Spicy arugula, roasted beets and butternut squash mixed with crunchy walnuts, and creamy goat cheese. All drizzled with an incredible Orange Vinaigrette dressing! Simple lunch recipe, dinner salad or quick pick me up for those cold winter days.
Healthy food for the soul, that’s what this salad would say if it could talk
Something we all need a little more of in the winter months is bright, colorful, and healthy food that gives us a boost in our mood, energy, and just overall health. I have the perfect pick me up for you! This Roasted Beets and Butternut Squash Salad!
Spicy arugula, crunchy pecans, creamy goat cheese mixed with perfectly roasted beets and butternut squash.
What’s not to love? Plus any butternut squash recipe is good this time of year, like this butternut squash noodles bowl and this amazing and healthy butternut squash lasagna with spinach.
You may also go crazy for this salads best friend, this Easy Kale Salad With Lemon Dressing.
Things to love about this Roasted Beets and Butternut Squash Salad
- Quick and simple to make!
- Contains lots of fall and winter veggies like kale, beets and squash
- Hearty and can easily be turned into a main meal any day of the week!
- The perfect balance of tangy, sweet and crunchy.
- Great for entertaining since everyone will love this salad that can easily be made vegan and is already vegetarian and gluten-free!
How to make this Roasted Beets and Butternut Squash Salad
First you need to prep the beets and squash.
To prep the beets: Peel them and then dice them into 1 inch cubes.
Expert tip: To prevent the beets from staining you’re cutting board, don’t cut the beets on a wooden cutting board. I like to use a plastic cutting board and then rinse it right after I am done cutting up the beets.
To prep the butternut squash: Slice the ends off of the squash, and peel the whole thing using a vegetable peeler. Then dice it up into 1 inch cubes using a sharp kitchen knife.
Expert Tip: When you get the end where the seeds are, you can use a spoon to scoop out the seeds until the inside is nice and clean and dice up the remaining squash or cut around the seeds.
Roast the beets and squash: Arrange the chopped squash and beets onto a baking sheet. Drizzle the veggies with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in a 425 degree F oven for 20-25 minutes.
Expert Tip: When dicing the veggies, try to make them all a similar size and shape for even cooking.
While the veggies are cooking you can make the dressing.
Combine some orange juice, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, maple syrup, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a mason jar and shake vigorously to emulsify.
Assemble the salad: Place the arugula into a large salad bowl or platter, top it with the squash, beets, crumbled goat cheese or vegan soft cheese crumbled, chopped walnuts, and pomegranate seeds. Drizzle the dressing overtop and toss! A-MAZING!
If you like this salad recipe then check out some of my other most popular and delicious healthy salads!
Did you make this recipe? If so, then please leave a rating and comment below.
Roasted Beets and Butternut Squash Salad
Spicy arugula, roasted butternut squash and beets mixed with crunchy walnuts, and creamy goat cheese. All drizzled with an incredible Orange Vinaigrette dressing! Simple lunch recipe, dinner salad or quick pick me up for those cold winter days.
Ingredients
For the salad
- 2 beets peeled and diced
- 2 cups peeled and diced butternut squash
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 6 cups fresh arugula
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
- 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
For the orange viniagrette dressing
- 1/4 cup orange juice or the juice a 1 large orange
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup olive oil
Instructions
Roast the Beets and Squash
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F
- Spray two baking sheets with olive oil
- Place the beets in a single layer on one of baking sheets, drizzle with some olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Use the same method for the butternut squash.
- Roast the beets and squash in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, turning the beets and squash over halfway through. Watch the beets since they may not take as long as the squash to cook.
- Remove and set aside to cool for a few minutes.
Make the orange vinaigrette dressing
- Pour the orange juice , apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, salt and pepper and olive oil into a mason jar and shake well to emulsify.
Putting the salad together
- Place the arugula into a large bowl or platter, top with the roasted beets and squash, chopped walnuts, crumbled goat cheese, and pomegranate seeds, and lightly toss.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss it all together. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
You can make the beets and squash in advance and store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Vegan Option: Sub the goat cheese with soft vegan cheese.
Update: This recipe was updated with better photos, expert tips, and more details on how to make the recipe.
This is the kind of salad that I could eat every single day! I love the colors and I’m craving a big bowl!
Thank you Marci! It’s my new favorite Salad!