Yes, another salad! This Butternut Squash Salad is a little different though since it’s got a lot of fun Fall flavors packed into it and it’s super easy to make. The homemade maple vinaigrette has to be one of my all time favorites, and it’s easy to see why. This salad starts off with a base of greens. I went with a mixture of baby spinach and a spring blend, but arugula would be a good option too!

After that it’s loaded up with oven roasted butternut squash, cranberries, feta cheese, and YES even bacon! The homemade maple vinaigrette might sound strange, but trust me, you’re going to love it. I used a bourbon aged maple syrup, but you can use any kind you want so long as it’s actual factual maple syrup, and not just flavored like maple syrup. Trust me, there IS a difference.

I doubled the recipe and store half of the salad in my handy-dandy salad jars to have lunch ready and on hand for the week. Which has been great. To make these as meal prep salads, follow the pictures below with how to layer them and store them. These have been great to have on hand and ready to go for lunch, and I’m pretty sure all the Fall goodness in here is convincing the weather to turn cooler.

To lighten these up, all I really did was use a low sodium center cut bacon. But other than that, these salads are pretty straight forward as far as salads go!

Butternut Squash Salad + Maple Vinaigrette

Yield: 4

Author: The Skinny Fork (Amanda Plott)

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 25 Min

A Fall favorite salad that's full of seasonal flavors! Cranberries, bacon, maple and butternut squash. And don't skip out on the homemade rosemary vinaigrette.

Ingredients

Maple Vinaigrette

1/3 C. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Tbsp. Maple Syrup
2 1/2 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
2 1/2 Tsp. Fresh Rosemary
2 Tsp. Dijon Mustard
1 Garlic Clove, Minced
Salt Pepper to Taste

Salad

4 C. Peeled & Cubed Butternut Squash
Salt & Pepper to Taste
5 Oz. Baby Spinach, Arugula, or Spring Mix Salad
6 Tbsp. Cooked & Chopped Low Sodium Center Cut Bacon
1/2 C. Diced Red Onion
1/3 C. Dried Cranberries
3 Oz. Fat Free Feta Cheese, Crumbled

Instructions

Blend together the 1/3 C. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 3 Tbsp. Maple Syrup, 2 1/2 Tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar, 2 1/2 Tsp. Fresh Rosemary, 2 Tsp. Dijon Mustard 1 Garlic Clove, and Salt Pepper to Taste for your maple vinaigrette. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and cover a baking sheet with foil or a silicone baking mat. Lightly spritz with non-stick cooking spray and place the 4 C. Peeled & Cubed Butternut Squash on the prepared sheet. Season with Salt & Pepper to Taste.
Place in the oven to bake for about 15 minutes or until the squash is tender.
Once done, remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Divide the 5 Oz. Baby Spinach, Arugula, or Spring Mix Salad among plates.
Top each with the 6 Tbsp. Cooked & Chopped Low Sodium Center Cut Bacon, 1/2 C. Red Onion, 1/3 C. Dried Cranberries, and 3 Oz. Fat Free Feta Cheese, divided evenly.

Jar Meal Prep Salad Option

Divide the pressingly evenly among jars along with 2 Tbsp. of the Red Onion.
Divide the 5 Oz. Baby Spinach, Arugula, or Spring Mix Salad evenly among the jars.
Top each with the cooked and cooled squash, 2 Tbsp. Cooked & Chopped Low Sodium Center Cut Bacon, and 1/3 C. Dried Cranberries, and 3 Oz. Fat Free Feta Cheese, divided evenly.
Seal and store in the fridge for 3-5 days to enjoy for lunch or dinner!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

434.09

Fat (grams)

27.32

Sat. Fat (grams)

5.52

Carbs (grams)

40.36

Fiber (grams)

4.63

Net carbs

35.72

Sugar (grams)

21.24

Protein (grams)

10.94

Sodium (milligrams)

505.92

Cholesterol (grams)

18.43

Nutritional Claims: Gluten Free • Wheat Free • Egg Free • Peanut Free •Tree Nut Free • Soy Free • Fish Free • Shellfish Free •Crustacean Free • Celery Free • Sesame Free • Lupine Free • Mollusk Free • Alcohol Free