Delicata Squash Salad with Wild Rice
Colorful, flavor-packed, and beautifully impressive, this Delicata Squash Salad eats like a meal and tastes even better than it looks. Featuring roasted delicata squash tossed with tender wild rice, tart pomegranate arils, creamy goat cheese, peppery arugula, and a silky, tangy-sweet honey balsamic vinaigrette dressing that ties everything together, it's winter comfort food—reimagined.
Equipment
- 1 Large Baking Sheet (Sheet Pan) - for roasting the squash
- 1 Medium Saucepan - for cooking the wild rice
Ingredients
- 1 large Delicata Squash (about 1 ½ pounds total)
- 2 TBS Olive Oil
- to taste Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper
- 4 Cups Stock, Broth OR Water (or mix of both)
- 1 Cup Wild Rice (about 6.25 ounces)
- 4 Cups Baby Arugula (substitute: baby spinach, watercress, kale, or mixed greens)
- 1 Cup Pomegranate Arils
- ½ Cup Green Onions – sliced (both white and green parts)
- ¼ Cup Pumpkin Seeds
- ¼ Cup Roasted Pistachios
- 4 ounces Soft Goat Cheese or Feta Cheese – crumbled
Vinaigrette Dressing
- ¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 TBS Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 ½ - 2 TBS Honey - to taste
- 1 tsp Dijon
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prep Pan: Arrange oven rack to the center position and then close the door and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper for easy clean up and then set aside.
- Cook Wild Rice: Add stock (broth or water) to a medium saucepan. Season water with 1/2 teaspoon of salt (unless stock is salted). Place the pan over high heat and bring the liquid to a boil. Stir in the wild rice and bring the contents to a simmer. Once simmering, immediately lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover and cook until the rice is tender but not super soft, about 40 minutes. Remove from heat and drain the rice thoroughly, shaking off as much excess water as possible. Transfer drained rice to a large rimmed baking sheet and allow it to steam dry and cool.
- Meanwhile, Roast the Squash: Cut the delicata squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and place the squash cut side down. Proceed to cut each half into ½’’ thick half-moon rounds. Place the squash rounds onto the prepared baking sheet in a pile and drizzle the with oil and season generously with salt and a little bit of pepper. Toss to coat. Arrange the squash into an evenly spaced single layer on the pan.Transfer to the preheated oven and roast the squash for 15 minutes. Flip squash over and continue to roast for 8-12 minutes, or until tender and just golden brown. (Note: Keep an eye on the squash towards the end of roasting, as squash can go from golden to burnt quickly)
- Make the Salad Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper, and for sweetness with honey.
- Toss Salad: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cool wild rice, arugula, pomegranate, and green onions with some of the seeds, nuts, and goat cheese. Add half of the dressing and toss well to coat.
- Serve Delicata Squash Salad: Transfer salad to a serving bowl or plate. Add the remaining seeds, nuts and goat cheese and top with the roasted delicata squash. Serve the remaining dressing on the side and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Squash: I cut my delicata squash into half-moon rounds about ½’’ inch thick. You can cut yours thicker or thinner, however just keep in mind the thinner you slice them, the faster they will cook and vice-versa.
- Rice: You can use another variety of rice instead, or a combination of rices; however you may need to adjust the cook time. (See post for list of rices you can use. Please note, I don't recommend amaranth for this recipe.)
- Elements of this salad can be made in advance to save prep time the day of serving.
- To make ahead: Prepare the rice, roast the squash and make the dressing. Store each separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. The day of, assemble the salad but do not toss with dressing. Toss with dressing right before serving.
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Need to Scale the Recipe? Hover your mouse over the number of servings in the recipe card. You'll see a sliding scale pop up, you can use that to scale the recipe up or down as needed.
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Got questions? I've got answers! If you ever run into an issue, have a question, or need any clarification - please feel free to drop them in the comments section. I'm happy to help when I can!
- Servings: Salad can serve 4-6 depending on appetite and serving size.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and the nutrition facts are an estimate based upon 4 servings (salad and dressing). Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.
Nutrition
Calories: 528kcal Carbohydrates: 56g Protein: 15g Fat: 30g Saturated Fat: 7g Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g Monounsaturated Fat: 17g Trans Fat: 0.003g Cholesterol: 13mg Sodium: 129mg Potassium: 824mg Fiber: 7g Sugar: 16g Vitamin A: 2448IU Vitamin C: 24mg Calcium: 129mg Iron: 3mg