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–+ servings
november salad ideas

Best EVER Holiday Salad

The Starving Chef
From sweet and savory butternut squash to spicy, crunchy chickpeas this salad has a little bit of something for everyone at the table this year.
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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 30 minutes
Chill Time 8 hours
Total Time 9 hours 30 minutes
Course Christmas, Salad, Thanksgiving
Cuisine Holidays, Salad
Servings 6

Equipment

Ingredients
  

FOR BUTTERNUT SQUASH:

  • 8 oz fresh butternut squash cut into cubes
  • ½ tablespoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons maple sugar or demerara sugar or brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt & pepper to taste

FOR CAYENNE CHICKPEAS:

FOR CHAMPAGNE APPLE CIDER DRESSING:

  • ¼ cup champagne vinegar
  • ¼ cup apple cider
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ¼ cup whole grain mustard
  • ¼ cup spicy brown mustard
  • 1 tablespoon garlic minced
  • ½ tablespoon dried minced onion
  • ¼ teaspoon salt & pepper to taste

FOR SALAD:

  • 2 packages spinach or spring mix
  • 1 green apple sliced
  • 4 oz goat cheese crumbled
  • 2 oz walnuts roughly crushed
  • 1 shallot sliced

Instructions
 

  • The night before: combine all ingredients for the champagne apple cider dressing in a sealable jar with a lid. Shake vigorously until the ingredients are well combined, then chill until ready to serve. Shake well before serving.
  • Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, toss the butternut squash cubes in olive oil along with the cinnamon, sugar, paprika, salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a greased baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, until the squash is fork tender. Cover in airtight container and chill overnight (or prepare several hours ahead and chill until ready to serve).
  • Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, toss the chickpeas in olive oil, honey and cayenne pepper. Using an air fryer at 375 OR the broil function on the oven, fry/broil the chickpeas for 5-10 minutes until they are crispy. Set aside to cool completely, overnight if possible.
  • In a large salad bowl, toss the salad mix with the chopped green apples, shallot, walnut and goat cheese. Add in the butternut squash and chickpeas and lightly toss. Serve the salad with the dressing and allow guests to dress their salad to taste. Enjoy!
Keyword butternut squash, chickpea, salad
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