Treat yourself to this colorful, healthy and vegan roasted butternut squash salad. The sriracha lime dressing adds a great kick!
If you’re anything like me (and by that I mean wallowing in a post-Halloween stupor), you’re likely craving a huge salad right now. Lots of greens, brightly colored veggies, lean protein…you know, the works!
A butternut squash has been sitting in our pantry for the last week, challenging me to cook with it. I thought of pureeing it into our favorite Winter Vegetable Soup or making a triple batch (seriously, it’s that good) of my Hearty Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash & Quinoa. Both good options but, really, I couldn’t silence the call of a great salad with lots of “shtuff” in it.
I can never resist the juxtaposition of sweet with salty, tangy or spicy flavors. The flavors dance from one part of my tongue to another, curbing cravings for candy and chips all at the same time. The sweetness of the butternut squash was begging for a dose of heat and tang. That’s where the sriracha chili sauce
and lime juice comes in.
The 5-ingredient dressing can be whisked up while the butternut squash is roasting. Also take advantage of that time to toss the arugula, black beans and raw pepitas in a serving bowl.
It will all be ready to go once the cumin-spiced butternut squash is perfectly tender.
(By the way, if anybody is interested in the plates that you see in the photos, they are from QSquared NYC, a company that I recently discovered. I’m making a Chrstimas wish list of some of the amazing dishes on their site!)
A Helping of Healthy
These fall veggies are powerhouses! In my Sweet Potato Hash with Baked Eggs post, I talked about the many health benefits of sweet potatoes. It turns out that butternut squash are keeping up with their fall veggie friends, stride by stride.
- Butternut squash is a fantastic source of carotenoids, which are shown to protect against heart disease. Specifically, it boasts high levels of beta-carotene, which is a carotenoid that turns itself into Vitamin A in the body. Good for the eyes and for helping with breast cancer prevention.
- With 2.8 grams of fiber per 1 cup of cubed butternut squash, this gourd is a great way to make steps towards reaching the daily fiber recommendations (25 grams for women and 38 grams for men).
- If you’re struggling to meet the daily Vitamin C recommendations, 1 cup of butternut squash will get you halfway there.
- It’s also a good source of B6 and potassium.
Other healthy butternut squash recipes:
Cookin’ Canuck’s Hearty Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash & Quinoa
Cookin’ Canuck’s Low-Fat Butternut Squash Soup with Spiced Pepitas
Cookie & Kate’s Vegetarian Butternut Squash Chipotle Chili
Foodiecrush’s Easy White Bean Chicken Chili with Butternut Squash
Ambitious Kitchen’s Butternut Squash, Chickpea & Lentil Moroccan Stew
Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Sriracha Lime Dressing Recipe
Ingredients
The Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- 1/2 teaspoon agave nectar or honey
- pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
The Salad:
- 1 pound peeled & cubed butternut squash
- 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
- 4 cups arugula
- 3/4 cups black beans drained & rinsed
- 1/4 cup pepitas
Instructions
The Dressing:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, sriracha, agave nectar and salt. While whisking slowly pouring in the olive oil.
The Salad:
- Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place the butternut squash on the tray. Sprinkle the olive oil, cumin, salt and pepper over the squash and toss to coat.
- Roast the squash until tender when pierced with a fork, 25 to 30 minutes.
- In a serving bowl, toss the arugula, black beans and pepitas. Add the roasted butternut squash and the dressing, and toss again.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Heather+//+girlichef says
This is totally my kind of salad, and yes – that dressing sounds addictive!
Dara says
Thanks, Heather. I couldn’t stop eating this salad!
Liz+@+Floating+Kitchen says
Oh that dressing sounds to die for. And I want to eat butternut squash morning, noon and night right now. This salad sounds perfect!
Dara says
Thanks, Liz. I know what you mean…I want to throw butternut squash into everything I make.
Phi @ TheSweetphi Blog says
Oh my goodness…this sounds absolutely delicious! I love roasted butternut squash on salads, and this dressing sounds like it just takes it up about 5 notches 🙂
Dara says
Thank you, Phi! Butternut squash really is such a great addition to salads.
Lauren+Kelly+Nutrition says
This is my perfect salad! Pinning and sharing!
Dara says
Thanks so much, Lauren!
Abby+@+The+Frosted+Vegan says
I reallllly need a salad like this to make up for the past weekend (candy? What candy?), so I can’t wait to put this in my weeknight rotation!
Dara says
Thanks, Abby! I’ve blocked out my candy consumption, too. 🙂
Amanda says
Well, to be honest, I wasn’t craving salad until I saw this one. Now I have to have it! 🙂
Dara says
LOL. I’m glad I’ve got you craving salad now!
Paula-bell'alimento says
Pinned. I’ll be dreaming of this until I can make it Dara! xo
Dara says
Thanks, Paula. I hope you have a chance to try it.
Nikki @ NikSnacks says
Wow. I want to put this sriracha lime dressing on EVERYTHING.
Dara says
I now what you mean, Nikki. It really is that good.
The+Food+Hunter says
I love the dressing!!
Dara says
Thank you!
Liz+@+Tip+Top+Shape says
This is so interesting!!!
Dara says
Thanks, Liz.
Brenda@Sugar-Free+Mom says
Love the colors of fall in this gorgeous and healthy salad Dara!
Dara says
Thanks, Brenda! There’s something about fall veggies that makes me crave them at every meal.
Stephanie+@+Back+For+Seconds says
What an awesome recipe! That dressing sounds so good!
Marjory+@+Dinner-Mom says
I adore the sweet and spicy combo. Yes…with bags of candy at every turn, this is exactly what I need!
Jennifer+@+Show+Me+the+Yummy says
Wow! I love how bright your photos are! That sriracha dressing looks ah-mazing!
Ashley+@+Wishes+&+Dishes says
I love the colors in this!! Butternut squash is a fave of mine this time of year.
MissyMops says
What a pretty fall salad! We always have sriracha in our house, so I’ll have to try this.
genevieve @ gratitude & greens says
Love how vibrant this salad is!
Christie+-+Food+Done+Light says
What a gorgeous salad! I love all the healthy ingredients and especially the sriracha in the dressing.
Ginny+McMeans says
Your dressing sounds wonderful and I love pepitas in a salad. Very good! I can’t say too much because of my Halloween stupor.
Lana@NeverEnoughThyme says
The salad is gorgeous, but that dressing…I could just eat it with a spoon!
Ronda says
I love butternut squash but have never eaten it in a salad, oddly enough. I do also enjoy the flavors of a good sriracha vinaigrette so this will be a lovely combination to my fall dinner rotations.
Erin+@+Texanerin+Baking says
How has nobody mentioned the whisk?! It’s so cute. 🙂
The salad looks great and I like the added nutritional facts. It’s always good to learn a little more about our food!
Angela+{Mind+Over+Batter} says
Nope. Still stuffing myself with candy. I can, however, make room for this delicious salad. I think I want to drdrinkhe salad dressing through a straw. Is that wrong? It’s a bit wrong.
Nutmeg+Nanny says
This is the perfect fall salad! I’m LOVING that sriracha dressing. What a great way to use my favorite spicy condiment.
Karissa | Sweet as a Cookie says
Sriracha lime dressing?! I’m speechless! 🙂
Meseidy says
I love a little bit of spice with winter squash!
Melanie says
Ohhh, I love everything about this! Light and flavorful. And with spice too!
Angie+|+Big+Bear's+Wife says
Dara, the colors in this salad are just beautiful! I need to pick up some butternut squash on my way home today!
KalynsKitchen says
Oh yes, I love the sound of this!
Kim+Beaulieu says
This is absolutely stunning. Every time I see your photos I know it’s you. You have such a great style. This recipe makes me want to eat better. And let’s be honest, that’s not easy to get me to do so hats off to you. Love how bright and pretty this is. Would be perfect on the Thanksgiving table for sure.
Kellie+|+The+Suburban+Soapbox says
Oh, I love this. I could never tire of butternut squash salads and you hit it out of the park with the sriracha lime dressing.
Kirsten/ComfortablyDomestic says
I’ve never thought to toss butternut squash into a salad. I bet the cunchy pepitas are a nice compliment to the creamy texture of the squash. And that dressing? Don’t even get me started! I could pour that on everything!
Amy @ Thoroughly Nourished Life says
I love butternut squash in salads 🙂
We are currently preparing for beach season so post-Halloween and pre-Christmas healthy eating is definitely a priority. This sweet and spicy salad fits all my requirements and I can’t wait to make it soon!
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
Salads are perfect for the hot weather here in Australia right now, this roasted squash salad is definitely one that will be making an appearance on my dining table. Thanks for the recipe and idea!
Bengi says
This sounds delicious. I didn’t see what temp to set the oven to in order to roast the squash. Did I miss it?