Winter still hasn’t loosened her grip on us, but I’m ready for this long, long winter to be over. Since it’s not quite salad weather yet, I did a meet in the middle type of salad. Spiral Butternut Squash Spinach Salad still has the comfort of winter food, but also, the hope of Spring.
In my last post, I used a spiralized beet for Panko Crusted Cod with Spiral Beets I’m still spiralizing this time with butternut squash.
If you have ever worked with butternut squash, you know they are tough to peel. God bless the folks who do the work for you! These days you can buy butternut squash peeled, cubed, spiralized, fresh or frozen.
One thing I really haven’t shared too much is how much I LOVE a bargain. I feel a sense of jubilation when I get something on the cheap. I used to cut coupons, I had the whole folder with every coupon I could get my hands on. Mind you I wasn’t an extreme couponer, but I loved a bargain!
Enter the Smartphone with an app for everything. Having tried a slew of apps for saving money by are my favorite is Ibotta. Cash in your pocket for things you buy anyway and super easy to use. Find your offers from your favorite store then redeem them from your receipt. Easy!! Transfer the cash to your account. You can link loyalty cards or shop from your phone. Plus there are so many items it will make your head spin!!
OK so here is a shameless plug……use this link for an app called Ibotta and get started today. I do get a reward for referring friends once you sign up and make your first purchase, but the great thing is once you sign up you can refer your friends and get a reward too!!
So all that long winded story was to say why I bought the spiral butternut noodles in the first place. I got cash back….bargain!!!!!
Spiral Butternut Squash Spinach Salad is easy with the spiralized part done for you roast them (thaw and drain first) with a touch of maple syrup and balsamic vinegar. Roasting veggies give them such a sweet wonderful flavor.
Once roasted the rest in simple salad prep. Spinach tossed with a light maple dijon dressing, then topped with the roasted squash, goat cheese, dried cranberries, and roasted pumpkin seeds. Serve with extra dressing on the side.
Spiral Butternut Squash Spinach Salad still has the comfort of winter but the hope of Spring….enjoy!!
PrintSpiral Butternut Squash Spinach Salad
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Roast
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Butternut Squash:
1–12 ounce package of frozen butternut squash spirals (I used Green Giant ), thawed and drained
2 tablespoons avocado oil oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Preparing salad:
1–5 ounce container of organic baby spinach
2 ounces crumbled goat cheese
1/4 cup pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds)
1/4 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Toss thawed butternut squash with avocado oil, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and salt.
Spread on prepared baking sheet and roast in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool.
Place all dressing ingredients in a lidded jar and shaking until well combined. Alternately you can use a blender for the dressing.
Place spinach a large bowl and drizzle with two tablespoons of the dressing and toss until coated with dressing.
Top spinach with butternut squash, goat cheese, pepitas, and dried cranberries.
Serve and enjoy!