Fall Bliss Salad
When this salad recipe landed in my inbox, I immediately put the ingredients on my shopping list. I knew that it would be the type of salad that I would enjoy all season long but also thought that some of you might want to put it on your Thanksgiving menu.
With the dressing, a little goes a long way, so I’ve saved the container in my fridge, along with some extra roasted squash and enjoyed the salad on repeat. As far as the greens go–think dark/leafy. The original recipe for Fall Bliss Salad on Smitten Kitchen calls for kale but Deb Perlman admitted to using mixed greens because she was in refrigerator clean-out mode. For a similar reason, I used baby arugula and I have to say that I thought it was perfect. With the sweetness of the squash, saltiness of the goat cheese, crunch of the pepitas, tartness of the pomegranate, and richness of the caramelized shallots this salad hits all the notes. Enjoy!
Fall Bliss Salad
Ingredients
- olive oil
- kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lb honeynut squash, peeled, seeded, and sliced thin (¼-inch) or butternut
- 2 medium shallots, halved lengthwise and peeled 4 oz
- 8 oz kale, spinach or arugula leaves torn or chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 3 Tbls 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar plus more to taste
- 3/4 tsp smooth dijon mustard
- 1-2 Tbls water as needed
- 1/4 c pomegranate arils
- 2 oz soft goat cheese crumbled
- 1/2 c toasted, salted pepitas
Instructions
Prepare the squash and shallots:
- Heat oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Drizzle or brush parchment lightly with olive oil and sprinkle the oil with salt and pepper. Arrange winter squash slices in one layer on parchment. Coat lightly with more oil, salt, and pepper.
- Place shallot halves on a square of foil and drizzle lightly with olive oil and kosher salt. Tightly seal foil around them into a little packet and place on the baking sheet with squash.
- Roast squash and shallots for 15 minutes, until the squash is lightly brown underneath. Flip the squash pieces and carefully open the foil packet with the shallots. Return the tray to the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the squash is evenly brown. The shallot will not be brown or look caramelized, but will be tender, which is all we need. If you’d like, you can return the open foil packet to the oven for another 10 minutes for more color and flavor, but I rarely bother.
Make the dressing:
- In a blender or food processor, whiz warm shallots with 4 tablespoons olive oil until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed. With the machine running, add dijon mustard and 3 tablespoons vinegar, blending until smooth. Season well with salt and pepper, blending again. Taste and adjust with more vinegar, salt, and pepper as needed. If the dressing is very thick, you can thin it with 1 to 2 tablespoons water.*
To serve:
- In a large wide bowl or salad plate, toss greens with half the dressing and season with additional salt and pepper. Arrange roasted squash over the greens, fanning out slices if you wish. Sprinkle salad with pomegranate, goat cheese, and pepitas and drizzle some of the remaining dressing over, to taste. Serve right away, with extra dressing on the side.
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November 8, 2021 @ 10:07 am
On my grocery list!