Fall Harvest Salad

This salad’s sweet-earthy flavors pair deliciously with roast pork or chicken. If you dice the pear ahead of time, toss it with lemon juice to avoid browning.

POINTS® Value: 4
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 25 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
1 spray(s) cooking spray
3 cup(s) butternut squash, cut into small cubes
1/2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp rosemary, fresh, minced
1/2 tsp table salt, or to taste

Vinaigrette
2 medium shallot(s), minced
2 tsp apricot preserves
2 1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp rosemary, fresh, minced
1/4 tsp table salt, or to taste

Remaining Ingredients
4 cup(s) arugula, baby leaves, packed
1 medium pear(s), diced
2 Tbsp chopped walnuts, toasted

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a small baking sheet with cooking spray or line it with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, toss squash with oil, rosemary and salt; spread in a single layer on prepared baking sheet, leaving space between squash pieces. Roast, flipping once halfway through cooking, until squash is tender and lightly browned, about 15 to 25 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together vinaigrette ingredients. Just before serving, add arugula and squash to vinaigrette; toss until thoroughly combined.
4. Divide salad mixture among serving plates; top with pears and walnuts. Yields about 1 1/3 heaping cups per serving.

Notes

A medium-size, 2 lb squash will yield approximately 3 1/2 cups of diced squash.

If using a whole butternut squash, peel the outside with a sturdy vegetable peeler. Trim the ends and cut in half lengthwise. Use an ice cream scoop or melon baller to easily scoop seeds and membrane from a halved butternut squash.

Precut butternut squash is widely available in supermarkets and is a great shortcut for time-pressed cooks. Be sure to trim down the pieces to small, even-size cubes or slices before roasting to allow for even browning.