Roasted Butternut Squash Apple Cranberry Salad with harrissa Spiced Pecans. Easy Thanksgiving Salad. Vegan Gluten-free Soy-free Recipe.
Recipe Snapshot
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 25 minutes
- Total time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 2
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Roasted Butternut:
- 1/2 large butternut squash (cubed or use 1.5 cups frozen)
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme or 2 tsp fresh (chopped)
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- oil as needed
Harissa spiced pecans
- 1 tsp oil
- 1/4 cup pecans
- 1.5 tsp or more dry harissa spice blend (or use 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp coriander, 1/4 tsp garlic and a dash of cayenne and salt)
Other:
- 3 cups of mixed baby greens
- 1 apple thinly sliced
- 2 to 3 Tbsp dried cranberries
- salt and pepper
- lemon juice (olive oil or balsamic vinegar as dressing)
Method
- Toss the butternut cubes in oil, salt, pepper and thyme. Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees F / 200ºc until tender. (25 to 35 minutes depending on the size of the cubes). Or cook in a skillet over medium heat. Add a splash of water, cover and cook until tender. Stir after 10 minutes.
- Toast the pecans in a skillet over medium heat until lightly toasted. 4 to 5 minutes. Add oil and harrisa spice blend. Toss to coat. Cook until the pecans are toasted to preference.
- In a bowl, toss or layer the greens, cranberries, apples, roasted butternut and spicy pecans. Dress with salt and generous dash of pepper. Add a drizzle of lemon juice or balsamic just before serving.
Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note
Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.