Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

Simply packed with vibrant colors and contrasting textures with roasted butternut squash, feta cheese, pomegranate seeds, spinach, nuts and seeds. It is perfect for weekday meals yet special enough for company – I guarantee you will want to make it again and again!

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Salad is a staple during the summer – we have a Greek salad about five times a week – but what about winter? I don’t often think of salads as cold-weather food but this butternut squash salad with feta and pomegranate has sure changed my mind!

I love it so much that I have been making it for all our dinners with friends, during the holidays and now weekly just to enjoy for lunch. It is so colorful and delicious plus packed with ALL of the good stuff.

Just count all of this plant goodness: butternut squash, spinach, peppers, pecans, pumpkin and pomegranate seeds! You can tick off your daily vegetable allowance right there. Plus the contrast of sweet and salty, soft and crunchy will have your taste buds singing.

Butternut Squash Salad Ingredients

As with all salad recipes, if you don’t have an ingredient, or simply don’t like it much, you can easily leave it out or replace it without ruining the dish.

• Butternut Squash: probably my fave vegetable, delicious whether roasted, made into soup or added to stews. Roasting it brings out the natural sweetness and if you have an air fryer this is both quick and easy.
• Crunchy croutons: I always toast any stale homemade bread in the air fryer to make croutons. This time I used wholemeal sourdough and let me tell you it is super crunchy and tasty.
• Virgin olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, honey, minced garlic and chille flakes make up the dressing.
• Fresh spinach or you can also use kale or rocket (arugula).
• Roasted peppers (from a jar) – I started making this salad during the holidays and found it’s a great way to use up jars of roasted peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, olives and so on that you may have bought for shared platters and charcuterie boards.
• Feta cheese is the perfect tangy partner to the sweet roasted squash. Goat cheese is another great pairing or you could use a vegan cheese if preferred
• Pomegranate seeds – pomegranate is a symbol of abundance and good fortune and I always add it to my festive dishes. The pop of color is particularly pretty in this salad. You could replace the fresh seeds with chopped dried cranberries if you like.
• Red onion sliced very thinly, using a mandoline (but mind your hands and use protective gloves!).
• Pecans and pumpkin seeds or any nut and seed combo you like for a bit of crunch and added health benefits.

How to Make Butternut Squash Salad

↓ For the full ingredients and detailed method, jump to the recipe card.

Make the Salad Dressing

Combine all the salad dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Replace the honey with maple or agave syrup you want to make a vegan version of this salad.

Prepare the Salad

Peel the butternut squash, cut it in half and removed the seeds. Cut into small cubes and add to the basket of an air fryer.

Season with salt, pepper and ground cumin and drizzle with a little olive oil. Stir to combine and air fry at 200°C /400°F for 15-20 minutes, shaking once or twice, until the squash is tender and browning at the edges.

Transfer to a large bowl and leave to cool slightly while you prep the croutons. Slice wholemeal bread into cubes and add to the air fryer basket, no need to clean first. Toast at 200°C /400°F for about 5 minutes, shaking once or twice. You want the croutons to be crunchy and toasty. Add to the bowl with the squash.

Prep the remaining ingredients. Finely slice the red onion, using a mandoline if possible. Cut the feta cheese into small cubes. Slice the roasted peppers, roughly chop the spinach and extract the seeds from the pomegranate.

Toss It All Together

Add the feta cheese, croutons, roasted peppers, pecans, pumpkin seeds, onion, spinach and pomegranate to the salad bowl and toss together. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss again. Adjust the seasoning, adding salt if needed and serve on its own or as a side dish.

Recipe Notes and FAQs

HOW TO CHOP BUTTERNUT SQUASH Cut the top and bottom of the squash and use a sharp knife to slice in half. Use a large peeler to take the skin off, peeling away from you in a downward movement. Remove the seeds and slice.

CAN I ROAST THE SQUASH IN THE OVEN? Absolutely! Preheat to 180°C (360°F) and spread the squash onto a roasting tray. Drizzle with the oil, add the seasonings and stir. Roast for 25-30 minutes, or until the squash is cooked through and tender when pierced with a knife.

WHAT ABOUT THE CROUTONS? You can toast the bread in a little olive oil in a large pan, tossing it over high heat until crunchy.

More Butternut Squash Recipes

• Air Fryer Butternut Squash Soup
• Butternut Squash Curry
• Crock Pot Chicken Pie
• Honey-roasted sweet potato and squash with halloumi and basil oil