Vegan Wild Rice and Butternut Squash Salad
A colorful, roasted butternut squash salad tossed with warm wild rice, spinach, dried cherries, and herbs. The simple maple balsamic dressing is blended with garlic and rosemary, and it soaks into the fresh ingredients, making it so flavorful!
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil or sunflower oil
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- scant 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 clove garlic minced
Salad
- 2 1/2 cups peeled and diced butternut squash (or can use sweet potatoes, delicious this way too!)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- sea salt
- black pepper
- 2 1/2 cups thinly sliced spinach
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced leeks, both white and green parts
- 1/2 cup dried cherries or dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
- 3 cups cooked wild rice, warmed
Equipment
Instructions
- To make dressing, add all ingredients to a jar and use immersion blender to puree. Or whisk thoroughly by hand. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss squash with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread onto a baking sheet and roast for about 25 minutes, stirring once, until fork tender.
- In a large bowl, combine spinach, leeks, cherries and basil. Stir in warm rice and squash so that spinach wilts slightly from the heat.
- Stir dressing into salad; tossing to coat. Taste and adjust salt level if needed. Serve at room temperature.
Notes
Can be made a day ahead of serving!
Video Tutorial: