Butternut Squash and Spinach Salad with Pecans, Cranberries, Pomegranate Seeds, and Poppy Seed Honey-Lime Dressing - a great choice for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Eve, or any other Fall and Winter holiday menu!
This butternut squash and spinach salad is a perfect Autumn or Winter side dish, since it uses lots of seasonal ingredients that are available this time of the year. Healthy, gluten-free, packed with nutrients and fiber!
Ingredients you need for butternut squash salad:
- 3 cups of Roasted Butternut Squash (cubed)
- 10 oz baby spinach
- 1 cup pecan halves
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
How to make honey lime salad dressing:
- In a medium bowl combine ¼ cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, 3 tablespoons of softened honey, 1 tablespoon of poppy seeds, 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard.
- Whisk until emulsified.
- Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
How to make butternut squash salad:
- In a large bowl, combine 3 cups of roasted butternut squash (cubed), 10 oz of chopped spinach leaves, ⅔ cup of pecans, ½ cup cranberries, and ¼ cup pomegranate seeds.
- Add the Honey Lime salad dressing and gently toss.
- Top with the remaining ⅓ cup pecan halves and ¼ cup pomegranate seeds.
Other amazing Butternut Squash Salads:
- Butternut Squash Salad with Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Cranberries, and Pecans
- Autumn Butternut Squash Salad with Pumpkin Seeds
- Quinoa Butternut Squash Salad with Pine Nuts, Caramelized Onions and Feta cheese
Other amazing Thanksgiving salads:
- Winter Fruit Salad with Maple Lime Dressing - the holiday ingredient list includes red apples, pears, clementine oranges (or mandarin oranges), kiwi fruit, dried cranberries, and pomegranate seeds.
- Butternut Squash and Spinach Salad with Pecans, Cranberries, Pomegranate - perfect healthy Thanksgiving salad with Poppy Seed Honey-Lime Dressing.
- Honey Mustard Brussels Sprouts Salad with Cranberries and Pecans - this holiday salad is all about crisp, shredded Brussels sprouts tossed with slightly sweet honey mustard vinaigrette, dried cranberries and chopped pecans. One of the best Fall salads you'll ever make!
Other Butternut Squash Recipes:
- Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna
- Butternut Squash Chili
- Black Bean and Butternut Squash Enchilada Casserole
- Black Bean and Butternut Squash Soup
Butternut Squash and Spinach Salad with Pecans, Cranberries, Pomegranate
Butternut Squash and Spinach Salad with Pecans, Cranberries, Pomegranate with Poppy Seed Honey-Lime Dressing. Healthy, gluten free, packed with veggies. The best salad for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Eve or any other Fall and Winter holiday menu!
Ingredients
Roasted butternut squash:
Dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 3 tablespoons honey softened
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Salad ingredients:
- 10 oz baby spinach , about 10 cups of torn leaves
- 1 cup pecan halves
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
Instructions
Roasted butternut squash:
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- In a medium bowl, combine cubed butternut squash (peeled and seeded),1 tablespoon of olive oil, a pinch of salt, and toss to mix.
- Place butternut squash in a single layer on the foil-lined baking sheet.
- Roast for 20-25 minutes, turning once half-way through baking, until softened.
Honey Lime Salad Dressing:
- Combine all dressing ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
How to assemble butternut squash salad
- In a large bowl, combine roasted butternut squash, spinach leaves (chop them up a little), ⅔ cup of pecans, ½ cup cranberries, and ¼ cup pomegranate seeds.
- Add the salad dressing and gently toss.
- Top with the remaining ⅓ cup pecans and ¼ cup pomegranate seeds.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information
Butternut Squash and Spinach Salad with Pecans, Cranberries, Pomegranate
Amount per Serving
Calories
516
% Daily Value*
Fat
36
g
55
%
Saturated Fat
4
g
25
%
Sodium
105
mg
5
%
Potassium
960
mg
27
%
Carbohydrates
50
g
17
%
Fiber
8
g
33
%
Sugar
29
g
32
%
Protein
6
g
12
%
Vitamin A
18715
IU
374
%
Vitamin C
48.3
mg
59
%
Calcium
174
mg
17
%
Iron
3.9
mg
22
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Honey isn't vegan. Is it better to make this with maple syrup or Agave?
Hi Lisa! This would definitely be better with maple syrup!
What a good recipe to use up my butternut squash harvest and it's versatile, too. Instead of spinach, I substituted cooked beet greens.
Monica, I am so glad you loved this salad. I have quite a few butternut squash recipes you might like:
https://juliasalbum.com/category/vegetables/butternut-squash/
Julia, thank you for posting the recipe. My husband saw it online yesterday and texted it to me...and
I just had to make it today! That was our lunch and I served it with toasted home-made olive sourdough bread. I know I will be making more of this salad!
PS. The dressing is spot on!!!!!!
Shirley McCormick
Shirley, I am so glad you tried this salad and loved it! Thank you for taking the time to share this wonderful feedback! 🙂
Beautiful and delicious! It’s my go to when I have guests.
Katie, so glad you enjoy this salad. Thank you for the comment and the 5-star review! 🙂
Do you serve this and beet recipe warm???
Trudy, you can serve it warm or at room temperature.
This salad is very well made and delicious
Duncan, I am glad you loved this salad. And, thank you for the 5-star review! 🙂
Delishious!!! I have made several times and shared with friends. A keeper.
Kriss, I am so glad you gave this recipe a try and liked it! Thanks for the comment! 🙂
I've made this for Thanksgiving, and I can tell you it was the prettiest side dish on a table! And tasted great too!
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to share this positive feedback!
Thank you so much for posting this recipe! Just made it and it was perfect. Can't wait to try it with other greens, especially arugula and kale!
I am so pleased you've enjoyed this salad! And, thank you for stopping by and taking the time to share this positive feedback + 5-star review - I appreciate it!
Hi! I made this today for thanksgiving, and it was a huge hit! The only thing I changed was I didn’t add the pomegranate seeds as I couldn’t find any, and I added a chopped green apple to give it more crunch since I didn’t have the seeds. Thanks for the recipe!
Emily, you are very welcome! I am so glad you gave this recipe a try and enjoyed it! Love that you added a chopped green apple - sounds delicious!
You're very welcome! Glad you've enjoyed this salad! 🙂
EDIT: five Stars
Thank you for the 5-star review - I appreciate it! 🙂
Hi Julia, can I replace pecans with something else? Perhaps pumpkin seeds?
Yes, pumpkin seeds are a great substitution for pecans!
This salad is delicious. I mean really really delicious. The dressing is everything. I used sweet potatoes because I didn’t want to wrestle with the butternut squash. I used lettuce from my garden and roasted the pecans. Great salad.
Alzena, your comment made my day - thank you! And, thank you for the feedback regarding using sweet potatoes instead of butternut squash - glad that it tasted delicious with the potatoes!