Fall Harvest Caramelized Mushroom Salad Recipe

Fall salads don't always get the attention that they deserve, often overshadowed by warmer dishes like soups and roasted veggies. That said, fall salads that are loaded with seasonal produce like butternut squash and pomegranate seeds offer the best of all worlds — warm, cooked veggies, dark greens, and sweet pops of fruit, all brought together with tangy dressings and rich cheeses. "This is my type of meal!" says recipe developer Jessica Case, who came up with this fall harvest caramelized mushroom salad. "I'm a big salad lover [and this salad is] loaded with a lot of delicious veggies, cheese, fruit, and homemade dressing. The mushrooms are quite tasty, giving the earthy flavor into the salad," she says. 

And it's the mushrooms that truly make this recipe stand out because it doesn't call for a single variety, but a mix of your favorite fungi. "The variety of mushrooms gives it different textures and flavors. It also gives a rich, earthy flavor that contrasts well with baby spinach, pomegranate seeds, butternut squash, and a zingy dressing," Case explains. The end result is a salad that works well as a side or an entree. "If you want to add protein, grilled chicken will hit the spot," Case suggests. 

Start by gathering your ingredients for the salad. You need to round up olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper, butternut squash, assorted wild mushrooms of your preference, unsalted butter, shallots, dry sherry, baby spinach, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, fresh goat cheese, and pomegranate seeds. While most of the ingredients are fairly specific, Case assures that the mushroom choice is entirely in your hands. "It's always good to start with a basic cremini (sometimes sold as baby portobello), then add in whatever varieties interest you," she says, pointing to options like cultivated oyster, shiitake, wild chanterelles, and black trumpet mushrooms as good choices.

First up, you need to roast the butternut squash. Go ahead and preheat the oven to 425 F, then prep your butternut squash by cutting it in half, scooping out the seeds, and dicing it into small cubes. Line a pan with parchment paper or foil and spread the butternut squash across the pan in a single layer. Drizzle the squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper, tossing to combine. When the oven is hot, bake the squash for 40 minutes or until it's golden brown. 

While the squash is roasting, you can start cooking your mushrooms. Heat the butter in a large skillet over high heat and add the mushrooms. Cook them, stirring occasionally, until they've released their liquid and have browned. This should take about 10 minutes. "While the mushrooms are cooking you don't have to move them around much. Let them sit and sizzle in the oil, stirring just enough to brown them on all sides," says Case. This allows the flavor to soak in. 

When the mushrooms are cooked, reduce the heat and add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, followed by the shallots. Cook, stirring regularly, until the shallots soften and become translucent. This should take about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the veggies and fungi with salt and pepper, to taste, then add the dry sherry to the mix. Cook everything until the sherry has mostly evaporated before removing the pan from the heat. 

Grab a small bowl and add ¼ cup olive oil, the balsamic vinegar, mustard, and honey to the bowl. Whisk it all together and add salt and pepper, to taste. 

Now, you just need to build your salad. Start by tossing the spinach in a large bowl, and drizzling it with the dressing. 

Pour the roasted butternut squash into the greens and mix gently until it's well combined. Add the mushrooms to the bowl, tossing everything again, adding more dressing as desired. Just keep in mind, that you should be mixing gently — you don't want to damage the spinach or cause it to wilt. To that point, Case says if you prefer a cold salad to a slightly warm one, it's best to make sure you allow a little time for the mushrooms and squash to cool, as adding hot veggies to spinach will cause the greens to wilt or soften. "It's a preference," Case says. "You can have [the salad] warm or cooled. It [tastes] amazing no matter what."