Roasted Pepper and Butternut Squash Salad

This butternut squash and pepper salad is perfect for fall and winter. It’s a warm and filling salad compared to the summery salads that are more refreshing and cold. You will have to be patient to enjoy it, as the squash and peppers need around 45 minutes to be roasted. When you are done with the oven though, you will need only 15 minutes to put everything together and serve. So let’s get started!

Why you should try my recipe

• Very easy to prepare and healthy.
• Perfect for cold weather and quite filling.
• I offer substitutions for many of the ingredients.
• Great side dish for meat or fish.

Ingredients & How-to

The ingredients you will need for this roasted pepper and butternut squash salad are: 1 small butternut squash, 3 bell peppers, 1 leek, soft goats cheese, pine nuts, oregano, balsamic, olive oil, fresh basil and arugula or wild rocket.

01. I start by cutting the butternut squash in half lengthwise. I cut a little bit from the top and bottom to get a flat bottom, so it’s easier for the butternut squash to stand vertically. You should use a sharp knife that you feel comfortable with, as this can be a tricky job. Careful you don’t cut any fingers! Ouch! You don’t have to be precise as we will eventually cut the squash into cubes.

02. After you cut it in half, it’s time to remove the seeds. Using your fingers or a spoon, carefully remove all the seeds and any fiber. You could save some seeds and plant them in your garden if you have a planting corner and you like growing your own vegetables. If not, you could roast them with some spices and make your own pepitas.

03. To peel the butternut squash, I take each half and cut it again in half. Then I place it on my wooden board vertically and carefully I cut the skin with the knife.

04. Then, I cut the butternut into big cubes. I add the squash cubes to a tray lined with parchment paper and drizzle with some olive oil. Using my fingers or a spatula, I make sure all the cubes are covered with oil.

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05. I’m using red and yellow bell peppers for this recipe, as they are slightly sweeter than the green ones, but you can choose any sweet peppers you like. I give them a wash and cut them in half. I carefully remove the seeds without breaking them and place them with the skin facing up on a tray lined with parchment paper. I remove the root from the leek and one or two layers of the hard leaves, and then roughly slice it.

06. I add the leek slices to the same tray with the peppers and drizzle everything with olive oil. I put both trays, with the peppers & leek and the one with the butternut squash cubes, in the oven to bake.

07. I bake the veggies for about 40-45 minutes, until they are soft and easy to prick with a fork. When the roasted veggies are ready, I take them out of the oven and let them cool down for 5 minutes.

08. When they are cool enough to handle, I cut the peppers in squares with similar size to the squash cubes. If the skin of the peppers is very hard then you could remove it when they are still warm as it’s easier to peel.

09. In a big bowl or a pyrex tray, I add the roasted veggies. I just take the parchment paper and slide everything in with all the juices. All the flavor is in those juices!

10. I add the pine nuts, some dried oregano as it really complements the roasted butternut squash and peppers and some fresh basil leaves cut in half if big. The basil is optional but I find it’s quite refreshing and adds to the salad.

11. Then, I add the arugula leaves or wild rocket and I cut the soft goats cheese with my fingers into small bites and add to the salad. If you can’t find soft goats cheese or you find the taste a little bit too strong for you, then you could replace it with feta cheese.

12. For the dressing, I simply mix some balsamic vinegar, olive oil and salt. I drizzle the salad with the dressing, give it a toss to mix everything and serve.

Substitutions

• You could substitute the soft goats cheese with feta cheese or a vegan one of your choice.
• You could substitute the pine nuts with walnuts.
• You could use any sweet peppers of your choice, like bell peppers or sweet horn peppers.

Serving suggestions

We usually have this warm butternut squash and pepper salad as a side dish with meat or fish. As it’s quite filling, you could also have it as a light lunch or dinner with a slice of bread.

Storage

I don’t recommend storing the butternut squash and pepper salad after you’ve added the dressing, as the greens will get very soft. You could prepare the roasted vegetables in advance and store them in the fridge for up to 2 days. When ready to have the salad, warm up the roasted vegetables in the oven or the microwave for a few minutes and follow the instructions to put all the salad ingredients together.

FAQ

• How do I cut a butternut squash? To cut the butternut squash, firstly cut a round slice from the top and bottom of the squash where the stem is. Now place the butternut squash vertically to stand and cut it in half lengthwise. Remove all the seeds. Cut again each half of the squash in half horizontally. Place each piece of the squash vertically with the skin facing right and remove the skin with a sharp knife moving up to down.

• What can I replace the pine nuts with? You could replace the pine nuts with walnuts.

• How long does butternut squash salad last in the fridge? You could store the roasted butternut squash in the fridge for up to 2 days. When ready, warm up the squash and roasted veggies and prepare the rest of the salad with the dressing.