Looking for a show-stopping salad for Thanksgiving or a fall/winter dinner party? Make this gorgeous Roasted Acorn Squash Salad! With a delicious maple vinaigrette, cranberries, and pomegranate arils, this festive salad screams holiday celebration.

Thank you to my grocery partner Kroger for supporting The Rose Table and this recipe! It’s partnerships like this that keep The Rose Table going.

You don’t need to peel the acorn squash; the skin is edible and nutritious! We were dubious since it’s so tough before it’s cooked but it completely softens.

I rarely write up quantities for salads because you can easily scale up or down but for the record, I used 1 acorn squash, 6 cups of salad greens, about 1/4 cup cranberries, maybe 2 oz goat cheese, 1/4 pecans, and probably 2 Tbsp pomegranate arils.

The squash doesn’t have to be served warm; it can absolutely be room temperature, meaning you can roast the squash ahead of time. I hope you love this easy and elegant salad as much as we do!

Roasted Acorn Squash Salad

Maple vinaigrette, recipe follows
Acorn squash
Salad greens
Dried cranberries
Goat cheese
Pecans, chopped and lightly toasted
Pomegranate arils

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a jelly roll pan. Make maple vinaigrette (see below) and set aside.
2. Cut ends off of acorn squash and scoop out the seeds. Cut squash into slices, then toss slices with about a third of the vinaigrette. Season squash well with salt and pepper, then roast until fork tender, about 30-40 minutes.
3. Arrange salad greens on a serving platter or bowl. Top with roasted acorn squash, dried cranberries, goat cheese, toasted pecans, and pomegranate arils. Pour maple vinaigrette on top.

Maple Vinaigrette

2 Tbsp champagne vinegar
4 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Sea salt, freshly ground pepper 

1. Whisk together ingredients. Taste and add more salt/pepper if needed.

Want to see more fabulous fall salads? Check out my Apple Season Salad, Autumn Burrata Salad, and my Apple & Pear Salad!