Harvest Salad with Butternut Squash
The perfect Thanksgiving or holiday side dish, this Harvest Salad with Butternut Squash is loaded with sweet flavor and crunch! Easy to make, this salad also has red pears, pomegranate seeds, candied pecans, goat cheese, and a honey balsamic vinaigrette making this salad one your guests won’t soon forget!
Thanksgiving is easily my very favorite holiday! It’s a time to enjoy the company of friends and family and savor the most amazing food. Just as important as the turkey, the sides that go along with this holiday feast are paramount for a fantastic meal. My Harvest Salad with Butternut Squash is the perfect side to capture the flavors of fall as well as add some beautiful color to your feast!
This salad really does have it all! Beautiful, vibrant colors that are great for an otherwise “beige” meal of turkey, potatoes, gravy, and stuffing. It also brings with it some great textures, like the crunch from the fresh vegetables, pears, pomegranate seeds, and pecans. The sweet, savor flavors are also amazing! You’ll love the way the sweet pears and butternut squash complement the savory onions and spring mix!
The Honey Balsamic dressing for this salad is amazing! Super-simple to whisk together just before the beginning of the meal, just pour on, toss the salad, and it’s ready to go. One thing to keep in mind, if you’re expecting left-overs of the salad (which really isn’t very likely, everyone will love it!), serve the dressing on the side.
Once the salad is dressed, it won’t keep well once it’s refrigerated. For best results the second time around, refrigerate the salad and the dressing separately.
I hope your Thanksgiving and holiday feasts are memorable and ones where you get to enjoy a great meal with those you love. Enjoy!
Harvest Salad with Butternut Squash
Ingredients
- 5 ounce bag, Lettuce Spring Mix
- 2 red pears sliced
- 1 ½ c. cubed butternut squash roasted and cooled
- 1 green onion chopped
- ⅓ c. pomegranate seeds
- ⅓ c. candied pecans you can find these in the baking section
- 1 oz. about 1 1/2 Tbsp. goat cheese crumbles
Dressing:
- ¼ c. olive oil
- ¼ c. balsamic vinegar
- 3 Tbsp. honey
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the lettuce mix, pears, cooled butternut squash, onion, and pomegranate seeds. Gently toss together.
- In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, salt and pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss to coat. Top the dressed salad with the pecans and goat cheese. Serve right away.
Notes
Nutrition
If you loved this recipe, check out some of my other fantastic Thanksgiving recipes:
Cranberry Citrus Salad with Goat Cheese and Pecans by Delightful E Made
Three Easy Steps to a Moist & Delicious Turkey
