Squash 'n sprouts salad

Shannon Beigert

As we move into winter, squash varieties become more prevalent in our markets. One of my favorites is butternut squash. It has a mild, comforting flavor. Paired with Brussels sprouts, it becomes a delicious side dish that can be eaten cold or warm.

This salad is a favorite of ours.

Ingredients - the salad

1 butternut squash
3 cups of Brussels sprouts
1/2 of a sweet onion diced
1/2 cup of sweetened dried cranberries (I use the lower sugar Craisins®)
4 tablespoons of olive oil for roasting the Brussels sprouts
1 - 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar reduction

Ingredients - dressing

1/4 cup of olive oil
3 Tablespoons of maple syrup
1  teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
1/4 teaspoon of granulated garlic

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place the whole butternut squash onto a sheet pan, and bake until a fork pierces it easily. Please be careful not to overcook the squash, as you will be cubing it after it cooks. The cooking time varies based on the size of your squash, but estimate about an hour, relying on the fork pierce test to determine the level of doneness.  Once the squash has cooked, remove from the oven to cool.  When cool, remove the skin, seeds and dice into bite-size cubes. Place the cubed squash into a large bowl.

Place the olive oil in a baking pan. Wash and cut each Brussels sprout in half and place into the baking pan. Drizzle any remaining oil on the top of the sprouts. Bake at 350 degrees in the oven for 30-45 minutes, until well cooked and a little charred.

Remove the Brussels sprouts from the oven, drizzle with balsamic vinegar reduction, and cool.

Mix the diced onions, cooled Brussels sprouts, cubed squash and dried cranberries in a large bowl.

Mix all dressing ingredients until well combined. Pour over the squash mixture and mix in. Refrigerate for two hours if serving this dish cold.

Enjoy!

Shannon Beigert is a chef and baker who loves to entertain guests at her Olympia home. If you want to let her know that this recipe worked well for you, send her a note at  shannon@theJOLTnews.com