Consider this flavoursome roasted butternut salad a must-try. It’s the kind of salad that will convert anyone to being a salad lover. It’s hearty enough to be a meal on its own, but also makes for an impressive side dish.
This crowd-pleasing salad packs a huge punch of warm, sweet and spicy flavours and textures: Soft and creamy spiced squash, almonds, feta cheese, pomegranate and date dressing. A mouthwatering combination!
The salad dressing is easy to make and ties the whole salad together. Just blend some apple cider vinegar with a date, cumin, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and a pinch of ground cumin. The pomegranate pips add a splash of pink and a juicy burst of flavour while the tangy feta cheese balanced the sweetness of the butternut and date dressing.
First, pop the butternut chunks in the oven to roast until golden. Then, sprinkle the roasted butternut with warming spices like cumin, coriander, cinnamon and cayenne pepper when it comes steaming out of the oven.
Next, toss half of the roasted butternut chunks on a bed of crunchy salad leaves. Drizzle a generous amount of the tasty cider dressing over the salad followed by another layer of leafy greens and butternut chunks. Top the salad with the date dressing, pomegranate pips, almonds and feta cheese and serve with a smile!
Ingredients
- 1 small butternut, peeled and cubed
- ½ – 1 tsp virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp freshly ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- washed salad greens of your choice
- handful of petite herb leaf salad
- 2 round pieces of feta cheese, crushed
- 6 dates, pitted and halved
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
- ¼ – ½ cup almonds, chopped
- freshly ground salt and black pepper
DATE DRESSING
- 5 tbsp virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 date, pitted
- 1 clove of garlic
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- freshly ground salt and black pepper
- 2 – 3 tbsp water, add more if needed to blend
Instructions
BUTTERNUT
- Preheat the oven to 218°C / 425°F
- Line a large baking sheet with baking paper, or spray with Cook & Spray
- Place the butternut squash cubes on the sheet and drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper
- Toss to coat and spread evenly on the baking sheet
- Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, or until tender and browned around the edges
- Remove from oven and let it cool slightly
SPICE MIX FOR BUTTERNUT
- In a small bowl, stir together the cumin, coriander, cinnamon and cayenne pepper
- Set aside
- While the roasted butternut is still warm, toss with the spice mixture
CIDER DATE DRESSING
- In a blender, combine the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, date, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper and water
- Add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of water if needed to blend
SALAD BOWL PLATING
- Assemble the salad starting with the salad leaves and layer half of the roasted butternut
- Drizzle with half of the cider dressing, layer again with the salad leaves, roasted butternut and sprinkle the petite herb leaf salad and date halves
- Add the pomegranates, almonds and feta cheese on top of the salad and add the remaining cider dressing
- Serve immediately
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