This recipe is dedicated to my loving mother and family. My mother and I made a similar version of this salad last year for Christmas. It was a hit! This Pomegranate and Butternut Squash Winter Spinach Salad is great served as a side dish to a main meal or served as a main course, topped with roasted chicken.
Pomegranates are packed with fiber, vitamins and minerals. Punicalagins are powerful antioxidants found in the juice and peel of the pomegranate which have been found to be three times more beneficial than antioxidants in green tea. Pomegranate seed oil (also known as punicic acid) is a type of conjugated linoleic acid whose intake has been linked to a reduction in body fat. Pomegranate consumption has also been linked to a reduction in inflammatory markers such as c-reactive protein and interleukin-6 which can help to fight off arthritis and joint pain and may lower risk for cancers and cardiovascular disease.
Pomegranate and Butternut Squash Winter Spinach Salad
Course:
Protocol:
Servings
4
Prep Time
25 minutes
Ingredients
Salad
- 6 cups 1440.00 ml baby spinach
- 1 Tbsp 14.79 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 2/3 butternut squash about 2 cups, peeled and cubed
- 1/3 cup NaN ml pomegranate seeds
- 1/4 cup 60.00 ml green onions diced
- 10 strawberries sliced
- 1/2 cup 120.00 ml parsley chopped
- ground black pepper to taste
- sea salt to taste
Dressing
- 1/4 cup 60.00 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup 120.00 ml lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp 29.57 ml water
- ground black pepper to taste
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Place cubed butternut squash onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Bake butternut squash until tender- about 15 minutes.
- Add all other salad ingredients to a large bowl. Add baked butternut squash and toss.
- Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Add dressing, as desired, to tossed salad and serve.
- Optional Addition: For those who can tolerate almonds, top with sliced toasted almonds for an extra crunch.
