This healthy acorn squash salad features roasted squash piled high on mixed greens with crumbled goat cheese, maple slivered almonds, and dried cherries. Then, it’s all drizzled with lemon tahini dressing. This recipe is perfect as a vegetarian side dish or can be bulked up as a main dish. Plus, you can easily make it vegan if needed.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel like squash recipes can be heavy. Squash is so great in creamy soups, hearty pastas, and baked goods, and I love those dishes when the time is right! But once in a while, I crave something lighter that still highlights the flavor of winter squash.
This acorn squash salad is inspired by that kind of craving! It’s got all the freshness of a crisp green salad but with some added bulk from roasted acorn squash. I love how filling it is, and the fix-ins are so tasty. Goat cheese, dried fruit, maple-flavored almonds…YUM. Not to mention the dressing. OMG, you guys, I could drink it. Plus, it literally has 4 ingredients.
So if you’re craving a fresher twist on squash, this one’s for you! It’s also the perfect salad for the holidays and fall or winter entertaining.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
- Acorn squash: I personally love the light, earthy flavor of acorn squash, but you can of course substitute other kinds of winter squash. Butternut, hubbard, kabocha,and delicata would all work. You could even whip up my Sautéed Delicata Squash to use instead of roasting acorn squash.
- Salad greens: I like to use baby greens, especially a 50/50 spinach and spring mix. Baby arugula or kale can also be used, but keep in mind that they will have stronger flavors.
- Dried cherries: Feel free to sub dried cranberries, dates, raisins, or even dried apricots. Use unsweetened varieties (or those that are only lightly sweetened) to keep added sugar in check.
- Slivered almonds: I include my tips for making super quick maple cinnamon almonds in a skillet in the recipe card. They’re an amazing addition to acorn squash salad, but you can substitute other nuts or seeds like pecans or pumpkin seeds too.
- Goat cheese: Use a vegan goat cheese or omit the cheese entirely if you want to make the salad vegan. Feta, mozzarella, gouda, or even cheddar can be substituted.
- Tahini: I love using tahini (ground sesame seeds) for salad dressings! Two of my favorite brands are Soom and Krinos tahini.
- Lemon: If you don’t have a lemon, sub apple cider vinegar in the dressing.
- Maple syrup: Use honey if needed.
Instructions
The full recipe card for acorn squash salad is at the bottom of the post. Here’s a preview of the steps with photos to guide you.
Prep the acorn squash for roasting. Slice off the stem, then carefully cut the squash in half lengthwise. Remove and discard the seeds. You can roast them as a snack if you want! Cut the squash into wedges about ½-inch thick.
Toss the squash in olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast until tender (about 25 to 30 minutes at 400 degrees F).
In the meantime, gather the other ingredients. Prepare the almonds by cooking them in maple syrup and cinnamon in a skillet until sticky.
To make the dressing, combine the tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup, and salt in a measuring cup. Whisk until smooth, adding water as needed to thin.
Storage and Make Ahead
It’s best to serve acorn squash salad shortly after dressing it to prevent the greens from getting soggy. I also prefer to assemble each individual salad on its own plate then drizzle them with the dressing. It’s easier to eat this way and prettier too. The goat cheese will stick together and the other fix-ins will fall to the bottom of the bowl if you try to mix everything in one big bowl.
So, if you want to make this salad in advance, I recommend just prepping all the individual components and keeping them in separate containers in the fridge. Then, assemble the salad when you want to serve it and drizzle with the dressing!
Serving
Serve this salad on its own or with a source of protein to transform it to more of a main dish. It goes well with salmon, chicken, chickpeas, lentils, and tofu. You can also serve it with a fall-inspired soup, such as my Vegan Cauliflower and Parsnip Soup, Carrot and Turnip Soup, or Fennel and Leek Soup with Potatoes.
More Salad Recipes
If you love acorn squash salad, you may also want to check out:
I’d love to hear how you like this recipe! Rate/review using the stars on the recipe card or in the comments, and follow the Veg World on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Looking for something totally different? Browse the recipe library.
📖 Recipe
Acorn Squash Salad
Ingredients
Acorn squash salad
- 1 large acorn squash - or 2 small, about 2.5 to 3 pounds total
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 5 ounce mixed baby greens - about 8 heaping cups; I used 50/50 baby spinach and spring mix
- ½ cup unsweetened dried cherries
- 4 ounce goat cheese - crumbled
- ½ cup slivered almonds
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Tahini dressing
- ¼ cup tahini
- 1 lemon - juiced; about ¼ cup
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 to 4 tablespoons water - to thin the dressing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F/204 degrees C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Prepare the squash for roasting. Cut off the stem, then carefully slice the squash in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds with a spoon and discard. You can leave the skin or peel it if you prefer. Slice into ½-inch thick wedges about 2 inches long.
- Transfer the squash to the baking sheet. Toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread out in a single layer. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes until the squash is fork-tender.
- In the meantime, prepare the other salad ingredients. To make the maple almonds, heat the tablespoon of maple syrup with the cinnamon and salt in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the slivered almonds, stir to coat, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes until the almonds are sticky, browned, and fragrant (but not burnt). Transfer to a plate to harden.
- Next, make the dressing by whisking together the tahini, lemon juice, other tablespoon of maple syrup, and salt. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it's thinned to your liking.
- When the squash is finished roasting and all of the ingredients are ready, assemble the salads. I prefer to divide the greens across 4 or more plates, top with the squash, and sprinkle each one with the maple almonds, dried cherries, and crumbled goat cheese. Then, drizzle each salad with dressing. This is a better way to enjoy the salads. If you try to mix everything together in a bowl, the goat cheese will clump, the squash may break, and some of the fix-ins will go to the bottom of the bowl.
- Serve the salads and enjoy!
- Leave a rating or review by tapping the stars on this recipe card (above) or in the comments section (at the end of the post)!
Notes
- Make ahead: Make all of the components and keep in separate containers in the fridge. Assemble the salads when ready to serve. Some of the components, like the dressing, squash, and maple almonds, can be made up to a few days in advance.
- To make vegan, omit the goat cheese or use a vegan version. For a nut-free version, use pumpkin seeds in place of almonds.
- Feel free to sub other types of winter squash, such as delicata or butternut.
Kendra
This salad was amazing and super easy to fix! My family loved it! Thank you for delicious recipes!!
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Kendra, that’s so great to hear! Thanks so much for your 5-star review!