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This simple winter salad combines spring mix, roasted butternut squash, pomegranate, pecans, apple and feta cheese all tossed in a white balsamic vinaigrette.
If you’ve been around EBF for awhile you know how much I love creating new salad recipes and today I’m sharing this epic winter salad with you!
It’s jam-packed with seasonal ingredients like apple, butternut squash, pecans and pomegranate all served over a bed of greens drizzled with a simple white balsamic vinaigrette. The combo is seriously so good!
I love serving this salad for dinner topped with some protein, but it also makes for a festive side salad to serve at Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner. It’s guaranteed to be a hit with everyone!
Why You’ll Love This Winter Salad
Seasonal – I love using seasonal ingredients whenever I can and this salad is the perfect example. It’s packed with winter squash, fresh apple, pomegranate seeds and pecans!
Flavorful – This salad has the perfect combo of sweet from the candied pecans and fresh fruit, tangy from the feta cheese and savory from the butternut squash. It’s packed with flavor in every bite!
Easy to make –This salad recipe is pretty straightforward and made with simple ingredients. Once your butternut squash is roasted and dressing is made it comes together in no time. And be sure to check out some time-saving tips below!
Customizable – I love this salad as is, but feel free to switch things up based on your taste preferences or what you have on hand. It’s a versatile recipe that can be made with a variety of different ingredients.
Winter Salad Ingredients
spring mix or mixed greens – the base for our salad. I prefer to use spring mix or mixed greens, but feel free to use your favorite greens. Baby spinach, kale, collard greens, arugula and romaine lettuce would all be great options.
candiedpecans – adds a sweet nutty crunch. You can make homemade candied pecans or use store-bought. Alternatively, toasted pecans are a great alternative if you don’t want the added sweetness. If you don’t have pecans on hand you could use walnuts (try these candied walnuts), almonds or cashews instead.
apple – adds a nice refreshing crunch. I used a honey crisp apple, but your favorite apple variety will work. If you don’t have an apple on hand pears or oranges would be a good substitute. For a more earthy flavor you could swap the apple with roasted beets.
feta cheese – adds a creamy, tangy element to the salad. If you’re not a fan of feta cheese try goat cheese instead.
pomegranate arils – adds a pop of color and festive spin to this salad. For a shortcut, grab ready-to-eat pomegranate arils so you don’t have to break apart a pomegranate to get the seeds. If pomegranate isn’t your thing or you can’t find any, swap them with dried cranberries or cherries.
butternut squash – I love the addition of roasted veggies to my salads. They add such a nice sweet, roasted flavor. As a substitute you could use roasted sweet potatoes, roasted honeynut squash or really any roasted vegetable of choice. Roasted carrots would be another great option.
avocado oil or olive oil – for roasting the squash.
sea salt & pepper – for seasoning the squash and dressing.
Dietary Substitutions
Dairy-free/vegan: If you need this salad to be dairy-free or vegan swap the feta cheese with a dairy-free cheese option like this VIOLIFE Just Like Feta.
Nut-free: If you’re nut-free, then swap the pecans with roasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds instead.
How to Make Winter Salad
Once your butternut squash is roasted and dressing is made this winter salad recipe comes together in a matter of minutes! Here’s how to make it:
Step 1: Toss your peeled and cubed butternut squash with oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 400°F for 20-30 minutes, or until tender. Set aside to cool after roasting.
Step 2: In a large salad bowl, add your greens then top with the cooled roasted butternut squash, chopped apple, pecans, pomegranate arils and feta cheese. Drizzle the salad with the white balsamic vinaigrette and toss everything to combine before serving. Enjoy!
Tips For Success
Use ready-to-eat pomegranate arils: To save time make sure you grab ready-to-eat pomegranate seeds so you don’t have to get messy breaking apart a whole pomegranate.
Grab pre-chopped butternut squash: For another shortcut, grab pre-chopped butternut squash at the grocery store. Then all you have to do is toss the cubes in oil and seasonings and roast!
Don’t overcook squash: Butternut squash can easily get too soft if it’s cooked for too long, resulting in it getting mushy while mixing up your salad. Make sure you check your squash at the 20-minute mark and once it’s fork-tender it’s ready to be pulled from the oven.
How to Serve Winter Salad
This makes for the perfect side salad for any weeknight dinner or great addition to a holiday meal. I also love turning this salad into a meal-sized salad by topping it with some protein. Here are some serving suggestions for this winter salad:
As a meal-sized salad – add your favorite protein to this winter salad to make it a more fulling meal if you’re eating it on its own. I’ve enjoyed this salad with my maple turmeric chicken, but it would also be delicious with this maple glazed salmon or air fryer chicken breast.
As a side dish – as mentioned, this is a great side salad to serve alongside any dinner. It would be delicious served with a bowl of vegetable soup, this creamy turkey pasta or baked ziti.
If you’re wanting to meal prep this salad for weekday lunches or dinners or a just make it ahead of time for a holiday meal there are some steps you can take 1-2 days in advance to save time when you’re ready to eat. Here’s what I would do:
Roast butternut squash and store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
Make the dressing and store it in a mason jar or separate container in the fridge.
Make the candied pecans or roasted pecans and store at room temperature in a bag.
If you’re using a whole pomegranate, make sure to break it open and separate the seeds. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge.
When you’re ready to serve this salad, all you have to do is chop your apple, assemble and enjoy! I wouldn’t recommend cutting your apple in advance because it will get brown sitting in the fridge.
How to Store Leftovers
Once this salad is assembled it’s best enjoyed right away. That said, you can definitely store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
If you’re planning to have leftovers I recommend adding the dressing to individual plates when serving instead of tossing the whole salad in the dressing. Then you can store the leftover dressing separately in a mason jar or airtight container to prevent the salad from getting soggy.
This simple winter salad combines spring mix, roasted butternut squash, pomegranate, pecans, apple and feta cheese all tossed in a white balsamic vinaigrette.
Heat oven to 400°F. Toss butternut squash with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 20-30 minutes, until tender. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a glass bowl or jar until combined. Another option is to add all ingredients into a mason jar and shake to combine.
Add greens to a large salad bowl and top with roasted butternut squash, apple chunks, pecans, pomegranate arils and feta cheese.
Drizzle on dressing and toss to combine. Alternatively, you can plate the salad and drizzle each serving with dressing before serving. Enjoy!
Hey there, I’m Brittany, the creator of Eating Bird Food, cookbook author, health coach and mama of two littles. Here you’ll find quick and easy recipes that make healthy fun and enjoyable for you and your family!
YAY! I am so glad you gave this recipe a try and it turned out amazing for you, Virginia. Thank you for sharing your review & star rating, I truly appreciate it!
Absolutely love this recipe, made it a few times now usually use kale as my greens and everyone loves it. I usually make an orange and pomegranate molasses dressing to go with it
YUM! This is so great to hear, Kate. Glad you are loving this salad and it is a hit of you. Thank you for sharing your review + star rating, I appreciate it!
YUM! Love that this salad worked great with kale and you loved it, Julie. Thanks for coming back and sharing your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!
Five Stars
Love your Recipes
Aww thank you SO much, Sharon. I am so happy you are loving my recipes and this one was a hit. Appreciate your review & star rating!
Would this work if you sub white balsamic vinegar with regular balsamic vinegar? I don’t think I’ve ever seen white balsamic vinegar in Canada.
TIA!
Hi Pooja – Absolutley! You could even use this Apple Cider Vinaigrette if you’d like. Hope you enjoy!
Love this delicious salad. I even made candied pecans and they took this to the next level.
YAY! I am so glad you gave this recipe a try and it turned out amazing for you, Virginia. Thank you for sharing your review & star rating, I truly appreciate it!
Absolutely love this recipe, made it a few times now usually use kale as my greens and everyone loves it. I usually make an orange and pomegranate molasses dressing to go with it
YUM! This is so great to hear, Kate. Glad you are loving this salad and it is a hit of you. Thank you for sharing your review + star rating, I appreciate it!
This salad came out wonderful, thank you! I used kale because that is what I had on hand. Will definitely be making it again.
YUM! Love that this salad worked great with kale and you loved it, Julie. Thanks for coming back and sharing your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!