Harvest Salad with Miso-Maple Roasted Butternut Squash

Harvest Salad with Miso-Maple Roasted Butternut Squash! Toss with greens, apples, cooked grains, pepitas, dried cranberries, and pomegranate arils. Best fall salad EVER. Makes a great lunch, too.

By
Sabrina Modelle
Sabrina Modelle
Sabrina has been a professional recipe developer for ten years and has been published in magazines and newspapers from California to Tel Aviv.
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Updated June 03, 2022
Harvest Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash
Sabrina Modelle

This vibrant harvest salad is filled with fall’s best ingredients. Butternut squash gets roasted with maple and miso, then tossed with crisp apples, dried cranberries, earthy pumpkin seeds, fresh pomegranate seeds, and a maple-Dijon vinaigrette.

The result is a salad that feels like fall on a plate!

Harvest Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash
Sabrina Modelle

This vegan and gluten free salad is hearty enough so be served as a main course any night of the week, but also pretty enough to make an appearance on your holiday table.

The sweet earthiness of maple and miso are a fantastic flavor combination with the butternut squash. In the oven, the squash caramelizes like a dream – we call this "squash candy" at hour house. I often roast extra butternut squash so I have it on hand and can use it to make easy lunch salads throughout the week.

Harvest Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash
Sabrina Modelle

For the grain in this recipe, I like to use gluten-free whole oat groats, but wild rice is also fantastic. If you don’t need to eat gluten-free, then barley, farro, or any other or any other hearty, chewy grain would be a great fit here, too.

Feeling like you need a dose of protein? Add a hard-boiled egg and a bit of blue cheese for a boost.

Harvest Salad with Miso-Maple Roasted Butternut Squash

Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 45 mins
Servings 4 servings

Yellow, white or any mellow variety of miso will work for this dish. I used chickpea miso because it's both mellow and soy-free.

Ingredients

For the squash:

  • 1 small butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cubed into 1/2-inch chunks

  • 2 tablespoons yellow or white miso

  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

For the dressing:

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

  • Salt and pepper, to taste

For the salad:

  • 4 cups arugula

  • 1 cup cooked whole grains, like oat groats or wild rice

  • 1 crisp apple, cored and diced

  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries

  • 1/4 cup pepitas (green pumpkin seeds)

  • Arils from 1 pomegranate (about 1/2 cup)

Method

  1. Roast the squash:

    Preheat oven to 425F. Lightly brush two baking sheets with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

    In a large bowl, whisk together miso, maple syrup, the rest of the oil, salt, and pepper. Add butternut squash cubes, and toss to coat.

    Spread squash out onto baking sheets with plenty of room between pieces. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy at the edges. For more caramelization, turn the squash at the 15-minute mark.

    Harvest Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash
    Sabrina Modelle
    Harvest Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash
    Sabrina Modelle
    Harvest Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash
    Sabrina Modelle
    Harvest Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash
    Sabrina Modelle
  2. Make the dressing:

    Mix together all ingredients in a small jar and shake well to emulsify.

    Harvest Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash
    Sabrina Modelle
    Harvest Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash
    Sabrina Modelle
  3. Assemble the salad:

    Toss the roasted squash (hot, warm, or cool), the dressing, and the remaining salad ingredients together in a large salad bowl. Serve immediately.

    Harvest Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash
    Sabrina Modelle
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
479 Calories
26g Fat
63g Carbs
6g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 479
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 26g 33%
Saturated Fat 4g 18%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 579mg 25%
Total Carbohydrate 63g 23%
Dietary Fiber 13g 45%
Total Sugars 27g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 42mg 208%
Calcium 153mg 12%
Iron 3mg 15%
Potassium 943mg 20%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.