Name: Butternut and Beetroot Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 large butternut squash; 2 large beets or 4 small beets; 3 tablespoons olive oil; Kosher salt; 2 tablespoons salted butter; 1/4 cup white granulated sugar; 1 cup pecans; 4 ounce container salad greens; 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced; 4 ounces goat cheese

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Roasted butternut squash and roasted beets are tossed with creamy goat cheese, candied pecans, fresh greens and thinly sliced red onion. Butternut and Beetroot Salad is appetizing, festive and is the perfect side dish to serve in the fall and winter months.

Butternut and beetroot salad on a large, oval shaped, white serving platter, on top of a gold fringed napkin, with a bowl of dressing in the top left and a silver spoon in the bottom right.

Roasted Butternut and Beetroot Salad is as delicious and decadent as it looks! Whenever I make this salad, I seriously cannot get enough of it! Now that butternut squash and beets are in season, I'll be making it on repeat all fall and winter long!

This beautiful salad is equal parts savory and sweet. The sugary candied pecans are balanced out with the savory roasted vegetables and sharp red onions.

This salad is a crowd pleaser... to say the least! You'll definitely want to include it on your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner menu.

Added bonus... This beetroot and butternut salad will make your gluten free holiday guests happy too!

Serve this salad alongside Sweet Potato Casserole with Walnuts, Brown Sugar and Honey Glazed Carrots and Homemade Drop biscuits.

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Ingredients
Equipment needed
How to make
Variations and substitutions
Expert tips
What to serve with
Storage and reheating
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Ingredients

Butternut squash: Butternut squash is a type of winter squash that is harvested in the fall. Butternut squash has pale orange skin and bright orange insides. The rind is edible but in this recipe we'll be peeling it off. Butternut squash is sweet and slightly nutty tasting and can be roasted, steamed and turned into a sauce!

Beets: Beets have an earthy and slightly bitter flavor. They're bright red on the inside and will stain your hands and your work surface... so be careful! When roasted, the flavor of beets becomes savory and slightly sweet.

Pecans: I'm all about texture when eating certain foods and my favorite texture is a crispy crunch. Since the butternut squash and beets transform into velvety, creamy bites, I had to add some crunchy nuts to this salad recipe. Pecans were the obvious choice!

Goat cheese: Creamy, tart goat cheese adds more mouthwatering texture to this recipe. I used plain goat cheese, but you can use an herbed goat cheese if you'd like!

Onions: Sliced red onions will add flavor, color and even more texture to this salad.

Salad greens: Use whatever fresh salad greens that you prefer! I love a mixture of baby green leaf lettuce and red leaf lettuce.

You'll also need extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt!

Equipment needed

Large rimmed baking sheet
Medium-sized skillet and silicone spatula - You'll use these for the candied nuts. A nonstick skillet will make cleanup easier, but if you don't have nonstick, that's fine too.
Cutting board and chopping knife
Measuring cups and measuring spoons
Vegetable peeler

How to make

Step 1: Peel and chop the butternut squash and the beets. Use a vegetable peeler to peel both vegetables. Once peeled, chop the ends off of your butternut squash, slice it in half lengthwise and scoop the seeds and guts out of the inside. Then chop the squash into bite-sized pieces. Chop the peeled beets into bite-sized pieces as well.

Peeled beets and peeled butternut squash that has been chopped in half lengthwise and cleaned out in a round white dish.

Step 2: Transfer the chopped butternut squash and beets to a large, rimmed baking sheet. Spread them out in an even layer, drizzle with olive oil and season with kosher salt. Roast the vegetables in the oven for about 45 minutes, until they're crispy and browning on the outside, and smooth and creamy on the inside.

Chopped butternut squash and beets on a sheet pan, ready to go into the oven.

Here's what your squash and beets will look like after they come out of the oven! You'll notice they now have browned edges and if you pierce them with a fork, they'll be creamy on the inside.

Roasted beets and butternut squash on a sheet pan.

Step 3: While the vegetables are roasting, prepare the candied pecans. Melt the butter in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Stir in the sugar. Add the pecans and stir continuously using a non-stick silicone spatula. Continue stirring until the butter and sugar mixture has turned light-medium brown and is starting to get syrupy and sticky. This will all happen in about 3 minutes or less. Immediately transfer the candied nuts to a sheet of parchment paper and spread them out in an even layer. As they cool they will harden.

Pro tips: A skillet is more effective than a saucepan because a skillet has more surface area over the heating element. A nonstick skillet will make cleanup easier. If you see your butter mixture start to turn dark brown/black or you think you smell it burning, remove it from the heat! There is a fine line between perfectly candied and burnt. Once they're burnt, they're ruined.

Step 4: Add the rest of the salad ingredients (greens, sliced red onion, goat cheese and candied pecans) to a large salad bowl. Top the salad with the roasted butternut squash and beets. I like to dress this salad with a mild vinaigrette. Newman's Own Oil and Vinegar salad dressing is my favorite! Serve and enjoy!

Variations and substitutions

Greens: You can use any type of salad greens that you prefer! Try using arugula, romaine, green leaf lettuce, red leaf lettuce, baby spinach or a mesclun salad mix. My post on substitutes for arugula has an extensive list of leafy green options.

Cheese: If you aren't a fan of goat cheese then use feta cheese instead. Goat cheese and feta cheese are similar in taste and texture. I think a butternut, beetroot and feta salad sounds delicious! Gorgonzola cheese or blue cheese would be tasty as well.

Nuts: I absolutely love the candied pecans in this butternut squash salad recipe, but if you want something different, then try using walnuts, slivered almonds, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds. All of those nut options will provide some crunch! The walnuts can be candied just like the pecans are.

Squash: If you absolutely had to, you could swap out the butternut squash for fresh roasted pumpkin or chopped and roasted sweet potatoes.

Expert tips

Chop your beets and squash to about the same size thickness. This will ensure even cooking times.
Use a large, sharp chopping knife when slicing into the beets and butternut squash. These are hard, winter vegetables that require a bit of muscle to get through! A large sharp knife (not a steak knife or paring knife) will make chopping these vegetable easier and safer.
Beets will stain your hands and any absorbent surface that they touch! Protect your cutting surface with parchment paper or use a plastic cutting board that can be washed in the dishwasher.
Keep the beets and butternut squash separated on the sheet pan. The beets will also stain the squash red. This won't impact flavor, but will change the appearance.
Use a large sheet pan with plenty of room. You do not want to overcrowd vegetables on a baking sheet when you're trying to roast them. For properly roasted vegetables, you want air to be able to flow around the food. If the pan is overcrowded, air cannot flow and instead, your vegetables will steam.
When making the candied pecans, you must use granulated white sugar. Course sugar, raw granulated sugar (turbinado, demerara) or brown sugar will not work.

What to serve with

Breads, biscuits and muffins: Butternut and Beetroot Salad pairs perfectly with fresh baked goods. Since this salad doesn't include croutons, I think serving a delicious, crusty bread or biscuit on the side is a must! You won't be disappointed with my Dutch Oven Bread, 3 Ingredient Biscuits, Vegan Garlic Bread or my Zucchini Pumpkin Muffins.

Soups: The second obvious salad pairing is with soup! That classic soup and salad combo is so comforting and satisfying! You can't go wrong with my Dutch Oven Chicken Noodle Soup, Creamy Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup and my Cheesy Zucchini Broccoli Soup.

Protein: If I'm eating salad as my main meal then I absolutely need to serve salad with a protein. You can easily top this salad with cooked shrimp, chicken or steak. My Chicken and Shrimp Kabobs, Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets or my Whole Roasted Chicken are all winners!

Storage and reheating

How to store: Store leftover prepared salad in a glass, air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. I find that salad greens can start to get soggy so they can't be stored for too long. You can make your roasted butternut squash and roasted beets ahead of time and store those for a bit longer!

How to reheat: If you want to reheat your squash and beets then you'll need to remove them from the salad and reheat them on their own. The easiest way to reheat leftover roasted vegetables is in the microwave.

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