Winter Vegetable Salad with Butternut Squash, Brussels Sprouts, and Beets

Winter Vegetable Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash, Brussels Sprouts, and Beets is a great recipe for a cold Winter night! It's also a perfect and festive side dish for the holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. This recipe is healthy, vegetarian, gluten-free, and packed with fiber!

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword buternut squash, Christmas Brussels sprouts, christmas salad, roasted brussels sprouts, Thanksgiving Brussels sprouts, thanksgiving salad, winter vegetable salad

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1

Servings people

Calories 526kcal

Author Julia

Ingredients

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

3 cups Brussels sprouts (raw, ends trimmed, yellow leaves removed)
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt to taste

Roasted Butternut Squash

4 cups butternut squash (uncooked, peeled, seeded, and cubed into 1-inch cubes)
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt to taste

Other Salad Ingredients

2 large beets (I recommend pre-cooking them at least 1 day in advance - see note below)
2 cups pecan halves
1 cup dried cranberries

Balsamic Glaze

1 cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup honey or brown sugar

Maple-Lime Dressing

4 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice add 1 more tablespoon, to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

How to Roast Brussels Sprouts

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
Trim ends of Brussels sprouts and remove yellow leaves. Slice all Brussels sprouts in half.
In a medium bowl, combine halved Brussels sprouts, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt (to taste), and toss to combine.
Place Brussels sprouts onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, cut side down, and roast in the oven at 375 F for about 20-25 minutes. Roast them longer if you'd like a softer texture. During the last 5-10 minutes of roasting, turn them over for even browning, the cut sides should be nicely and partially charred but not blackened.

How to Roast Butternut Squash

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, combine cubed butternut squash (peeled and seeded), 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and salt, and toss to combine. Note: For more tips and details on how to peel, cut, and roast whole butternut squash, check out this article: How to Roast Butternut Squash.
Spread butternut squash in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning once half-way through baking until softened.
Note: You can roast both Brussels sprouts and butternut squash on 2 separate baking sheets at the same time, on the same rack in the oven.

How to Cook Beets

Add 2 beets to a medium-sized saucepan filled with water. Bring to a boil. Boil the beets on medium heat, half-covered (allowing some heat to escape), for about 30 or 40 minutes until soft (depending on the size of the beets). Remove from heat.
Using a large spoon or a ladle, carefully remove beets from hot water. Let them cool. When completely cooled, peel the beets and then dice them into small cubes.
Note: I recommend cooking beets at least 1 day in advance, peel them, keep them in refrigerator. That way, their color wil not bleed as much onto the dish.

How to Toast Pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread pecans in a single layer.
Toast the pecans for about 5 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven at 350 F until they get darker in color.
Note: Pecans burn really fast, so make sure to check the nuts after 5 minutes and frequently afterward.

Assembly

In a large bowl, toss together roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted butternut squash, toasted pecans, and dried cranberries. Add diced cooked beets last, otherwise they will color the salad dark red color.

Salad Dressing Option 1: Maple Lime Dressing

Note: If you choose to use maple-lime dressing, then combine 3 or 4 tablespoons of maple syrup with 1 or 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lime juice to taste. If using this dressing, toss all the ingredients (except beets) with the dressing. Then add the beets on top so that they don't color the salad. Alternatively, you can just drizzle this salad dressing on top of the completely assembled salad.

Salad Dressing Option 2: Balsamic Glaze

Combine 1 cup of balsamic vinegar + ¼ cup of honey or brown sugar in a medium pan and cook it down, regularly stirring. The mixture should reduce by at least half. Consistency should be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon but should not be overly thick. Drizzle with the balsamic glaze without mixing it with the salad. I recommend using white balsamic vinegar so that the salad doesn't look too dark.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If making this salad ahead, drizzle the balsamic glaze only right before serving, for presentation purposes. Otherwise, the salad might look dark and not as colorful.

Notes

Alternatives to the Balsamic glaze.

While you can make the balsamic glaze as directed in the recipe above by cooking down the balsamic vinegar together with a small amount of honey or brown sugar until the mixture reduces by about half. Here are 2 other simple alternatives to the balsamic glaze:

Alternative # 1. Use White Balsamic Vinegar to make the glaze

Using regular balsamic vinegar will darken the salad, but using white balsamic vinegar (simmered with honey until reduced by half) will preserve the salad’s original vibrant colors!

Alternative # 2. Use High-Quality Aged Balsamic Vinegar Made in Italy

Aged balsamic vinegar is often sold in specialized stores or sections of foreign foods at some grocery stores. High-quality Italian-made aged balsamic vinegar is usually expensive but it does not need cooking down. Just use it as is. And, you don't need to use much.

Alternative # 3. Combine Balsamic Vinegar and Olive oil

Combine ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Whisk until emulsified. Drizzle the salad with this mixture.

LOOKING FOR MORE THANKSGIVING SIDE DISHES?

I have created a comprehensive recipe collection of 60 Thanksgiving side dishes conveniently categorized by ingredient: Green Beans, Butternut Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Brussels Sprouts, Potatoes, Acorn Squash, Spaghetti Squash, Asparagus, Broccoli, etc. It's a great resource to browse through for a last moment holiday inspiration! This side dishes will also work great for Christmas and New Year's Eve.

LOOKING FOR A COMPLETE THANKSGIVING MENU?

Be sure to check out my 50 Best Thanksgiving Recipes (The Complete Holiday Menu) - it includes everything: Fall-inspired holiday appetizers, side dishes, salads, main courses, pasta recipes, desserts, and even breakfast. This holiday menu features proven, tried, and true Thanksgiving dishes that have been reader favorites for years (I've been publishing recipes since 2012).

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