Looking for the Perfect Fall Salad? Well, Here It Is!
I can’t resist buying the beautiful winter squashes that are all coming into season now and I love trying different varieties. When I got home with this one, a Golden Hubbard, I decided a salad was in order. Playing the sweet flavor of the squash against a sharp vinaigrette is probably my favorite way of enjoying winter squashes.
I’ve found that the easiest way to peel one of these is to cut it in half, scrape out the seeds, cut each half in half, which makes it easier to handle, use a vegetable peeler to cut off the skin, and then chop it into good sized inch and a half pieces.
After tossing the pieces with olive oil, I opted to give them a good sprinkle of ras el hanout *, a highly aromatic North African spice blend, which I knew would be gorgeous with the squash. I then added salt, pepper, and a little honey before they went into the oven, were roasted until fully softened, and the edges were starting to caramelize and brown.
As soon as the squash came out of the oven I placed a pan of peeled and sliced oranges, which I also drizzled with a little honey, under the broiler for a few minutes until they just began to char. Now I was good to go.
Remember those herb vinegars I made a few weeks ago? I used the lemon mint variety to make a very simple vinaigrette, and tossed it with baby arugula. I chose these greens because their bitterness would help balance out the sweetness of the squash and oranges.
After heaping the dressed greens onto a platter and adding the squash and oranges, I scattered on a handful of dried tart cherries and a healthy amount of roasted hazelnuts. I thought the zing you get when you bite into a cherry would be appreciated with all the other deeper flavors, and the flavor and crunch from the hazelnuts was perfect.
A few fresh mint leaves and some chili threads * finished it off. Add some bread and you’ve got a full meal. It is so satisfying to eat this way. The flavors are rich and varied, the textures are widely varied, and there’s something different in each bite. Plus, I don’t think it can get any prettier to look at.
Or you could serve this as a side dish with chicken or pork. I also think it would be great with turkey and could see this being a perfect accompaniment for Thanksgiving. Besides being delicious, it would be beautiful on a celebration table.
I’ve now got a pretty buttercup squash sitting on my counter and have yet to decide what to do with it. Stay tuned for updates. Winter squash season is upon us and I’m taking full advantage.
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Roasted Orange and Golden Hubbard Squash Salad
4-6
servingsBaby arugula is dressed with a simple vinaigrette and then topped with roasted squash and roasted orange slices. Tart dried cherries, roasted hazelnuts, fresh mint leaves, and chili threads finish it all off beautifully. This is one very good salad - if I do say so myself!
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Ingredients
2.5 pounds golden hubbard squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1.5 inch pieces
Extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons ras el hanout * or 1 teaspoon ground cumin and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Fine sea salt
Black pepper
3 tablespoons honey, divided
2 oranges (any variety will work) peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices
5 ounces baby arugula
1 tablespoon lemon mint vinegar or white wine vinegar
50 g (heaping 1/4 cup) dried tart cherries
65 g (1/2 cup) roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
Handful fresh mint leaves
Chili threads * for garnish
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the center. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Add the pieces of squash to the prepared sheet pan and toss them with a light drizzle of olive oil. Sprinkle on the ras el hanout *, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Toss again. Drizzle the squash with 2 tablespoons of honey, place in the oven, and roast until the pieces of squash are fully softened and starting to brown on the edges, 35 - 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. Turn the oven to broil with a rack in the uppermost level of the oven.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray it with cooking oil. Place the orange slices on the baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon honey. Place under the broiler and let cook until they are charred in spots. The timing will depend on your particular broiler, but it should only take a few minutes.
- Make the dressing by whisking together the vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, a large pinch of salt, and several grinds of black pepper in a large bowl. Add the arugula and toss gently. Spoon the arugula onto a large serving platter. Add the squash and oranges to the platter. Scatter on the dried cherries, hazelnuts, and mint leaves. Drizzle on a little extra olive oil. Place a handful of chili threads * in the center of the platter, serve, and Enjoy!