Description
This salad is one of my favorite fall recipes. It’s delicious. It’s beautiful. It’s packed with superfoods and antioxidants. It’s a crowd-pleaser. And it’s perfect for a dinner party or special occasion — in fact, this is my go-to salad for Thanksgiving dinner. As a hostess, I appreciate that it’s easy to prep the delicata and pomegranate in advance, leaving you with just a few minutes of easy assembly before it’s time to eat.
Ingredients
Scale
For Roasted Delicata Squash
- 1 delicata squash, sliced into 1/4 inch semi-circles
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Avocado oil spray (or about 2 teaspoons of avocado oil or melted ghee)
For Salad
- 4 cups of arugula, tightly packed (equal to a 5 ounce container)
- 1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled (about 3 ounces)
- 1/2 cup of sliced almonds (though no one will complain if you add more!)
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds (about one medium pomegranate)
For Dressing
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons champagne vinegar
- 2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425, convection if you have it. Grease a rimmed baking sheet with avocado oil spray.
- To prepare the squash for roasting: Trim the ends. Then stand squash up on one of the ends and cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds. Place halves cut-side down and slice into ¼ inch semi-circles.
- Arrange squash slices evenly on the greased baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes or until fork tender and browned along the edges. This may take 15 mins if the slices are a bit thicker
- While squash is roasting, seed the pomegranate. Here are two popular ways to tackle the process: the “whack with a spoon” method and the “bowl of water” method. I am partial to doing it in a bowl of water.
- Prepare dressing by whisking together 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 teaspoons champagne vinegar, 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. I usually do this right into the bottom of the empty salad bowl I plan to use, but you can do it in a separate small bowl if you prefer adding the dressing more gradually.
- Add 5 ounces of arugula and 1/2 cup of almonds to your salad bowl. Toss well.
- Add all of the roasted squash, 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese and pomegranate seeds. Toss immediately before serving.
Keywords: Delicata squash salad; Delicata Squash Salad with Pomegranate, Almonds and Goat Cheese; Roasted delicata squash; Fall Salad; Thanksgiving salad