As summer quietly begins to give way to autumn, the produce on our tables becomes richer, sweeter and more deeply coloured. This vibrant salad celebrates the season’s transition, combining earthy roasted beets, caramelized squash and crisp apples with creamy Gorgonzola and peppery greens. A scattering of Savory Granola adds unexpected crunch, while a simple vinaigrette ties everything together without overshadowing the natural sweetness of the vegetables.
Substantial enough for a light lunch yet elegant enough to begin an autumn dinner, it’s especially lovely served with slices of hearty Very Versatile Harvest Grains Bread for soaking up every last drop of dressing.
Roasted Beet and Squash Salad with Gorgonzola Cheese
A flavourful and satisfying salad, rich with roasted squash and beets, crisp apples and creamy gorgonzola.
- Yield: serves 4
Ingredients
For the salad
- 10 baby beets (any combination of red, golden or candy cane)
- ½ butternut or acorn squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks or slices
- 30 ml or 2 tbsp olive oil
- 5 ml or 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 medium Granny Smith or Golden Delicious Apple
- 30 g or 1 cup leafy greens
- 30 g or ¼ cup raw pepitas
- 3 g or 1 tbsp chopped herbs (any combination of sage, thyme or oregano)
- 60 g or 2 oz gorgonzola cheese
For the vinaigrette
- 5 ml or 1 tsp Dijon mustard (preferably grainy)
- 10 ml or 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 60 ml or 4 tbsp olive oil
- 5 ml or 1 tsp sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
Instructions
Make the salad
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Toss the beets with 15 ml or 1 tbsp of olive oil and ½ tsp salt on a rimmed baking sheet. Cover with foil and roast until fork-tender (about 45 minutes).
- Toss the squash pieces with the remaining 15 ml or 1 tbsp of olive oil and ½ tsp salt on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until browned, turning several times (about 20 minutes).
- When the squash and beets are cool, combine them in a large bowl with the remaining salad ingredients. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and top with crumbled Gorgonzola cheese and Savoury Granola
Make the vinaigrette
- Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Drizzle over salad just before serving.
Notes
Adapted from Autumn Panzanella Salad by Fine Cooking.
Dear Helen,
Thanks for the reminder of fall salads. This looks like a nice change from the puckery-vinegar French escarole-Dijon-bacon so common at this time of year.
It’s been Piena di Napoli season for a couple of weeks. This squash is so huge (30-50 lbs.) that the markets have to chop it up into sections to sell it. They usually leave a whole one on the vegetable stand for drama–some are a metre long! It makes great gnocchi and soup, but I hadn’t thought to add it to salad.
However, I do wish you could taste the staple here: the Austro-Hungarian specialty of oil pressed from pepitas–intense, dark, rich, aromatic, and a must for making salad dressing or floating in “beads” on top of squash/pumpkin soup. It’s a bit strong for using alone in salad dressing, so I add walnut oil, which has a sweet, round, and (quelle surprise!) nutty flavour.
I’ve put the salad recipe on the week’s menu. Roasted sweet beets would be a natural addition to the roasted squash, nicely pairing with the lovely gorgonzola dolce we get from the Italians at the Thursday church-square market. Instead of apples I’ll have to use our neighbour’s huge heritage pears he delivered in bulk yesterday. (First World Problem: I have no apples, only pears.) No idea what variety they are–they look like big bumpy Anjou. I’ll dress it with kuerbis oil, walnut oil, and grainy Dijon, but if you don’t mind, I’ll sub champagne vinegar and local honey for the cider vinegar and see what happens. Lots of Maldon salt and black pepper, too!
Happy Thanksgiving!
B
We get giant pumpkins and squashes at country fairs in Canada and in the Northeastern US. Drama indeed! Some of them are several hundred pounds – all warty and misshapen. But they’re for “winning the biggest” contests, not so much for cooking.
That pepita oil sounds divine! I’ve seen pumpkin oil here in very small bottles in some specialty stores, but it was fairly light. It didn’t have the depth of flavour you’re describing.
Love the sound of the champagne vinegar and local honey in the dressing. Yummmy!!!