Roasted Acorn Squash Wedge Salad Recipe

Salads are often on the weekly menu in most households, and they come in all shapes and sizes. We just love the familiar green and crunchy side dish, and it makes the perfect accompaniment to just about any entrée. At some point, wedge salads became a thing and started turning up as a classic menu item in many steakhouses and restaurants and they entered into the salad genre. 

The presentation of a wedge salad is often quite striking, with the lettuce wedge placed on a plate, and the toppings and dressing arranged on top of it. It's a simple but satisfying salad that is known for its refreshing and crunchy qualities, as well as its rich, creamy dressing. In this recipe, creativity strikes, and we have paired the traditional wedge salad with a fall favorite, acorn squash. Together they make quite an impressive salad.

Wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe and says, "When fall has arrived, I love filling up my grocery cart with a wide variety of squash. Acorn squash is one of my favorites because it has a mild, slightly sweet, and nutty flavor. To me, it tastes like a combination of butternut squash and sweet potatoes, and combined with all of the other savory and sweet ingredients, this salad is one to include for the fall season."

To make this recipe, start out in the produce aisle and pick up acorn squash, lemon, garlic, iceberg lettuce, avocado, and red onion. "One of my favorite things about squash is how long the shelf life is. You can leave one on your counter for 2 to 3 months before using it," Hahn shares.

For roasting the squash and for the dressing, you'll need avocado oil, maple syrup, olive oil, salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar, and Dijon mustard. The other fun salad ingredients are dried cranberries, feta cheese, and pumpkin seeds.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Cut the squash in half and remove and discard the seeds.

Cut the squash into 6 wedges.

Brush with avocado oil, maple syrup and sprinkle on ½ teaspoon salt.

Bake for 30 minutes.

In a small bowl combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, remaining salt, and pepper.

Cut the iceberg into 4 wedges and place on a platter.

Dice the avocado.

Place the squash wedges on the platter in between the iceberg wedges.

Pour the dressing over the squash and lettuce wedges.

Distribute the red onion, cranberries, feta, pumpkin seeds, and avocado over each of the squash and lettuce wedges.

The roasted acorn squash wedge salad is ready to serve.

There are many ways to customize this roasted acorn squash wedge salad. To start off, you can the squash seasonings before roasting, like adding brown sugar and cinnamon for a sweeter profile. Or, you can skip the sweet ingredients and go for a savory twist with garlic, thyme, or rosemary.

For the dressing you can swap in pomegranate molasses for the balsamic vinegar, or if you like a thicker dressing, you can add in ¼ cup of creamy tahini. "I always like to make extra dressing when serving salads for those that want just a little more drizzle," Hahn shares.

This salad is also delicious with different cheese options like goat cheese, blue cheese, or Parmesan. If you want to make this salad vegan and dairy-free, you can just swap those out for dairy-free versions.

Lastly, if wedge salads aren't your thing but you love the ingredients, just cut the squash in half rings and roast it, then add it to chopped lettuce with all of the other ingredients. The nice thing about acorn squash is that you can eat the skin, so if it's in the salad, cut into rings all of it is edible.

When serving a roasted acorn squash wedge salad, you can pair it with various dishes to create a well-rounded and satisfying meal. A warm bowl of soup, such as a creamy tomato soup, butternut squash soup, or a hearty vegetable soup pairs nicely along with some freshly baked bread, rolls, or a crusty baguette. A simple grain works well too like quinoa, couscous, farro, brown rice, or orzo.

If you want to serve it with some protein, try grilled or roasted chicken breast or thighs, sliced seared steak, such as flank steak or sirloin, roasted or pan-seared salmon, grilled shrimp, or tofu or tempeh for a vegan option.

After the meal, fresh pears and figs finish off the meal nicely or a simple fruit salad, fruit kabobs, or fruit platter offers a refreshing contrast. For a fancier finish, a fruity dessert like sorbet, fruit tarts, or a berry parfait will make a beautiful presentation.