Roasted Squash, Apple, and Cipollini Onion Salad
This colorful salad is a cinch to make -- the oven does most of the work -- and is loaded with nutritious vegetables and fruit. I like to drizzle this as it comes out of the oven with just a couple tsp on honey while it's very hot. It just sets the sweet flavors of the roasted veggies. My grandsons love it.
This colorful salad is a cinch to make -- the oven does most of the work -- and is loaded with nutritious vegetables and fruit. I like to drizzle this as it comes out of the oven with just a couple tsp on honey while it's very hot. It just sets the sweet flavors of the roasted veggies. My grandsons love it.
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 golden delicious apples peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
- 8 cipollinonions or other sweet onion of your choice, peeled, trimmed, and sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rings
- coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 medium butternut squash or sugar pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (3 cups)
- 4 cups watercress
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
- 1/4 cup walnuts chopped toasted
- Carbohydrate 19.1586752428266 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 8.16448251073764 g
- Fiber 3.77005001532569 g
- Protein 4.19424440783433 g
- Saturated Fat 0.770135326167558 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (201g)
- Sodium 59.2086812498438 mg
- Sugar 15.3886252275009 g
- Trans Fat 0.580617750551444 g
- Calories 151 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Toss apples with onions, 3/4 teaspoon oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; spread onto a rimmed baking sheet.
- Toss squash with 3/4 teaspoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; spread onto a separate rimmed baking sheet.
- Roast apple-onion mixture, tossing halfway through, until apples are tender and lightly browned and onions are just starting to crisp, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, roast squash, tossing halfway through, until tender and browned, 40 to 45 minutes.
- Now is the time to drizzle the little bit of honey right from the oven if using.
- Toss watercress with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and the vinegar; season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
- Transfer salad to a serving platter, and top with apple-onion mixture, squash, and walnuts.
Overcrowding the baking sheet is the single fastest way to turn crisp roasted vegetables into steamed, soggy remnants. When squash pieces or apple wedges overlap, moisture escapes upward and gets trapped between neighboring items, preventing the crucial Maillard reaction required for deep browning and concentrated sweetness. Separate the produce across two distinct pans at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, ensuring adequate space around every single cube so dry radiant heat can circulate freely and caramelize the natural sugars.
Balancing Textures and Temperatures
Building a warm grain or roasted produce salad requires careful attention to the contrast between heated elements and crisp greens like watercress. Raw watercress wilts rapidly upon contact with piping-hot ingredients, turning the delicate peppery leaves into an unappealing limp mass if everything is combined prematurely in a mixing bowl. Dress the greens separately with sherry vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil, then arrange them on a platter as a cool base before layering the hot roasted components on top just prior to service.
- Cut butternut squash uniformly into half-inch cubes to guarantee even cooking times across the entire batch without burning the smaller pieces.
- Roast the apple and onion mixture on a separate sheet pan because apples release moisture faster and soften significantly quicker than dense winter squash.
- Toss the baking sheets halfway through the total roasting window of twenty-five to forty-five minutes to promote uniform browning and prevent localized hot spots.
- Toast raw walnut halves in a dry skillet over medium heat for five minutes until fragrant to release essential oils before chopping them for the final garnish.
