Harvest Salad with Buttermilk Sage Dressing
Ingredients
Salad:
- 3 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8-10 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
- 8-10 cups spinach (preferably baby spinach)
- 1 ripe and slightly firm avocado
- 1 large pomegranate, seeded, or 1 - 1 1/2 cups of seeds
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, green, roasted, salted
- Coarse salt and pepper
Buttermilk Sage Dressing:
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup mayonnaise (light is okay, but regular is better)
- 5-7 fresh sage leaves, chopped
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
To assemble salad:
- About 1 hour before assembling salad, preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place rack in the center of the oven.
- Place butternut squash on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper.
- Roast just until squash begins to turn color and get a nice brown edge. This usually takes 10-12 minutes. Watch closely so it does not burn.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely.
- Place all Buttermilk Sage Dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. You can also use an immersion blender or place ingredients in a container and shake.
- Place greens on a large platter or bowl.
- Top with roasted squash and chunked avocado. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.
- When ready to serve, sprinkle generously with pumpkin seeds.
- Serve with Buttermilk Sage Dressing on the side.
Notes
I doubled this salad for a group of 50-60 women. I used 3 heads of Costco regular (not mini) romaine heads, 1/2 box of baby organic spinach, and 1 container of pre-cut butternut squash. I also used about 1 1/2 containers of pre-seeded pom seeds, also purchased at Costco.
The salad dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.
For buttermilk dressings, I like to purchase Winder Dairy buttermilk. It is a bit thicker than other brands and whips up nicely in dressings. My second choice is Meadow Gold. Both brands can be found in Utah.