This simple fall salad packs in the tastiest ingredients of the season and is drizzled with a creamy pomegranate balsamic vinaigrette!
When I originally posted this recipe a few years ago, I was in the midst of packing all my worldly possessions to move across the ocean to the tulip-man. Which, in addition to having to sell my beloved bright yellow Honda, meant I also had to clean out my kitchen.
In my freezer were my almond paste and innumerable blocks of tofu, relics of tofu week, hoping to one day make it back out of the freezer. In my pantry were the odds and ends from two years of living alone, the half full bags of rice and oils and vinegars and crusted bottles of honey.
So I began cooking with the intent on chipping away at the piles of dry goods in my pantry, which is how this fall salad came to be.
But the thing is, even without the gratification of clearing out your pantry, this salad is so tasty. It’s full of seasonal fall ingredients, like butternut squash and pomegranate arils, and is tied together with the most deliciously tart balsamic vinaigrette.
This makes the perfect healthy salad for those crisp fall weeknights (thought we usually enjoy it all through the winter)!
Ingredients
Fall Salad
- ½ butternut squash
- 1 Tbsp olive oil 15 mL
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup red or black rice 150 g
- 4 cups chopped leafy greens romaine, spinach, or kale
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese 113 g
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds about 1 fruit
Pomegranate Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup olive oil 60 mL
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar 30 mL
- 2 Tbsp pomegranate juice 30 mL
- 1 tsp maple syrup or honey 5 mL
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
- Squash: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C). Peel, deseed, and cube butternut. Toss with olive oil and salt. Lay cubes on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes, until fork tender and edges are darkened.
- Rice: Meanwhile, cook rice according to the instructions on the package (about ½ rice with 1 cup water).
- Dressing: Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a blender until smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds.
- Serve: Arrange all salad ingredients in individual serving bowls or simply toss together, then drizzle with vinaigrette (you may not need all of the dressing).
Melissa says
Yummmm! This salad looks amazing, I pinned because I can’t wait to try it later 🙂 Gorgeous pictures too!
Sarah says
Thanks Melissa!! Let me know how it goes 🙂
Natalie says
This looks amazing! 🙂 Best of luck selling your car–I have no clue how to do that either!!
Sarah says
Haha thanks Natalie! Glad to hear I’m not the only one who just has no idea how to adult at that level.
Amber | Cupcakes and Coffee Grounds says
I love anything having to do with feta..or cheese for that matter!. So the fact that you have created one seriously delicious looking recipe with feta included, makes me extremely eager to try it. Thanks for sharing!
Kayla King says
Ahhhh that looks amazing! I’ve never thought of putting pomegranate in my salad before… I’ve got to try this sometime!
http://www.aestivale.com
Sarah says
I’m with ya! I’m immediately down for anything that involves feta cheese! It just goes so well with…well everything 🙂
Vicky & Ruth- May I Have That Recipe says
Wow! This looks delicious! I love adding pomegranates to salads, i think it gives the dishes such nice color, crunch and sweetness!
Sean says
How does this have 45.5 g fat per serving? Doesn’t seem like it would be so high??
Sarah says
Hi Sean! The nutrition for this recipe includes if you were to use all of the vinaigrette, which you probably won’t end up doing (but I wanted to include the full amount because I can’t know how much you will actually end up using). With 5 Tbsp of olive oil total (dressing + salad) and the feta cheese, 45g is about right (just double checked!) Thanks for bringing that up! 🙂
Lori Wadsworth says
Your thanksgiving dinner on a sheet pan was fabulous!
Eager to try something else now…keep them coming.
Thanks, lori