I developed this rustic, hearty salad to showcase fall flavors (with a tangy-sweet final taste of summer, courtesy of the cherries); one of the things I love about it is its versatility. Try swapping feta, blue cheese or pecorino for the chevre; use sweet potatoes or yams in place of squash, and try hazelnuts or pecans instead of pepitas.
Ingredients
SERVINGS: Serves 4
vinaigrette
- 3-4 tablespoons Good-quality Sherry vinegar
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil (I add to taste, as I prefer a more acidic dressing)
- 1 tablespoon finely minced shallot
- Pinch Kosher salt
Salad
- 1 small butternut squash, 1 large acorn squash or 2 delicata squash, peeled (you can skip this step for the delicata), halved, seeds removed
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 5 cups Arugula
- 4 ounces dried cherries (try to find ones that don’t have added sugar)
- ½ cup pepitas, toasted
- 4 ounces chevre, crumbled
Preparation
For the vinaigrette
1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl or Mason jar with lid and whisk or shake to combine.
For the salad
1. Preheat oven to 450°. Cut squash into 1-inch cubes and place in large bowl. Toss with just enough olive oil to coat and season with salt and pepper. Place squash in single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast until golden brown and tender.
2. While squash cools, combine arugula and cherries in a large bowl and toss with enough vinaigrette to lightly coat leaves. Gently fold in squash and toss with your hands to combine.
This salad is best plated individually. Place a handful of greens and squash on each of four plates, and garnish with chevre and pepitas.
