Butternut Squash Salad with Feta

Butternut squash is a really adorable fall vegetable and one of the meals I’ve come up with recently is this warm salad with feta. Butternut squash can be used in so many different ways and dishes, whether it’s for a salad, a main dish or a cake or a dessert. This is also the reason why there are millions of squash/pumpkin recipes out there, on the internet, in cook books and in the heads of all the professional and amateur chefs.

For me, when I make the first squash/pumpkin dish of the season it means that the summer is finally over. But then, I also enjoy the fall, with its bright yellow and red colors, with the fresh and delightful smell in the woods and when nature finally seems to get some rest.

Well, my warm butternut squash salad with feta is more of a main dish than a salad. And for the vegetarians among you, just leave out the pancetta. I can assure you, it will taste equally delicious.

This salad is very quickly made. Peeling the butternut squash is not necessary because it will get very soft when roasted in the oven. One amazing ingredient of the dressing is the pumpkin seed oil, which is very popular here in Austria. If, however, you cannot get hold of a bottle, just use some other oil, like olive, sesame or walnut oil. It is the diversity and number of different vegetables, seeds and nuts that create this unique taste. So go ahead and try it! I’m sure, you’ll love it, too!

Butternut Squash Salad with Feta

Serves 4
1 lb (500 g) butternut squash, seeded and cut into slices (1/2 inch thick)
3-4 carrots
1 yellow bell pepper
5-10 cloves of garlic (according to taste)
some olive oil
¼ lb (100 g) pancetta
about 5 plums
1 tablespoon sesame
1 tablespoon roasted pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons pine nuts
some coarse sea salt
½ lb (200-250 g) feta cheese
2 handfuls of arugula (optional)

for the dressing:
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons pumpkin seed oil (or olive oil)
salt

Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.

Seed the butternut squash and cut it into ½ inch slices. (Peeling is not necessary!) Wash the carrots and cut them into ¼ inch sticks. Peel the garlic cloves. Wash the bell peppers, seed them and cut them into ½ inch slices. Line a baking tray with baking parchment and put the butternut squash, carrots, bell peppers and garlic onto it. Sprinkle some olive oil on the vegetables and use your hands or a wooden spoon to toss the vegetables until every piece is coated with olive oil. Season with salt. Cut the pancetta in small strips or  cubes and spread it on the vegetables. Roast in the oven for about 20-30 minutes. When you can easily insert a sharp, pointed knife into the squash the vegetables are done.

Roast the sesame, roasted pumpkin seeds and the pine nuts in a pan without any oil. Stir frequently to prevent burning. Stone the plums and halve or quarter them, according to their size. 5 minutes before the vegetables are done add the plums and the crumbled feta.

Mix all the ingredients for the dressing.

Spread the arugula on the plates. Transfer the vegetables from the baking tray onto the plates. Sprinkle the sesame-pumpkin seeds-pine nuts and the dressing onto the roasted vegetables. Serve with dark bread.

Finally, here’s the recipe for printing: