Autumn Superfood Salad with Maple Mustard Vinaigrette
A few years ago I was having a nice, relaxing, weeknight catch up with my good friends Dave and Chad. It was November, just a few weeks before Thanksgiving, and we were sharing our menus with one another. After I finished telling them what I had planned for the biggest meal of the year, Dave looked at me judgingly and said, “Wow, I really hope you’re planning on having some greens on the table with all of that.” The truth is, I wasn’t planning on having greens on the table that day! At least, not the kind of greens I eat on a daily basis like sauteed kale, spinach and kale salad, etc. My mom usually makes her famous broccoli bake for Thanksgiving, but that recipe includes cheese, flour, and milk. Since I really see myself as a broccoli purist, I almost always pass on the broccoli bake. Sometimes there are Brussels sprouts on the table, but here again, I’m a picky soul and usually only like Brussels sprouts if I’ve prepared them myself. Besides, saying no to these things leaves me with more room for mashed potatoes. It’s really a no brainer.
But I’ve had a change of heart. You know what I made this year? I made this amazing salad that would serve as a wonderful appetizer to your Thanksgiving meal. It’s relatively light, yet it’s also packed to the brim with superfoods like spinach, kale, Brussels sprouts, pecans, and olive oil. And I’ve incorporated even more seasonal produce like butternut squash, apples, and carrots. I’ve never been one to enjoy a soup or salad course before a big meal like Thanksgiving dinner, but that might only be because there’s never been such a delicious option as this up for grabs. Sure, I’m being a little biased here, but this is my blog and I do what I want.
My sister is a vegetarian, and every time she visits my mom always freaks out about what she’s going to feed her. Like my sister is a 33 year old adult who is not capable of feeding herself. Mike’s sister is also a vegetarian, and she was up for Thanksgiving last year. Here again, my mom was concerned that she wouldn’t have enough to eat. Moms, am I right?
I don’t think it’s uncommon for some people to be unsure of what to feed vegans and vegetarians that the rest of the crowd will also enjoy. I made it a mission this year to create some new recipes that will feed everyone happily. This salad is one of them, and the other is my Vegan Pumpkin Bisque. Both are crowd pleasers, and the bisque has the added bonus of being Whole30 as well. A little something for everyone!
It’s not always good to give in to peer pressure, but this year I’m going to do it. I’m going to put some healthy greens on the table at Thanksgiving. And it’s all thanks to my good friends Dave and Chad. Thanks guys. You’re the best. Oh, did I mention they’re also vegetarians? I have no clue what they’ll be eating on Thanksgiving, but they COULD be eating this salad since it’s actually vegan as written. Clearly I’m far too good to them.
Autumn Superfood Salad with Maple Mustard Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Make the salad: preheat the oven to 400° F and line a medium sheet pan with parchment paper. Add the butternut squash cubes in a single layer and massage with 1 tbsp avocado oil and sea salt. Bake at 400° F for 20-25 minutes until fork tender. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
- While the squash roasts, add the salad greens to a large serving bowl and tear into smaller pieces (I use kitchen shears right in the bowl). Add in the remainder of the salad ingredients and stir to combine.
- Make the dressing: in a medium bowl, mix together all dressing ingredients with a fork until combined.
- To serve: add the butternut squash to the salad when it has cooled. You can either add the dressing in to the salad and mix to combine or let your guests dress their own salads. Enjoy!
