Roasted Butternut Squash and Cauliflower Salad with Lemon-Honey Vinaigrette

Name: Roasted Butternut Squash and Cauliflower Salad with Lemon-Honey Vinaigrette
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4-6
Ingredients: 1/2 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes; 1 whole head cauliflower, cut into small florets of equal size; Olive oil; Salt and pepper; 1 1/2 tsp sumac; 4 oz chopped kale; 4 oz baby spinach; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; 2 tbsp good quality honey; Salt and Pepper; 3 oz goat cheese, crumbled; 1-2 tbsp toasted pine nuts; 1-2 tbsp slivered almonds; 1-2 tbsp walnuts; 1 tbsp black raisins

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Roasted Butternut Squash and Cauliflower Salad with Lemon-Honey Vinaigrette is a little fall fest in itself! It just might make it to your Thanksgiving table!

Butternut squash, or any kind of winter squash, tastes great simply roasted with a little butter and brown sugar or your favorite spice. One of the season’s staple ingredients, and the kind of comfort I look forward to every year.

And cauliflower?

The story with cauliflower goes something like this: most grew up eating it raw, on its own or with a little dressing or dip of sorts. Some perhaps went a step further to a basic steamed cauliflower–easy and filling, neutral enough to share the table with other dishes.

But let’s be honest, is plain steamed cauliflower a dish you might crave?

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The story changes once you try cauliflower roasted. When roasted, the tender florets’ earthy and subtle sweetness comes through. Suddenly cauliflower is transformed from blah to addictive.

The beauty of this roasted butternut squash and cauliflower salad is that it combines the simple comforts of roasted fall ingredients with fresh, crisp greens in the form of kale and baby spinach–all dressed in a delightfully bright lemon-honey vinaigrette.

A couple of small notes: In this recipe, you want to roast the butternut squash and cauliflower long; at least 45 minutes. They should be quite tender, caramelized and nicely blistered! Also, there are many recipes where the “garnish” is simply there for decor and you can easily omit it. Not this time. Please do not skip the garnish of goat cheese, nuts and raisins. They add richness, texture and flavor you do not want to miss out on.

If I were the planning type, I’d file this roasted butternut squash and cauliflower salad under “Thanksgiving side dishes.”

Here is the step-by-step for today’s roasted butternut squash and cauliflower salad:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Spread the cauliflower florets and the cubed butternut squash on one large lightly-oiled baking sheet. Season with salt, pepper and sumac. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Roast for 45 minutes, or until done and well caramelized (If needed, broil ever so briefly to get more char).

Meanwhile prepare the lemon-honey vinaigrette. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, honey, salt and pepper.

In a salad bowl, mix the kale and spinach together with 2 tbsp of the lemon-honey vinaigrette. Transfer to a serving platter.

Pour the remaining vinaigrette over the warm roasted butternut squash and cauliflower; carefully toss to coat.

Now add the roasted butternut squash and cauliflower on top of the kale and spinach mixture. Garnish with the goat cheese, nuts and raisins. Enjoy!