Nourishing Roasted Delicata Squash Salad

Roasted Delicata Squash Salad packed with leafy greens, perfectly caramelized roasted delicata squash, hearty and nutritious bulgur wheat, crisp pomegranate seeds, crunchy walnuts, and creamy goat cheese. Dressed with my 5-Minute Maple Balsamic Dressing, you can enjoy this salad as a healthy lunch or dinner, or serve it as a side dish.

Hearty salads are pretty much the only salads I’ll eat during the fall and winter season. This Delicata Squash Salad is a winner. It contains all the components of a delicious, nutritious, and satisfying salad.

The star of the show is the oven-baked delicata squash, which is the perfect colder weather salad ingredient. Delicata is a winter squash, and it’s known for its delicate rind and sweet flavour. It caramelizes beautifully in the oven, and it’s also really good for you.

As a dietitian, I’m big on sharing healthy yet balanced and filling salad recipes. Like my Quinoa, Kale & Butternut Squash Salad or my Autumn Kale Salad with Lentils & Delicata Squash.

Ingredients for This Delicata Squash Salad Recipe:

Here’s what you’ll need to make this salad with delicata squash:

• Spring mix (or mixed greens) – you can also use baby spinach or kale
• Delicata squash – I usually have the best luck finding delicata squash at my local farm market in the fall and winter seasons
• Bulgur wheat – you can substitute this with quinoa
• Pomegranate seeds – if you don’t have pomegranate seeds, try using dried cranberries
• Walnuts – pecans, almonds, or sunflower seeds would also work
• Goat cheese – I have also used feta cheese and this works too!

You’ll also need ingredients to make the Easy Maple Balsamic Dressing, which include olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.

How to Roast Delicata Squash:

Making roasted or baked delicata squash is really simple! One great thing about delicata squash is that the skin is edible, so you don’t need to peel your squash.

You’ll cut off the ends of the squash and slice it in half, then remove the seeds and inner stringy bits. Then you’ll cut each half into slices. Drizzle with oil and season the squash slices, and then bake! It’s that easy. 🙂

How to Make a Healthy Salad:

As a Registered Dietitian, something I feel super passionate about is helping people find balance and actually get satisfaction and joy out of eating healthy food. Take salads for example, they don’t have to be bland and boring!

Salads can be well-balanced, hearty, and satisfying! To make a healthy salad that’s actually going to keep you full, make sure you’re including:

• Carbohydrates: Like a whole grain bulgur wheat or quinoa, or the roasted delicata squash.
• Healthy fats: Like nuts (we use walnuts in this salad) or seeds, or olive oil in your dressing.
• Protein: This is key for feeling full! In this salad, we get some protein from the bulgur wheat and walnuts. If you choose to eat this as a meal, I’d recommend adding chicken or chickpeas/lentils for extra protein.
• Flavour: Salads should be fun! Add fresh herbs, or fruit (like pomegranate seeds) to your salad, or yummy flavours to the dressing.

Lucky for you, this salad with delicata squash checks all the boxes for a healthy salad!

Meal Prep and Storage Tips:

This recipe makes 3-6 servings, depending on the size of the servings. As a main dish, you’ll get about 3 servings. If you’re serving it as a side, you’ll get closer to 6 servings out of the recipe.

If you want to prep the salad ahead of time, I’d hold off on adding the dressing until you serve it. This way the greens won’t get soggy! If you can, store the salad and dressing in the fridge separately and then add the dressing before eating.

Connect with Hannah Magee, RD!

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