Roasted Butternut Squash Salad With Green Goddess Dressing

Name: Roasted Butternut Squash Salad With Green Goddess Dressing
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, trimmed, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups); 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tablespoon honey, plus more as needed; Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and freshly ground black pepper; 3/4 cup whole-milk plain yogurt; 1/4 cup chopped parsley leaves and tender stems; 1/4 cup chopped basil leaves and tender stems; 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed; 2 scallions, sliced; 1 ripe Hass avocado, pitted and cubed; 1 jalapeño, seeded (if desired) and diced; 1 garlic clove, smashed and peeled; 1 small head radicchio, cored and cut into bite-size pieces (about 4 cups); 4 cups crisp salad greens (such as Little Gem lettuce, baby romaine, frisée or a combination), torn into bite-size pieces

By Melissa Clark

Published Jan. 25, 2023

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad With Green Goddess Dressing — David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Total Time: 1 hour
Rating: 4(440)
Comments: Read comments

This colorful salad of sweet, soft roasted squash and crisp, bitter greens finished with a creamy, tangy green goddess dressing is an elegant mix of contrasting flavors and textures. The squash is good both warm and at room temperature, so feel free to roast it ahead of time. Some bitterness is nice against the sweet winter squash, but if you want to mellow radicchio’s bite a bit, you can soak the pieces in ice water for 10 to 30 minutes, then drain and dry before adding to the salad. Just taste before you soak; you’ll want a little bit of its bitterness. The dressing will keep for at least three days in the fridge. Serve it over other salads, or as a dip for cut-up vegetables and chips.

Featured in: 4 Winter Salads That Are Anything but Sad

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

For the Squash

2½pounds butternut squash, peeled, trimmed, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1tablespoon honey, plus more as needed
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and freshly ground black pepper

For the Salad

¾cup whole-milk plain yogurt
¼cup chopped parsley leaves and tender stems
¼cup chopped basil leaves and tender stems
3tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed
2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
2scallions, sliced
1ripe Hass avocado, pitted and cubed
1jalapeño, seeded (if desired) and diced
1garlic clove, smashed and peeled
1small head radicchio, cored and cut into bite-size pieces (about 4 cups)
4cups crisp salad greens (such as Little Gem lettuce, baby romaine, frisée or a combination), torn into bite-size pieces

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Place squash on a rimmed baking sheet, and toss with oil, honey, ¾ teaspoon salt and a lot of black pepper. Spread squash into an even layer, and roast until tender and caramelized, 30 to 40 minutes, rotating halfway through. Taste a squash cube and add more salt, pepper and honey if it seems flat.
Step 2
Meanwhile, make the dressing: Place yogurt, herbs, lemon juice, oil, scallions, avocado, jalapeño and garlic in a food processor or blender, and process until smooth and uniformly green, 1 to 2 minutes. Taste and season with salt, pepper and more lemon juice as needed. It should taste bright and tangy. Set aside.
Step 3
To assemble the salad, in a large bowl, combine radicchio, salad greens and roasted squash. Pour enough dressing over salad to lightly coat it, and toss well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and a little more lemon juice, if you’d like, and serve immediately, with more dressing on the side.

Ratings

4 out of 5

440 user ratings

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Comments

er2 years ago

Dressing was perfect. Very rich and filling with a great depth of flavor. I added roasted pecans for more bulk and it played very well.

chairsin2 years ago

Melissa has done it again! This delectable green goddess dressing paired with little gem lettuce, radicchio and roasted butternut squash was just what I needed and craved to go with ribs tonight. How did she know I was searching for a green goddess dressing with avocado? (which I know was not in the original recipe). Definitely a new go to dressing recipe - I can see using the leftovers to dress tomatoes and black beans to go with cauliflower tacos on the menu this week.

Lesley2 years ago

We omitted the basil, doubled the parsley and substituted kale - very versatile recipe! The dressing is a repeater!

Nicole5 months ago

The salad dressing is delicious. Doubled the lemon juice. It’s a thick dressing. Would make a great dip for veggies.

ShayKay7 months ago

Great recipe. Thankyou. I didn't have the avo and greens for the dressing so substituted with hummus. It needed a little extra home and the salad made for a great summer lunch.

Frodo25547 months ago

Would this recipe work without the avocado? Any suggestions for a substitute? I have a wonderful but very food-picky friend who is hosting Thanksgiving this year.

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