Warm Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C) and position a rack in the center of the oven.

Step 2

Toss butternut squash cubes in 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp sea salt and 1/2 tsp pepper (amounts as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). Roast for 15-20 minutes or until just tender. You don’t want it to get mushy, just tender.

Step 3

While roasting, prepare your pecans by heating a medium skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add pecans and toss or stir until toasty and fragrant, being careful not to burn. Remove from skillet.

Step 4

To the same skillet add 1 Tbsp olive oil (or butter) and 2 Tbsp brown sugar and stir to combine (amounts as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). Then add pecans back in plus a pinch of salt and toss for a minute or two until fully coated and fragrant. Transfer to a plate to cool, spreading to make sure they don’t stick together.

Step 5

Chop or loosely tear your greens and add to a serving bowl along with the cranberries. Once butternut squash is done, toss it right into the bowl along with the pecans.

Step 6

Lastly, add remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional // amounts as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) and toss. Add more salt or pepper if desired. Serve immediately. If not vegan, goat or Gorgonzola cheese would be a brilliant addition.