This Roasted Butternut Squash and Wild Rice Salad is an easy side dish for all of your holiday meals!
I wanted to create an easy side dish that you can make for your upcoming holiday celebrations. This Roasted Butternut Squash and Wild Rice Salad is just bursting with colors, flavors and textures! This salad is easy to make, which makes it a great addition to your holiday meal. With so many dishes to prepare, quick and easy sides are a must! This one happens to be super delicious, too!
About Butternut Squash:
Besides the summer months, this time of year is a favorite when it comes to food. And one of the favorite fall foods is butternut squash. It’s extremely versatile, and it works in all sorts of dishes from soups and chili to risotto and salads.
Have you tried roasted butternut squash? It’s a must this time of year. Butternut squash is so delicious because of its creamy texture, and roasting it brings out that texture even more. The edges that get all toasty and caramelized are the best part!
How to make Roasted Butternut Squash and Wild Rice Salad:
To make this salad, you’ll first want to get your wild rice cooking on the stove. Once that’s going, you can prep your squash for roasting. Once the rice and squash are cooked, you’ll add toasted pecans, apple pieces, dried cranberries and shallots.
A simple apple cider vinaigrette is what is used as the dressing for this salad. You don’t need too much dressing, so that the flavors of the roasted squash and other salad ingredients can shine.
You can serve this salad warm, chilled, or at room temperature. It’s even better the second and third day, so you can save time by making it ahead. Enjoy!
Roasted Butternut Squash and Wild Rice Salad
Recipe Details
Ingredients
SALAD:
- 2½ cups water
- 1½ cups wild rice
- 5 cups (about 1 medium) butternut squash (peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes)
- 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¾ cup pecans
- 1 large apple, cut into ½-inch pieces
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup finely chopped shallot or red onion
- fresh rosemary, for garnish (if desired)
DRESSING:
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
PREPARE THE RICE:
- Place the water and rice in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a low simmer, and cook for 40 to 45 minutes until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes with the lid still on. Fluff with a fork.
PREPARE THE BUTTERNUT SQUASH:
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the butternut squash on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with the 1½ tablespoons of olive oil. Roast in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, turning once halfway through, until tender.
TOAST THE PECANS:
- Toast the pecans by placing them in a small skillet over medium heat until fragrant. Watch them closely as they can go from toasted to burnt quickly.
ASSEMBLE THE SALAD:
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked rice, roasted squash, toasted pecans, apple pieces, dried cranberries, and shallot.
ADD THE DRESSING:
- In a small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine. This salad can be served warm, at room temperature, or chilled. Garnish with fresh rosemary, if desired.
This recipe was a HUGE Hit at Christmas! Gave the recipe to to family & friends. Shared with co-workers & they too said it was a hit!!! Thank you.
This is definitely my kind of salad! Love anything with butternut squash!
Love this salad! It has such rich, fall flavors and I know it will be great to serve my family and friends! Yum!
Thank you!