This Fall Greens with Roasted Butternut Squash and Spicy Pepitas Salad is one of my favorite salads of all time. We make this salad for ourselves throughout fall and for get togethers all through the holiday season!
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A white dish with Fall Greens with Roasted Butternut Squash and Spicy Pepitas

The Salad:

Dark greens, sweet roasted butternut squash, spicy pepitas, dried cranberries and asiago, all drizzled with a maple vinaigrette! And you can serve this salad cool or warm with the squash right out of the oven.

Fall Greens with Roasted Butternut Squash and Spicy Pepitas on a white plate with a bottle of maple balsamic vinaigrette

 

Working With Butternut Squash:

Working with butternut squash can be a chore unless you have the right tools! You need a sharp knife and a “Y” peeler (like this). These two tools make this job a snap! If you choose to buy precut squash, make sure it’s super fresh or it may not roast well.

A females hands demobstrating hot to peel and cut a butternut squash for use in a salad called Fall Greens with Roasted Butternut Squash and Spicy Pepitas

How To Roast Butternut Squash:

Once squash is diced you place it on a parchment covered cookie sheet for roasting! Then simply drizzle with olive oil and a little maple syrup, sprinkle with sea salt and pepper and toss. As the veggies roast they lose moisture, becoming sweeter and the edges brown!

A cookie sheet covered with parchment paper and filled with diced butternut squash for use in Fall Greens with Roasted Butternut Squash and Spicy Pepitas

 

The Pepitas: Make Them Yourself or Buy Them:

This is a fall recipe fall y’all so I just had to toss some pumpkin seeds in this recipe. These aren’t ordinary pumpkin seeds though. They are drizzled in lime, tossed in cayenne, chili and other spices and roasted in the oven. You can make your own following the recipe below or if you are lucky enough to live near a store that sells spicy pepitas you can buy them. They are also available online (<—Amazon affiliate link)

Roasted pepitas ona marble counter for use in Fall Greens with Roasted Butternut Squash and Spicy Pepitas

 

Put It All Together and Swoon!

Savory, sweet, and spicy, this salad is a dream! I could eat it throughout autumn and winter without complaint. I hope you love it as much as I do!

A close up Fall Greens with Roasted Butternut Squash and Spicy Pepitas

 

The Recipe: Fall Greens with Roasted Butternut Squash and Spicy Pepitas

Tips and what you will need: to easily work with butternut squash you will need a “Y” peeler and a good, sharp knife. I use this knife and love it.

 

Fall Greens with Roasted Butternut Squash and Spicy Pepitas
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Total Time
1 hr
 

Dark greens, sweet roasted butternut squash, spicy pepitas, dried cranberries and asiago, all drizzled with a maple vinaigrette! And you can serve this salad cool or warm with the squash right out of the oven.

Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: easy dinner recipe, easy lunch recipe, light recipe
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Linda Spiker
Ingredients
Roasted Spicy Pepitas:
  • 1 cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ancho chile or chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 Tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice
Butternut squash:
  • 1 ½ lb butternut squash peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
  • 2 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon real maple syrup
Salad:
  • 1 head red leaf lettuce
  • 1 head butter lettuce
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • 3 oz Asiago cheese, shaved using a y peeler
  • 1/2 cup Roasted spicy pepitas
  • 1/3 cup Dried cranberries
Dressing:
  • 1 med shallot minced, chopped
  • 2 Tablespoon balsamic Vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoon cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 3 Tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
Make pepitas ahead:
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and place rack in upper third of oven.
  2. Place all ingredients together in a bowl, toss and then spread on a cookie sheet. Bake, shaking pan once or twice, until lightly browned, 6-8 minutes.
Butternut Squash:
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place rack in upper third of oven. Drizzle prepared butternut squash with oil and real maple syrup and toss with salt and pepper. Place on cookie sheet covered with unbleached parchment paper. Roast for 40-50 minutes or until squash is soft and edges are brown. Allow to cool.
Dressing:
  1. In a small bowl combine all ingredients and whisk. Dress salad.

Salad:
  1. Tear lettuces into bite size pieces and place on a platter. Add spinach, cooled squash, spicy pumpkin seeds and toss with dressing. Plate and shave Asiago onto each helping. Serve.

I have no doubt you will love this salad as much as I do! ~ Linda Spiker

 

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