I’ve been waiting to put together a salad like this. Fall is definitely in the air and from now until after Thanksgiving, it will be pumpkins, beets, squash and all those other delicious autumn vegetables we love so much. It’s nice to have the opportunity to combine a few of them into this type of dish. Simple, filling and tasty. Those are my only requirements.
The Recipe
This recipe only calls for a few ingredients. We’ve got butternut squash, beets, bulgur, Brussels sprouts, apples, blue cheese, pecans and a few other items. There will need to be a bit of prep work, but nothing too daunting. There will also need to be some roasting and toasting, but again, nothing you can’t handle. A delicious mustard, honey and apple vinaigrette goes on top of this salad that I know you’ll absolutely love. It’s thick and creamy and just perfect for this dish.
Ingredients
Serves: 8
For the Salad
2 Dozen Brussels Sprouts
3 Beets, Peeled & Cut into 1-Inch Cubes
1 Butternut Squash, Peeled & Cut into 1-Inch Cubes
1 Cup Bulgur or Quinoa
2 Apples, Cored & Diced
1/2 Cup Blue Cheese, Crumbled
1/2 Cup Pecans, Toasted
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
For the Vinaigrette
2 Tablespoons White Wine Vinegar
1/2 Apple, Cored & Chopped
1 Garlic Clove
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
2 Tablespoons Honey
1/2 Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Step-by-Step Instructions
I’d like to thank Noshing with the Nolands for this recipe. It’s just perfect and it came at the right time of year.
Pre-Heat the Oven
Arrange your oven racks so one of them is in the center position. Then, pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
Roast Beets & Squash
Add the beets, Brussels sprouts and squash to a large bowl, along with the two tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss these ingredients together and then spread them out on a large baking sheet. Add the tray to the oven and let everything roast for about 25 minutes or until soft and slightly browned. When finished, remove the tray from the oven and turn off the heat.
Cook the Bulgur
Fill a medium sized saucepan with 2 cups of water and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Then, bring water to a boil, add the bulgur and turn off the heat. Cover the pot and wait 15 minutes for the bulgur to cook and fluff up. I believe you can use the same instructions for quinoa. When finished, spread the bulgur out on a baking sheet to cool.
Make the Vinaigrette
Add the 1/2 apple and garlic clove to a food processor and pulse a few times until broken up. Then, add the remaining vinaigrette ingredients to the processor and pulse until everything is combined well. When finished, pour the vinaigrette into a bowl for later use.
Plate, Serve & Enjoy!
The way I did it was like this; I divided the cooked and cooled bulgur between plates and then I added the roasted squash, beets and Brussels sprouts on top of that. Then, I added the apple, blue cheese and pecans on top. Finally, I drizzled the vinaigrette over everything. If you were to mix all these ingredients together in a large bowl, the beets would stain the bulgur red, which is fine if you would like to enjoy this salad alone. If you were to serve anyone else though, you’d want to keep the ingredients separated so they keep their distinction.
Once plated, serve and enjoy!. Give this recipe a try. It’s not too difficult to prepare and I think you’ll love the vinaigrette. Thanks for reading!
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