butternut squash cranberry salad

Butternut Squash Cranberry Holiday Salad

Butternut squash and cranberries added to a salad make for that fall flare we all love to share with family and friends over the holidays. This holiday salad will be your next favorite to make as it has a balance of sweet, sour and crunch!

To Healthy Cooking & Eating!

Melissa

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Butternut Squash Cranberry Salad

Combine butternut squash, cranberries, kale, and bulgur wheat to make this wholesome delicious salad.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Oven Cooking the Butternut Squash 50 minutes
Course Main Dish, Salads, Side Dish
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Servings 6 Servings
Calories 158 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 large Butternut squash Pre-packaged/cut may be used to save time rather than preparing a whole butternut squash. 12-16oz
  • ½ cup Onions, diced Sweet yellow onion or shallots
  • 2 cups Vegetable broth Organic, low salt
  • 1 cup Bulgur wheat, dry Prepare according to package, may use quinoa if desired or to make this recipe gluten free
  • 1 lge Cucumber, diced Organic
  • 1 cup Kale leaves off the stem, chopped No stems
  • ½ cup Cranberries, dried Low sugar
  • 1 cup Parsley, well chopped Cilantro is an alternative, if desired
  • ½ cup Lime juice May replace with lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tsp Pure maple syrup May replace with monk fruit sugar or another sugar replacement to reduce sugar, or omit
  • 3 tsp Dijon mustard
  • Sea salt To taste
  • Fresh ground pepper To taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375 F
  • Slide knife into whole butternut squash in several locations to allow steam during cooking to escape.
  • Place the whole squash In a shallow glass dish with 2" of water, then cover with tin foil. Cook until butternut squash is done (~ 50 minutes, depending on size of squash), using knife to determine doneness. Skin will be softened and knife should penetrate easily. Allow to cool, then cut in half, remove seeds, and slice into 1" cubes.
  • Cook the bulgur wheat according to package, allow to cool.
  • In the meantime, prepare all the vegetables.
  • In a large bowl, combine the bulgur, squash, onions, kale, cucumber, cranberries, and parsley.

Dressing

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the lime (or lemon) juice, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and Dijon mustard.
  • Add the dressing to the salad and toss.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

Melissa’s Modifications
Butternut squash is my favorite squash. Blended with low-sugar, dried cranberries, grains, and vegetables, it makes a wholesome and filling side or main dish.  
I reduced the sugar using monk fruit which is a great sugar substitute. Additional modifications may include using quinoa instead of bulgur wheat (especially if you have a gluten intolerance), as well as using shallots instead of sweet yellow onions.
Reduce the time preparing this dish by using pre-cut butternut squash. If you do this, steam the squash for 7 or 8 minutes, then cool.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 158kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 2.3gFat: 2.8gSaturated Fat: 0.4gSodium: 384.5mgFiber: 3g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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