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Roasted Butternut Squash Panzanella with Sherry Vinaigrette

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Roasted Butternut Squash Panzanella with Sherry Vinaigrette

Spanish influenced Roasted Butternut Squash Panzanella Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette bursts with flavor using this one simple technique.

This spanish influenced Roasted Butternut Squash Panzanella Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette recipe bursts with flavor using this one simple technique.  that you will find yourself using over and over again!

So, did you gobble ’til you wobbled? I know I did.. between having a houseful of teenagers on Wednesday, Thanksgiving, and dinners out to celebrate a birthday, my pants are feeling a wee bit snugger than they did at the beginning of last week. It definitely “tis the season” – which for me means I need to lighten up between  between all the bouts of celebratory meals headed my way.  Is this sounding just a little familiar? Yeah, I thought so.

So, what do you do to lighten up your eating?

For me, I try to keep it simple…. and manageable.. and stuff that my family will not only eat, but actually enjoy.

 

Which means that I make more hearty salads and soups for dinner, like this Roasted Butternut Squash Panzanella Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette.

Spanish influenced Roasted Butternut Squash Panzanella Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette bursts with flavor using this one simple technique.

I love that I can prep everything ahead and put them together right before we eat  I am always  looking for new combinations and riffs on  the classics to keep it interesting… and nutritious!  This Roasted Butternut Squash Panzanella Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette  is a great example of what I’m talking about. Drawing on the flavors of Spain, this Roasted Butternut Squash Panzanella Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette has sweet butternut squash, marcona almonds, mushrooms bound up with  just a hint of spice to balance all the flavors. It’s hearty enough  without meat but also pairs well with roasted chicken or even pork – a great alternative when you don’t have quite enough of either for a full meal!

Roasted Butternut Squash Panzanella Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette: Technique

One of my favorite techniques for adding more flavor to salads is flavored croutons – and not those poor, pathetic little salty squares you buy in the market. No, I’m talking about larger, full of flavor chunks which honestly couldn’t be easier (or more economical to make!)

So, how do you do it? Easy! Just mix up your vinaigrette and drizzle that over the bread chunks and give them a really good toss. This is a great way to use up left over baguettes or rustic loaves – and yes, you can freeze the bread, already cut and defrost before making the croutons!

I use this technique for virtually every salad I make that contains croutons. Easy, economical and flavorful.. what more could you want? Well, maybe this Roasted Butternut Squash Panzanella Salad with Sherry VInaigrette to go along with it!

Looking for some other hearty salad recipes? You might like this Moroccan Citrus, Cauliflower and Barley  Salad or this Pomegranate Fattoush Salad.

This spanish influenced Roasted Butternut Squash Panzanella Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette recipe bursts with flavor using this one simple technique.
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5 from 2 votes

Butternut Panzanella Salad

Spanish influenced Roasted Butternut Squash Panzanella Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette bursts with flavor using this one simple technique.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Total Time45 mins
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Spanish
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 411kcal
Author: Nancy Buchanan

Ingredients

  • Sherry Vinaigrette:
  • 6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 Tablespoons Sherry Wine Vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
  • ¼ - ½ teaspoon chile powder or pimento de espellete
  • Croutons
  • 6 cups day old baguettes cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
  • 4 Tablespoons Sherry Vinaigrette
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Salad
  • 3 small shallots peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
  • 4 cups peeled and seeded butternut squash cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
  • 1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms cremini, shitake and or oyster
  • 1/2 cup marcona almonds
  • 6 cups arugula washed and dried
  • 6 Tbsp. crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

  • To make the vinaigrette: Combine all the ingredients in a small screw top jar. Shake to combine.
  • To make the croutons: pre heat the oven to 400 degrees.
  • Spray a sheet pan with cooking spray. Add the cut up baguette cubes and toss with 4 tablespoons Sherry Vinaigrette.
  • Bake croutons until crisp and brown, about 15 - 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.
  • Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees.
  • Spray a large sheet pan with cooking spray. Add the butternut squash and mushrooms.
  • Drizzle with 2 Tbsp. olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
  • Roast until the squash is tender and the mushrooms are brown, about 25 minutes.
  • While the squash is roasting, combine the shallots with ¼ cup of the sherry vinaigrette. Set aside.
  • To make the salad combine the arugula, butternut squash, mushrooms, and croutons in large salad bowl.
  • Drizzle with 2 Tablespoons of the sherry vinaigrette dressing and toss thoroughly to coat.
  • Divide mixture among plates/shallow bowls.
  • Garnish with the marcona almonds and the goat/feta cheese. Serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 411kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 447mg | Potassium: 629mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 214.3% | Vitamin C: 29.2% | Calcium: 15% | Iron: 16.2%

 

 

 

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Comments

  1. heather says

    November 28, 2011 at 5:40 am

    “Eat but actually enjoy” is something that I strive for daily not only at home, but also at work in recipe and meal recommendations for clients. This is a lovely salad. Beautiful to look at and undoubtedly delicious to eat. Last Autumn I used roasted butternut and garlic, caramelized red onions, basil and seeded bread cubes. I like this twist AND have all the ingredients at home… think I’ll sprinkle a few pomegranate arils over top!

    Cheers,

    *Heather*

    Reply

    • Nancy says

      November 28, 2011 at 8:53 pm

      Hi Heather!! Love that motto!!! Butternut squash and caramelized red onions?? Now that is a fabulous combination!!! The pomegranate seeds would be delicious with this!!!

      Reply

  2. Lora @cakeduchess says

    November 28, 2011 at 7:09 am

    I am always searching for new ways to make healthy and enjoyable meals for my family. I LOVE this salad! I <3 butternut squash and cannot wait to make this. I hope your holiday was lovely, Nancy. xx

    Reply

    • Nancy says

      November 28, 2011 at 8:52 pm

      Hi Lora!! I had an absolutely amazing Thanksgiving.. my oldest was home from college and we celebrated my other son’s birthday!! It isn’t always easy to make meals that are nutritious and enjoyed by everyone in the family is it??

      Reply

    • Nancy says

      November 28, 2011 at 8:45 pm

      I hope you like it Lana!! I’ve always thought of panzanella as summer salad too but when I thought about it, this makes perfect sense. One of those “why didn’t I think of this” moments!

      Reply

    • Nancy says

      November 28, 2011 at 8:43 pm

      Hi Julia!!

      Thank you for such a sweet comment!!! I am so glad that you enjoy it – it is such a pleasure for me to share my obsession with others who love food too!!!

      Reply

  10. Lucy Lean says

    November 28, 2011 at 10:28 am

    I love a salad that is satisfying enough to be a meal – this looks like the perfect salad for me – although I would swap in some blue cheese instead of the goat cheese (not a fan!)

    Reply

    • Nancy says

      November 28, 2011 at 8:41 pm

      Oooh… blue cheese would be awesome in this salad!!! My waistline wishes I did not love goat cheese… sadly, I’ve never met a cheese I didn’t like….

      Reply

  11. Lori says

    November 28, 2011 at 12:21 pm

    Just the mention of butternut squash means I’m in! I have a large butternut squash on my counter waiting for another round of soup, but I will definitely save some of the roasted squash for a salad like this. Can’t wait to try it Nancy! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

    Reply

  12. Brandon @ Kitchen Konfidence says

    November 28, 2011 at 2:01 pm

    How interesting… I was searching for an autumn or winter panzanella last night. Too bad I didn’t check my RSS reader!

    I landed on a Food Network recipe made with roasted butternut squash, brussels sprouts, red onion and parsley. I prepared some components last night, but I am serving it this evening. We shall see how it turns out 🙂

    Reply

    • Nancy says

      November 30, 2011 at 8:04 am

      Hi Emily!!
      It’s 4 Tbsp. – I went back and amended the recipe so if you print it out now, it will have the sherry vinegar included!! Thanks for catching that… can’t believe that I missed it!

      Reply

  22. Emily (roots+platters) says

    November 30, 2011 at 7:56 am

    Oh, this looks like a breath of fresh air after all of that Thanksgiving food! I love how you’ve used fall/winter flavors of butternut squash, yet it is still light and refreshing. I think I’ll make this for dinner tonight… with some roasted chicken on the side. 🙂

    Reply

    • Nancy says

      November 30, 2011 at 8:01 am

      Hi Emily!! That sounds like a fabulous idea!!! I truly love all the dishes associated with Thanksgiving but I definitely needed a break after all that indulgence!!

      Reply

  26. Lisa says

    June 5, 2017 at 1:37 pm


    I made this recipe a while ago and absolutely loved it! I was looking forward to making it again, but the recipe is no longer showing on this page. If you still have it somewhere, could you possibly repost it or even email it to me?

    Reply

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