This roasted butternut squash salad is great served warm or cold. It's made with wild rice, goat's cheese and drizzled with a lemon honey dressing.
This salad is so filling, so tasty and so healthy! All my favourite things 😍
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Simple salads like this one are one of my go to weeknight dinners. Especially when I'm in the mood for something a little lighter and not as heavy on the cheese and carbs (it does happen occasionally I swear). Although if you're interested in both cheese and carbs then check out this one pot orzo with roasted butternut squash.
Fortunately this salad still has a little of both thanks to the wild rice and the goat's cheese sprinkled on top.
I am just so into how quick and easy this butternut squash salad is to make. Once the squash is in the oven everything else can be prepped by throwing together in a bowl and whisking the dressing. It's a 30 minute weeknight dinner of my dreams!
I'm a firm believer that if you're trying to make a vegetable more delicious (especially one you're not massively keen on) then roasting it is the way to go. It gets crispy edges and super soft and caramelised in the middle and in this salad the butternut squash still stays sturdy enough to support the other ingredients without going mushy.
Why we love this recipe
- It's healthy thanks to the butternut squash and rocket tossed with the wild rice
- The dressing is full of sweet and citrus flavour from the lemon juice and honey which makes this salad so moreish
- This salad is great for meal prep and I would highly recommend making a big batch on a Sunday to have for lunches all week long
- It's topped with a homemade dukkah which adds an amazing extra layer of flavour. Dukkah is a blend of nuts and spices which I love to keep on hand to sprinkle over salads, soups, eggs and all kinds of other things
- This salad is also filling enough for a dinner because of the wild rice and squash
- It's also gluten free and vegetarian which makes it a great dinner for people with dietary restrictions
Ingredients
This section is here to provide further tips and ideas for alternative ingredients. The full recipe and instructions are included in the recipe card at the bottom of the post!
- Butternut Squash: Peeled, chopped and roasted
- Wild Rice: I like to use the microwave pouches, the one I used for the salad was a mix of wild and basmati rice but you can use whatever you have access to
- Rocket: Also known as arugula if you're in the states. Stuff leftovers into this spicy tofu sandwich
- Goat's Cheese: I like the to get the logs without rind which you can easily crumble into the salad. Add any extra to this Turkish eggs recipe
- Honey: Gives the dressing that amazing sweetness
- Lemon: The juice of a whole lemon goes into that dressing
- Red Wine Vinegar: For that extra bit of tang, try balsamic vinegar if you don't have red wine vinegar
- Dijon Mustard: Gives a tiny bit of heat
- Dried Thyme: For a little herby flavour, switch for another dried herb if you prefer
- Dukkah: You can normally buy this in a supermarket or order it online. If you can't find it you could try using a mixture of sunflower and pumpkin seeds instead
How to make it
- Roast the squash: Peel and chop the squash and spread on a baking sheet. Place in the oven and roast for 20 minutes.
- Make the dressing: Whisk together all the dressing ingredients
- Finish the salad: Put all the salad ingredients into a large bowl and toss together, pour over the dressing and toss again. Serve sprinkled with dukkah.
Expert tips
- You can roast the butternut squash ahead of time to make this recipe even easier. Simply toss the roasted squash with all the other ingredients when you're ready to serve
- If you fancy something a bit different then you could also make this recipe with sweet potato roasted in the same way
- If you're not a fan of goat's cheese then you could switch it out for feta which would also be delicious!
- If you want to bulk out this salad a bit more then try adding some puy lentils
FAQs
I love a combination of creamy goat's cheese and crunchy dukkah to top my salad. It adds the perfect combination of flavours and textures.
I've served this salad with a lemon honey dressing. The honey compliments the sweetness of the squash and works well with the salt goat's cheese while the lemon adds a zingy kick.
I like to serve this salad with some crusty bread for a filling meal but it would also work well with some grilled fish or meat if you prefer.
Chopping a butternut squash can be a little tricky. You need a sharp knife to cut through the tough skin and hard inside. Start by chopping the top and bottom off then stand it upright and chop down through the middle. Scoop out the seeds using a spoon then lay each half face down and use a vegetable peeler to remove all of the skin. Then you can chop it into cubes.
This is really down to personal preference. The skin on butternut squash is very tough but it gets softer when roasted so you can eat it. However, I prefer to peel it before roasting.
Want more? Try these other salad recipes!
- Broccoli Egg Salad with Corn
- Sweet Potato & Quinoa Salad with Sesame Dressing
- Middle Eastern Quinoa Salad
- Balsamic Pasta Salad
- Vegan Avocado Kale Caesar
- Halloumi Salad with Kale and Tahini Dressing
Did you make this butternut squash salad? Follow me on Instagram, post a photo and tag me @amycookreport or #thecookreport. I love to see what you've made!
Recipe
Butternut Squash Salad with Wild Rice
Ingredients
- 1 Butternut Squash peeled and chopped
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 200 g Wild Rice cooked
- 70 g Rocket
- 100 g Goat's Cheese crumbled
- 30 g Dukkah to serve
Lemon Honey Dressing
- 1 tablespoon Honey
- 1 Lemon juiced
- 1 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- ½ teaspoon Dried Thyme
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Place the butternut squash on a baking sheet with the olive oil and salt and pepper. Place in the oven for 20 minutes until softened.
- Put the rice mixture into a large bowl and add the butternut squash. Whisk together the dressing ingredients and season to taste.
- Add the rocket to the rice and butternut squash along with the goat's cheese. Drizzle over the dressing and toss well. Serve topped with a sprinkling of dukkah.
Notes
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Elizabeth says
This was delicious! Definitely one I'll make again. It was a great side dish to suit a gluten free family member.
Kristin Rose says
Can I substitute honey for maple syrup or another sweetener. I would love to make this recipe for my daughter and honey is a no-no until after 1 year.
Amy says
Hi Kristin, of course, maple syrup would work really well!
Amanda says
Just made this for lunch! Soooo delicious! Thanks 🙂
Sarah | Well and Full says
This salad looks absolutely delicious! I never liked butternut squash growing up but for some reason now I love it! 😀
Amy says
Thanks so much Sarah!
Demeter says
Wow, this is gorgeous! This definitely deserves to take main stage at the dinner table. Love it!
David says
what an elegant salad! I really need to think about making a main dish salad for dinner more often, I tend to think of just salad as a side.
Danielle Wolter says
what an awesome salad. such great flavors while staying healthy. the wild rice is such an awesome addition!
Claudia Lamascolo says
this is absolutely delicious sounding and I love love love butternut squash cant wait to try it!
Adrianne says
This is such a beautiful looking salad! The use of wild rice is cool too as it is not as common. I think that this would be perfect any night of the week and I look forward to giving this a go, cheers for sharing!!