Butternut Squash and Wild Rice Salad
Savoring the flavors of fall, this Butternut Squash and Wild Rice Salad is hearty and satisfying enough to serve as a main course.This salad can be made a day or two in advance and stored in the refrigerator (return to room temperature before serving). Before storing, lightly dress the salad, reserving some of the dressing on the side to drizzle table-side.
Recipe adapted from "Roasted Pumpkin Salad," 101 Cookbooks
Recipe adapted from "Roasted Pumpkin Salad," 101 Cookbooks
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
Roasted the Squash and Onions
- 3 pound butternut squash , peeled and cleaned
- 10-12 small (about the size of golf balls) or 2-3 standard-sized red onions
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (, or another neutral oil suitable for roasting), divided
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Dressing
- 1/3 cup unsalted roasted sunflower seeds *
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro **
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper , to taste
To Assemble the Salad
- 3 cups cooked brown and wild rice mix , slightly warm or at room temperature
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
Roast the Squash and Onions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (375 degrees F, convection). Cut the butternut squash into 1 to 1-1/2 inch cubes. Peel the red onions. If using small onions, trim off the ends. Cut larger onions into 1 to 1-1/2 inch wedges. Place squash cubes and onions on separate rimmed baking sheets. Toss the squash cubes to coat with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Repeat with onions, using 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Roast squash (40-45 minutes) and onions (about 30-35 minutes, depending on size), flipping with a thin spatula halfway through. Both squash and onions should be soft and caramelized, but still retain their shapes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
Make the Dressing
- In a blender or food processor, combine sunflower seeds, olive oil, honey, lemon juice, water, and salt. Blend until smooth, scraping as needed. Season to taste with additional salt, and freshly-ground pepper. Transfer dressing to a bowl and stir in chopped cilantro. Set aside until ready to assemble the salad.
Assemble the Salad
- In a large bowl, toss together cooked rice and dried cranberries. Fold a few generous spoonfuls of dressing into the rice to coat.
- Add squash cubes and roasted onions and gently toss, being careful not to break up the squash. Drizzle the salad with additional dressing on your platter or individual plates, and a sprinkling of chopped cilantro for garnish. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Notes
*I prefer roasted sunflower seeds as opposed to raw in this recipe. The roasted seeds will give the dressing a slightly darker color, but I love the warm, nutty flavor they lend to the dish.
**If you don't enjoy cilantro, a mix of parsley and thyme would be lovely here, as would basil.
Nutrition
Calories: 371kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 161mg | Potassium: 770mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 18115IU | Vitamin C: 39.8mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 2.3mg
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