Roasted Squash and Beets Salad
The earthy flavor of roasted butternut squash and beets are combined with sweet-tangy ruby grapefruit segments in this roasted squash and beets salad. Chunks of soft, creamy blue cheese and chopped Pistachio nuts add additional texture and flavor. A simple drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar is all that is needed for this refreshing salad.
Servings: 4 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound medium red beets
- ½ small butternut squash peeled and cubed
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 large Texas Ruby grapefruits
- 4 oz. blue cheese cut into chunks
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- Salt/pepper
- ¼ cup chopped Pistachios
Instructions
For the Beets:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F
- Trim the tops of the beets, leaving stubs of 2-inches on each one but do not remove the tail.
- Rinse the beets under cold water scrubbing off any soil. Dry with a paper towel and brush with oil.
- Wrap the beets individually in foil, place on a baking sheet and roast until tender when pierced at the top of the beet, about 45-60 minutes, depending on size of beets.
- When beets are tender, transfer from the oven, remove the foil. When cool enough to handle, rub the beets with a paper towel, beginning at the tail to remove the skin. Cut off and discard the top end Place the peeled beets on a plate and transfer to the refrigerator to cool.
For the Butternut Squash:
- Place the cubes into a bowl, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil and scatter the cubes on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Roast the butternut cubes for 12-15 minutes until just tender. Transfer from the oven and allow to cool.
For the Grapefruit:
- Cut the ends from the grapefruits and slice off the peeling. Working over a bowl to catch any juices, cut the fruit into segments. Place the segments on a paper towel lined plate.
To Assemble the Salad:
- Cut the chilled beets into bite-size pieces and divide between 4 chilled salad plates. Add an equal amount of butternut squash cubes, grapefruit and orange segments to each plate. Divide the blue cheese chunks equally to the salads.
- Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over each serving, add fresh grindings of salt and pepper. Top each serving with a tablespoon of chopped pistachio nuts.
Notes
- The beets and butternut squash can be roasted in advance and refrigerated.
- Do not remove the skins of the beets under running water as it dilutes the flavor of the beets. The skin wipes off easily with a dry paper towel.
- Roast the butternut cubes only until they are barely tender. Mine were perfect at 12 minutes.
- To get neat segments of grapefruit, slice each segment on both sides of the membrane.
- Set the grapefruit segments on a paper towel-lined plate and blot them with another paper towel to remove excess moisture.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 428kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 23g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 598mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 17g
