Maple Cinnamon Butternut Squash Spinach Salad
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Maple cinnamon butternut squash spinach salad is slightly sweet and a little bit savory. It is the perfect salad for fall dinners. Serve this salad warm or at room temperature.
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A Spinach Salad for the Holidays
This recipe came to life a few years ago when I was asked to bring a side dish to a family holiday dinner. I had put aside a recipe from a magazine for roasted butternut squash with baby spinach, and I thought a holiday dinner would be the perfect occasion to try it.
I test out recipes before I serve them to guests, and I’m glad I did for this one. The finished recipe tasted okay. The disappointment was the texture. It was soggy, which is not good for a family of fresh tasting veggie lovers.
The failed recipe gave me the idea to add a few new ingredients such as goat cheese and walnuts and turn it into a wilted spinach salad. It was a hit and I’ve been bringing to holiday dinners ever since.
This salad not only full of flavor, it is filling and could be a meal all by itself. You can also serve it with your favorite roasted meat like this pork tenderloin.
Pin This Recipe For Butternut Spinach Salad
This is a brief summary of the ingredients needed to make this spinach salad recipe and a convenient shopping list from my Instacart affiliate link. For a printable recipe card with exact measurements and detailed instructions, scroll down to the recipe card section.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
- Butternut Squash – whole or pre-cut from your supermarket
- Baby Spinach
- Olive Oil
- Maple Syrup
- Cinnamon
- Dried Cranberries
- Goat Cheese
- Toasted Walnuts
- Dijon Mustard
- Fresh Orange Juice
Maple Cinnamon Butternut Squash Spinach Salad Recipe Steps
- Peel and cut the squash
- Combine the squash, maple syrup, cinnamon and olive oil in a bowl
- Spread the mixture onto a baking sheet and roast until the squash becomes soft
- Rinse and dry the baby spinach and place in a salad bowl
- Mix up the dressing ingredients
- Add the cooked squash to the salad bowl with the spinach
- Add the dried cranberries, nuts and cheese
- Drizzle with dressing and serve with reserved dressing on the side
Total Estimated Time to Make this Recipe: 45-50 Minutes
Tips for Cutting and Roasting Butternut Squash
Tips
- Use a sharp knife to cut off the stem and about 1/8 to 1/4 inch of the bottom of the squash. Stand the squash upright and use a vegetable peeler to peel the squash. To cut the squash, use a heavy sharp knife to cut the squash in half horizontally. Then stand each half up and cut through the squash vertically. Scoop out the pulp and the seeds and continue to cut the squash into chunks.
- To ensure even cooking, be sure that the chunks of squash are similar in size.
- Time Saving Tip – Look for pre-cut butternut squash in the produce section of your supermarket.
Recipe Variations
- Replace the Goat Cheese with equal amounts of Feta Cheese
- Make it vegan and leave out the cheese
- Substitute toasted almonds or pecans for the toasted walnuts
- Replace the baby spinach with baby arugula of used a combination of both
- Substitute Acorn or delacata squash for the butternut
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Maple Cinnamon Butternut Squash Spinach SaladIngredients
- 1 Medium butternut squash
- 2 cups packed baby spinach
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup cranberries
- 1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
- 4 ounces goat cheese crumbles
- SALAD DRESSING
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400
- peel and cut the butternut squash into pieces that are about 1/2 inch in size
- chop the garlic
- line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- combine the squash pieces, garlic, oil maple syrup and cinnamon in a mixing bowl
- arrange the butternut squash mixture onto the baking sheet and roast until the squash is tender and begins to turn golden – about 30 minutes
- rinse and drain the spinach and place it into a salad bowl
- combine and whisk the dressing ingredients
- add the fully cooked squash to the spinach in the salad bowl and mix, the spinach should slightly wilt
- add the craisins, walnuts and cheese
- drizzle with the dressing
Notes
- Replace the Goat Cheese with Feta Cheese
- For a vegan version, leave out the cheese
- Substitute toasted almonds or pecans for the toasted walnuts
- Replace the baby spinach with baby arugula
- Substitute Acorn or delacata squash for the butternut
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and can vary based on cooking methods and ingredients used
Here are some fall inspired recipes from my blogging friends:
Beverages
Pumpkin Spice Margarita by Family Around the Table
Breakfast
Sweet Potato Cinnamon Buns by Love and Confections
Savory
Acorn Squash and Fig Salad by The Redhead Baker
Maple Cinnamon Butternut Squash & Spinach Salad by Simple and Savory
Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Streusel by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Sweet Potato Fries with Bourbon Pecan Pie Barbeque Dipping Sauce by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
White Castle Stuffing by Palatable Pastime
Wild Rice Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing by Red Cottage Chronicles
Dessert
Autumn Spice Mocha Cake by Daily Dish Recipes
Butter Pecan Macaron by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Easy Pecan Tarts by Everyday Eileen
Maple Coffee Brownies by Daily Dish Recipes
Sweet Potato Dutch Baby by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
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Lovely salad. Perfect for the holiday table.
I love spinach salads, and I love the butternut addition and those flavors! YUM!
I love a warm spinach salad so this is perfect.
That looks bistro worthy! So much color, flavor, and texture. Yum!
I’m so into butternut squash this fall and love this inspo with a salad! These flavors work so well together!
Thanks Joni!
Mmm… all those flavors together sound delicious! It sounds like the perfect fall salad.
I used mixed greens instead…SO delicious and hearty!!! Can;t wait to eat it again!
This salad is so tasty – love that it is perfect for Fall weather!
Thank you Tina!
Love roasted squash in a salad. This is like the perfect fall salad for me.
So beautiful and delicious! The flavors, textures and colors are magnificent!
Yum, we love roasted squash served warm like this on a salad. Plus, so extra special this time of year, and so pretty! The maple and cinnamon I’ve never done before, so definitely inspired! Suddenly seems like party food. 😉
All my favorite flavors! I’m thinking this will be making an appearance on my menu very soon.
Thank you Ellen, I hope you like it!
I love Fall salads and this looks so perfect! Love the addition of the cheese and dried cranberries.
One of my favorite ways to use BNS! Thank you.
This salad is another bright spot brought in by the fall season! I love the flavor combo with all of these ingredients.
I love hearty salads with roasted veggies! I can’t wait to try this delicious looking butternut squash salad… it has so many delicious flavors!
Love butternut squash in salads, the dried cranberries and walnuts make this a delicious combination!
I’m drooling just thinking about the flavor in this! Spinach salad is my favorite and then you put maple cinnamon roasted buttertnut squash on it and all those yummy goodies. 🙂 Saving this to make for lunch!
That dressing has me doing the happy dance inside! So so yummy, what a pleasant surprise ♥️
Thank you Heather!
I love creative salads! I would never think to use butternut squash, what a fabulous addition!
Thank you Heather
Made this for our main meal today — half recipe with a smallish squash, used lemon juice in the dressing (because we accidentally drank all the orange juice earlier in the week), and baked some vegan crispy chick’n tenders. Very, very yummy meal!
We’ll make this again, lots of times! And — I’ll put it on my list to share with meat-eater friends and family, using chicken for them.
CWLAZ, I am glad you enjoyed it and I love the idea of adding chicken, thanks for sharing!