salad, I quickly become obsessed. I don’t know if it’s because all salads are not created equal or if I’m just picky when it comes to salads! Well this squash salad definitely falls in the “obsessed” category. I love the mix of warm and cool ingredients, the fall flavors and the refreshing vinaigrette!

This salad comes together really quickly – the part that takes the longest is roasting the squash but after you have that done, it’s just a matter of mixing up the rest of the ingredients.

Fall Squash Salad Ingredients:

Acorn squash
Baby arugula or green of your choice
Pomegranate seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Maple syrup
Olive oil
Red wine vinegar
Pomegranate juice
Sea salt and pepper

Acorn Squash 101 – Yes! You can eat the skin.

Acorn squash is a winter squash that is shaped similarly to an acorn! They’re typically dark green in color with an orange patch near the stem. The inner flesh is yellow-ish orange, similar to butternut squash. It has a slightly sweet and nutty flavor but it’s pretty mild. After cooking, the skin is fairly soft making it okay to eat! If you don’t love the texture you can always remove the peel before cooking. Acorn squash is rich in vitamins and minerals, most notably vitamin C, potassium and magnesium.

Here’s how to chop your acorn squash for this fall squash salad:

1. Chop off top and base of acorn squash.

2. Slice acorn squash length-wise from top to bottom. Scoop out seeds.

3. Place squash flesh side down and chop into 1/4-1/2 inch sized slices.

How to Make Roasted Acorn Squash

Like I mentioned above, the most time consuming part of this recipe is roasting the squash.

STEP 1: See above for how to cut your acorn squash.

STEP 2: In a large bowl, combine maple syrup and olive oil. Dip each piece of squash into the mixture to coat both sides and then lay on a sheet of parchment paper or silicone-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle slices with salt and pepper.

STEP 3: Roast them for 15 minutes at 425ºF, flip and roast for another 10 minutes on the other side.

Assembling Your Squash Salad

After cooking your squash, the salad is super simple to assemble. Mix the arugula, pomegranate seeds and pumpkin seeds in a large bowl and top with the roasted squash. In a small bowl or mason jar, mix the red wine vinegar, olive oil, pomegranate juice and maple syrup. Drizzle the vinaigrette dressing over the salad just before serving.