Autumn Salad Recipe with Roasted Butternut Squash

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The best autumn salad recipe, highlighting fall produce like roasted butternut squash, beets and brussel sprouts on a bed of heirloom black rice dressed in a citrusy blood orange vinaigrette. 

Autumn Salad with Black rice, Roasted Butternut Squash, Beets and Brussel Sprouts

| Food style by: Florentina | Food Photo by: MihaMatei.com |

The perfect autumn inspired salad to feed a crowd and a staple at our Thanksgiving / Friendsgiving dinner party.
 
As soon as the temperatures drop and it is bearable to blast my oven, the harvest vegetable roasting begins. From butternut squash to rainbow carrots and beets, sweet potatoes, broccoli and the last of summer’s tomatoes, there’s always something slowly roasting away at the shack. 

Autumn Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash Dressed in a Citrus Blood Orange Vinaigrette

10 years ago I would have never believed that clean eating, healthy, plant based food could taste this good! I stand corrected my friends! Served warm or cold, this salad is everything! 
 
Sprinkle it with your favorite little things and make it your own!

Fall Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash Dressed in a Citrus Blood Orange Vinaigrette

Add On Ideas: 

  • balsamic roasted figs
  • candied walnuts or pecans
  • sliced green apples
  • roasted tomatoes
  • goat cheese & pomegranate seeds
  • toasted pine nuts or pumpkin seeds
  • dried cranberries & goji berries
  • arugula leaves
  • toasted hemp seeds (<–amazon affiliate)
  • add a couple of tablespoon of poppy seeds to the dressing

Autumn Salad Recipe with Butternut Squash, Roasted Red Beets & Brussels Sprouts

Note worthy: If you can’t find the Blood Orange Olive Oil in your local grocery store, you can order it here from amazon (affiliate) 

Autumn Salad Recipe with Butternut Squash, Roasted Red Beets & Brussels Sprouts

Autumn Salad Recipe of Roasted Red Beets, Butternut Squash & Roast Brussels Sprouts
4.93 from 13 votes

Autumn Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash

The best fall inspired salad recipe highlighting autumn produce like roasted butternut squash, beets and brussel sprouts on a bed of heirloom black rice dressed in a citrusy blood orange vinaigrette.
Print Recipe
Prep Time:20 minutes
Cook Time:1 hour
Total Time:1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 butternut squash - medium size
  • 1 lb brussel sprouts
  • 1 orange -zested
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 tbsp blood orange olive oil
  • 2 tsp lemon juice + more to taste
  • 2 tsp sea salt + more to taste
  • 2 red beets -medium
  • 3 sprigs fresh basil
  • 2 tbsp edible flowers (optional for garnish)
  • 2.5 oz honey goat cheese -optional

Black Rice

  • 1.5 c black rice
  • 2.5 c water
  • 1 leaf bay
  • 2 strips orange peel
  • 1 pinch sea salt

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 400”F with a large cast iron skillet on the bottom rack.
  • Rinse and scrub the beets well and wrap them loosely in aluminum foil, making sure to leave a little opening for the steam to escape. Place them on a rimmed tray in the preheated oven for 45 mins to 1 hour until softened.
  • When cool enough to handle peel the skin off of the beets and cut them into small squares. Set aside until ready to use.
  • Peel the butternut squash and discard the seeds. Cut it in into 1 inch cubes and transfer to a large baking sheet. Drizzle with a lug of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Spread them on the baking sheets preferably without touching each other. 
    Roast them in the preheated oven for about 35 to 45 minutes until soft and starts to caramelize around the edges.
  • Meanwhile rinse and dry the brussel sprouts and trim the ends. Half them lengthwise and transfer to a bowl. Drizzle with a lug of olive oil and a good pinch of sea salt. Toss to coat and carefully transfer them to the preheated cast iron skillet you have in the oven. Do your best to have them cut side down for a nice golden brown sear. After about 15 minutes in the oven give them a gentle toss so they brown all over. Cook another 10 minutes or so until done to your liking.

Make the Rice:

  • Combine the black rice, water, orange peel, sea salt and bay leaf in a pot. Bring to a simmer and cover with a tight lid. Cook for 30 minutes until all water has been absorbed. Remove from heat and allow it to sit covered for 10 minutes.
  • Transfer the cooked rice to a mixing bowl and discard the bay and orange peel. Drizzle with a lug of the blood orange olive oil and fluff with a fork.
  • Transfer the rice to a serving tray and top with the roasted butternut squash, red beets and brussel sprouts.

Make the Citrus Vinaigrette:

  • In a small jar combine 3 tbsp of blood orange olive oil, the lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt. Shake to combine, taste and adjust seasonings with more lemon or salt until you are happy.
  • Drizzle the blood orange vinaigrette all over the salad. Garnish with the fresh basil and edible flowers and serve warm with creamy goat cheese on top.

Nutrition

Calories: 451kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 872mg | Potassium: 934mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 14015IU | Vitamin C: 97.9mg | Calcium: 133mg | Iron: 3.2mg
Course: Sides
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6
Calories: 451kcal
Author: Florentina

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Sweet Potato Rounds Recipe with Goat Cheese, Cranberries & Honey Balsamic Glaze
Sweet Potato Rounds with Goat Cheese & Balsamic Glaze
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39 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I made this salad for dinner guests last night and LOVED it. It was a little labor intensive and the blood orange olive oil wasn’t easy to find, but the result was spectacular in both beauty and taste. I will make this again for Thanksgiving.
    The only black rice I could find was a precooked pouch in the natural foods aisle, but I just added some orange zest to that and it did the trick. I literally ordered the olive oil from Amazon on Sunday afternoon and it was delivered the next morning. I questioned spending the $ on it, but it was worth it!

  2. Wow, this looks so amazingly great! I just put the ingredients on my shopping list and will make it ASAP! I can’t wait to bring it to work for a healthy lunch! Thank you!

  3. This was awesome! I didn’t have blood orange olive oil but I did have a blood orange! I added blood orange zest to the rice. Also, zest and juice to the the vinaigrette. Loved it.

  4. When and where does the orange zest get used? The peel goes with the rice but I’m not sure where the zest gets used.

  5. 5 stars
    Hi! I made this for dinner and I’m excited to try it! I used brown rice because that’s what I had, but I went on a hunt for the blood orange olive oil. 🙂 I haven’t read all the comments but the recipe didn’t say what to do with the orange zest and it was a little confusing how the veggies were supposed to be cooked (one at a time or at the same time/successively). I ended up putting the beets in first and putting a pan on another rack for the other veggies. I cooked the squash for 20 minutes and then added the Brussels sprouts so those cooked well on the same pan.

    Thanks!

  6. 5 stars
    Where, oh where can I find blood orange olive oil??? I’m in rural Pennsylvania and we have virgin and extra virgin olive oil… I can’t wait to make this!

    1. Hi Lisa, I bet you can do a google search and order it online or even amazon. I usually find it at Whole Foods but honestly you could infuse some olive oil overnight with orange peels as well. Beats not using it at all.

  7. 5 stars
    Congratulations on your new baby! We have a bouncing puppy too. Chaos! but so much fun now that he’s better. Enjoy your new baby! I LOVE this side dish. It includes some of my very favorite ingredients! I am a fan of black rice and squash. I love how you put this recipe together and the photography is stunning!

    1. Oh boy, I can’t wait to get a full hour to go through photos and write captions. So far Nala’s been to Costco and Trader Joe’s , all in one day, what can i say this is L.A. and we love it teeheehee