Salmon And Squash Salad With Roasted Pear Dressing Recipe

Sure, pasta is delicious and pizza is great, but can we all admit that a good salad is also unbeatable? We're not talking about a few leaves of lettuce and some tomatoes, here; a good salad is layered with flavor, packed with protein, and finished with punchy dressing. 

In this recipe written with developer Michelle McGlinn, fall-forward flavors like butternut squash and roasted pear are combined with leafy kale and feta cheese for a bright and filling salad. If you ask us, the best part of this salad is the honey mustard salmon, baked in a glaze of grain mustard and honey. The salmon can be added on top of each serving or strewn throughout the salad for easy communal serving. And despite the lengthy prep, this salad makes a perfect addition to a dinner party because it can be made ahead and thrown together right before serving. Not planning a party? Make it for meal prep instead.

For such a jam-packed salad, the ingredients list is surprisingly small. You'll need a small butternut squash, a few Bosc pears, salt, pepper, olive oil, and chili powder for roasting. From there, you'll need 4 filets of salmon, regular honey, and grain (or stone ground) mustard. For the dressing, you'll also need to grab a shallot, some garlic, and white wine vinegar. Then to assemble the salad, you'll just need kale (any variety works, but we like curly kale here), a handful of Brussels sprouts, feta cheese, and walnuts.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Add butternut squash pieces and pears to baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil.

Sprinkle squash and pears with 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Toss butternut squash with chili powder.

Roast for 20 minutes, or until fork tender.

In the meantime, whisk together 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon grain mustard, 1 clove grated garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl.

Arrange the salmon on a parchment lined sheet tray and brush the glaze onto the salmon.

In the same preheated oven, roast salmon for 13-15 minutes, or until cooked through and flaky.

To make the dressing, add the roasted pears, shallot, remaining garlic clove, 1 tablespoon honey, vinegar, and ½ cup olive oil to a blender. Blend until smooth.

Season the dressing to taste with salt and pepper.

To assemble the salad, toss the kale with the Brussels sprouts, then toss with the dressing until well coated.

Add the squash, feta, and walnuts and toss to combine.

To serve, add the baked salmon on top or cut into pieces and distribute throughout.

This salmon and squash salad can be stored in a variety of ways. If you are planning to serve this at a dinner party and simply want to prepare ahead of time, roast the squash and pears and store the squash in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Blend the pears into the dressing and store in a second airtight container. Finally, chop the kale and Brussels sprouts and store in another container — we recommend a zip-top bag. When ready to serve, toss the salad ingredients together while roasting the salmon filets. Voila! The salad is ready to go in less than 15 minutes. With this method, the salad arrives at the table freshly dressed (otherwise the dressing can make it soggy overnight).

The salad can be stored after being tossed together, too. Simply transfer the prepared salad to airtight containers and store for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. While the salmon can be eaten cold, we recommend storing it separately and reheating it.

Salmon and squash salad is best served in the fall and winter months with similarly fall-forward flavors. We recommend serving this with whole roasted chicken, apple cider baby back ribs, and creamy potato soup. This salad is also a stunning addition to Thanksgiving tables, where it can be served alongside holiday staples like turkey, mashed potatoes, and bacon-wrapped Brussels sprouts. If serving for a dinner party, be sure to serve alongside cocktails like moscow mules or apple cider sangria, which balance out the savory flavors in the salad.

You can also add to the salad itself, serving with pomegranate seeds, cranberries, diced apples, bacon pieces, or artichoke hearts. If you don't like fish and would rather avoid the salmon in this recipe, just swap for chicken breast and adjust the cook time accordingly. Find yourself craving this salad in the summertime but can't find butternut squash? Just swap for sweet potato instead.