Inspired by my Roasted Butternut Squash and Quinoa Salad, which goes viral each and every time I post it, this latest version swaps a maple dijon dressing for a zingy orange dijon dressing that is just delicious and the walnuts for candied pecans with a hint of rosemary.
What’s to Love About This Butternut Squash Salad
- so much texture – each mouthful is full of flavour and crunch!
- beautiful and delicious – this hearty salad is a showstopper that everyone will love.
- allergy friendly – this recipe is gluten free and can easily be made dairy-free and nut-free (see the post for swaps)
Ingredients Notes & Substitutions
While this butternut squash and feta salad is stunning, it uses simple ingredients that are easy to source (because we don’t need extra work these holidays!). Everything you will need is listed below as well as any possible substitutions and ingredient notes. The ingredient quantities are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Salad Ingredients
- butternut squash – butternut squash can be swapped for Kent pumpkin. Peeling the butternut squash can be a bit tricky. I find using a sharp knife works well but you can also use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin.
- extra virgin olive oil – avocado oil is a good alternative to extra virgin olive oil as it has a high smoke point.
- garlic powder – if you can’t tolerate garlic then you can leave it out, I love adding it in for extra flavour.
- sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper
- pecans –
- pepitas – Pepitas are a highly nutritious seed and great source of healthy fats, zinc and other minerals. They can be swapped for sunflower seeds in this recipe.
- honey – you can use maple syrup in place of honey for the candied nuts and seeds.
- dried rosemary – dried rosemary really adds a lovely flavour to the candied pecans and pepitas but if you don’t have any on hand then that is totally fine too! It’s not an essential, just a nice to have.
- arugula – otherwise known as rocket in Australia, arugula can be swapped for baby spinach or some more hearty greens like chopped and massaged kale.
- firm feta – I love a firm feta for this salad but you can also use a creamy feta or goat cheese (chevre).
- red onion – the thinly sliced red onions add a lovely bite to this butternut squash and feta salad. But if red onion in salads isn’t for you then that’s ok too!
Dressing Ingredients
- white wine vinegar
- orange juice – this dressing is a version of my maple dijon vinaigrette, which uses fresh lemon juice instead of orange juice. If you want to use lemon juice instead of orange juice, you will need to reduce the amount of lemon juice and increase the maple syrup so I definitely recommend checking out the recipe.
- dijon mustard
- pure maple syrup
- extra virgin olive oil
Optional Extras
I originally tested this recipe with dried cranberries and personally found it was a little too much sweetness with the apples. But if you love a little extra sweetness then go ahead and add some dried cranberries or some juicy pomegranate seeds (pomegranate arils).
Allergy friendly swaps
- To make dairy-free: Swap the feta for a vegan feta.
- To make nut-free: Swap the pecans for extra pepitas (pumpkin seeds) or sunflower seeds.
How to Make Butternut Squash and Feta Salad
Preheat the oven to 180°C/356°F set to conventional. Line a large baking tray and a small baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
Roast Butternut Squash
Cut the butternut squash into cubes that are around 2cm x 2cm. Essentially you want them cut into bite sized pieces. Tip the butternut squash onto the large tray and top with olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper and toss to coat evenly. Spread out into a single layer and then place into the oven to roast until tender. Use a fork to check if the butternut squash is tender and once they are done, let them cool to room temperature before adding into the salad. If the butternut squash is too hot it will wilt the rocket.
Candy Pecans and Peptias
While the butternut squash is roasting, it’s time to candy the pecans and pepitas (pumpkin seeds). Add the honey, salt and rosemary to a small pan and turn onto a medium heat. Heat until the honey is bubbling rapidly. Turn off the heat, add the pecans and pepitas and stir to combine. Then tip the candied pecans and pepitas out onto the small lined baking tray and spread them out as much as you can. You need to work quickly here as the honey hardens quickly.
Pop them into the oven for 5-7 minutes, keeping an eye on them so that they don’t burn (everyone’s ovens cook slightly differently!). Once they’re cooked, remove them from the oven and set aside to cool.
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Make the Dressing
Now it’s time to make the dressing. Add the orange juice, white wine vinegar, dijon mustard, maple syrup and salt to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Keep whisking while slowly pouring in the extra virgin olive oil until the dressing is smooth and emulsified.
Assemble the Salad
To build the salad, add the arugula, roasted and cooled butternut squash, thinly sliced red onion and diced apple to a large salad bowl. Drizzle with about half of the dressing and toss to combine. Sprinkle the crumbled feta over the top as well as the candied pecans and pepitas, broken up. Pretty! If you like you can drizzle with some more dressing. Or serve it alongside the dressing for guests to add more if they wish.
If I’m serving to guests, I like to present the salad on a serving platter or large shallow dish. Transfer the salad to your chosen dish before topping with the feta and candies pecans and pepitas.
Storage
Transfer leftover salad to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Make Ahead Tips
Store all of the different components in individual airtight containers and then assemble on the day of serving. Always dress the salad just before serving to prevent the arugula from wilting.
What to serve with
Butternut Squash and Feta Salad with Candied Pecans & Pepitas
Equipment
- Chopping Board
- Sharp knife
- small baking tray
- Small saucepan
- Whisk
- Citrus juicer
Ingredients
Roasted butternut squash
- 1 kg butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt flakes
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Candied pecans & pepitas
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt flakes
- ½ cup pecans
- 2 tablespoons pepitas
Salad
- 120 grams arugula
- 150 grams firm feta
- 1 pink lady apple, diced and coated in lemon juice
- 1/3 red onion, cut into wedges and finely sliced
Dressing
- 40 ml orange juice
- 20 ml white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
- 60 ml extra virgin oil
- Pinch sea salt
Instructions
Butternut squash
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/356°F conventional. Line one large and one small sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Tip the butternut squash cubes onto the large sheet pan and top with olive oil, salt and garlic powder. Toss to coat and spread out into an even layer. Place the tray into the oven and roast for 1 hour. Set aside to cool.
Candied pecans & pepitas
- Add the honey, dried rosemary and salt to a small saucepan and bring to a medium-low heat. Stir to combine and then gently warm the honey mixture until it is thin and runny. Once the honey starts to bubble vigorously, turn off the heat.
- Add in the pecans and pepitas, stirring to coat all of the nuts and seeds in honey. Pour the candied pecan and pepitas mixture out onto the small, lined sheet pan. Spread out across the base of the tray into a single layer, you will need to work quickly here as the honey hardens quickly. Place into the oven to bake for 5-7 minutes, keeping an eye on them so that they don’t burn.
- After 5-7 minutes, remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
Dressing
- Add the orange juice, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup and salt to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Slowly begin pouring in the olive oil while whisking. Continue whisking until well combined and the dressing is smooth.
Salad
- To assemble the salad, add the arugula, roasted and cooled butternut squash, diced apple and sliced red onion to a bowl. Drizzle with the orange Dijon dressing and toss to combine. Top with crumbled feta and candied pecans and pumpkin seeds and serve.
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