Roasted butternut squash and brown rice salad for a well-dressed holiday table. This delicious side features roasted butternut squash alongside brown rice, spinach, dried cranberries, and candied walnuts. The zingy citrus dressing is the perfect finish.
- 1/2 large butternut squash peeled and cubed (~4 cups of 1" cubes)
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil for roasting
- salt and pepper
- 2 cups cooked brown rice cooled
- 1/3 cup dried sweetened cranberries
- 1 cup baby spinach or any tender green - baby kale, swiss chard, arugula
- 1/2 cup candied walnuts see recipe below
- Citrus Dressing see recipe below
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 3/4 cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons diced onion optional
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
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Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Put the cubed squash in a large mixing bowl and toss with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread the squash out on large baking sheet so that each piece is fulling touching the pan (no overlapping pieces). Roast for 30-40 minutes, turning over once during cooking, until they are fork-tender and nicely browned. Remove from heat to cool.
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While the squash is cooking, prepare the dressing. In a small saucepan add the orange juice, apple cider vinegar, and onion. Bring to a gentle boil then allow to simmer, uncovered, until the mixture is reduced to about 1/3 of a cup (about 8-10 minutes). Remove from heat and whisk in the olive oil and mustard. Add the salt and pepper, then set in the refrigerator to cool.
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Make the candied walnuts. Put the walnuts, brown sugar, and water into a glass measuring cup or other microwaveable container and mix well. Microwave on high for about 2 minutes. Stir again, then pour out onto a silicone baking mat or parchment paper on a baking pan. Separate the walnuts a bit so they are not in large clumps. They will cool and harden in just a few minutes.
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In a large bowl, combine the rice, spinach, dried cranberries, and candied walnuts. Add the squash once that is cooled. Pour over the desired amount of dressing all and stir gently to combine.
Serve either cold or at room temperature.
- It's important to combine the salad ingredients when they are at room temperature or fully cooled. Warm squash or rice will steam the baby spinach and make it wilt. Nobody wants that :)
- I designated the onions in the dressing onions as 'optional' in the dressing. Not everybody likes onions. If you would like an alternative, omit the onions and add 1 teaspoon of honey to the dressing when whisking in the oil.
- Need a short cut? Use frozen brown rice, which cooks up in just a few minutes in the microwave. And by ready-to-use candied walnuts, usually found in the produce section.