This Harvest Vegetable Salad is bursting with the colors and flavors of the season; making it a perfect side dish for the holidays. In this dish, apple, dried cranberries, and candied pecans provide a sweet contrast to the savory roasted butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, and beets to create a brilliant and beautiful side dish for your grilled or roasted entrees. Assembly is a breeze also – simply roast the veggies, reheat the beets, and toss everything together with a simple balsamic glaze.
This recipe is so easy to customize too. If you do not care for butternut squash, you can easily use roasted sweet potatoes instead. Same with beets – leave them out if you aren’t a fan. And if you don’t have candied pecans on hand, walnuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, or pine nuts work great too!
I love serving this dish on a platter and topping it with grilled or roasted meat. We served it with grilled bratwurst the other night, and everyone loved it! It would also make a lovely presentation served atop a bed of greens.
Harvest Vegetable Salad would be the perfect addition to your holiday meals – it’s healthy, delicious and a feast for the eyes too!
Harvest Vegetable Salad
Cuisine: VegetarianDifficulty: Easy8
servings10
minutes20
minutes30
minutesIn this recipe, apple, dried cranberries, and candied pecans provide a sweet contrast to the savory roasted butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, and beets to create a brilliant and beautiful side dish for your grilled or roasted entrees.
Ingredients
1.5 cups fresh Brussels sprouts (12 oz. bag) -ends trimmed & halved
2 cups chopped butternut squash (uncooked, peeled, seeded, and cubed into 1-inch cubes)
4 tablespoons olive oil – divided
salt/pepper to taste
1 (8.8 oz) package of organic cooked beets-peeled/quartered
1 cup toasted or candied pecan halves
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 apple – diced (such as Gala or Fuji apple)
- Balsamic Glaze
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl or zip top bag, combine halved Brussels sprouts, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt/pepper (to taste), and toss to combine. Place Brussels sprouts cut side down, on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat the same process with butternut squash – combine squash, 2 tablespoons oil, salt/pepper in a zip top bag, and toss to combine. Place squash on a 2nd baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast both pans of vegetables on the same rack in the oven for about 20 minutes. During the last 5-10 minutes of roasting, turn them over for even browning. Cooked beets can be reheated in the microwave for 1 minute.
- While vegetables are roasting, combine 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar and honey in a small saucepan over Medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Stir mixture periodically. The mixture should reduce by about half.
- Once all is finished cooking, gently toss together roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted butternut squash, diced cooked beets, pecans, apple and dried cranberries in a large bowl. Drizzle with the balsamic glaze and serve.
Notes
- Save yourself time by buying your vegetables already washed and cut! I simply picked up a bag of trimmed and washed Brussel sprouts, a container of diced butternut squash, and a package of pre-roasted beets at the grocery store.
- This time of year candied pecans are widely available also. If not, simply toast raw pecan halves on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet for about 10 minutes at 325 F. Keep in mind, pecans burn really fast, so make sure to check the nuts after 5 minutes and frequently afterward.
