Squash, Pear & Pecan Salad Recipe
sweet squash, pear & spicy pecan Salad
One bite of sweet roasted squash, spicy pecans and juicy pears and you won't be able to put your fork down.
Squash, Pear and Spicy Pecan Salad
serves 6-8
ingredients
Spicy Pecans- 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
- 3 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp packed brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 8 cups loosely packed mixed salad greens
- 2 large pears, cored and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
directions
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with non-stick cooking spray.
- For the pecans, in a small bowl, toss pecans with olive oil, cumin, cinnamon, chili powder and cayenne. Spread pecans out on prepared baking sheet. Bake 5 minutes or until lightly toasted. Set aside to cool.
- For the squash, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with non- stick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, toss cubed squash with olive oil, syrup and salt. Spread on prepared baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, stir and continue to cook for an additional 5-10 minutes until squash is tender and lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
- For the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk vinegar, Dijon mustard, brown sugar and salt. Continue to whisk, slowly adding olive oil until combined.
- In a large serving bowl, gently toss salad greens with 2 tbsp of dressing to lightly coat. Add pecans, squash, pears and dried cranberries. Drizzle salad with remaining dressing.
“To make a good salad is to be a brilliant diplomatist. The problem is entirely the same in both cases — to know exactly how much oil one must put with one’s vinegar.”
