My "Never Fail" Vegetarian Thanksgiving Side Dish

Thanksgiving is here! Just around the corner and it’s hard to believe how quickly fall has flown by. I’m hear to help! I’m sharing my absolute favorite side dish when in a rush to Thanksgiving dinner that never disappoints. It’s beautiful. It’s sooooo tasty. And is a huge hit for the guest who eat vegetarian. It can easily be made vegan without the addition of the goat cheese, but I’m pretty much obsessed with goat cheese. So, in my world, I say the more, the merrier!

Acorn Squash is one of the most beautiful vegetables (technically a fruit) in my opinion. I used it a lot in dishes in the fall in winter in my house and my kids like to try to snag them from me and play with them as if they’re a funny shaped ball…. toddlers. With this recipe I feel like I’ve finally perfected the perfect balance of sweet and savory with this salad. There are definitely a multitude of ways that you could manipulate this salad to suit your family, guests, or hosts personal tastes, but I have rarely had the opportunity to hush a crowd with savory food that makes them ooh and ahh over a SALAD and this fall delight gets the job done. Without further ado, here you are!

ingredients

• 1 tbsp butter

• 3/4 c real maple syrup

• 1 tsp cayenne pepper

• 1 acorn squash ( the more color variance, the better)

• 5 oz. organic arugula

• 8 oz. Pomegranate Seeds (Pom Poms are super effective if in a hurry)

• 4 oz. Crumbled Goat Cheese

• 1/2 cup Pecans, Walnuts and/or Pepitas (I like a combination of the 3)

• 1 cup cooked quinoa (red quinoa, barley or faro work week too if preferred)

• 1/2 c Dijon Honey Mustard Vinaigrette ( I use Simply Dresed 60 cal when I’m low on time, but you can make you’re own as well)

• Salt & Pepper to taste

Isn’t acorn squash just so beautiful! I think the texture is great too.

recipe

preheat oven to 400 degrees

wash and cut acorn squash into roughly 1/4”-1/2” slices, removing the seeds and discarding the ends

cut the squash rings in half or leave in rounds if preferred

melt 1 tablespoon in medium to large sauté pan and add 1/2 c of pure maple syrup and cayenne pepper until combined

add slices of acorn squash to syrup mixture and flip to throughly coat

remove slices and place onto baking sheet (I always use a silicon baking sheet to protect my pans and help with clean up)

turn off heat on sauté pan and place baking sheet into oven for 30-35 minutes

if quinoa is not already prepared, do so while waiting for squash to bake

wash and ready arugula on the bottom of a serving dish

slightly crush nuts unless using pepitas exclusively and add to previously used sauté pan

brown nuts slightly on both sides using the syrup, butter and cayenne mixture until fragrant and golden

eliminate heat and move nut mixture to a cutting board allowing to cool slightly

layer goat cheese, pomegranates, nut combination and quinoa over the top of the bed of arugula

prepare dressing - in this case I combine 1/2c Dijon mustard dressing with 1/4c maple syrup, a generous splash of pepper (I like a lot of pepper, so I’m not conservative at all here) blend together well

once squash is removed, allow to cool for roughly 5 minutes - outer skin can be removed here if you’d like, but I think it’s prettier served on and removed by the diner

during this time, add dressing to previously prepared dressing mix and toss well

arrange acorn squash along the top of salad and prepare to wow your guest

bon appetite

starting to layer my salad

Found this delicious gem today at my local grocery store - don't be afraid to get a little experimental with your goat cheese. It definitely turns the flavor explosion up a notch.

Here is the acorn squash after being removed from the oven.

And that’s that! This recipe is such a win for this time of year. Salads can seem so uninteresting next to mashed potatoes, stuffing, and green bean casserole, but I assure you - you will not go wrong with this delicious vegetarian dish. I hope this recipe finds its way onto your dinner table at some point and you enjoy. If you have a quick, reliable dish that never disappoints at this holiday, please share! I’m always looking to add a new “gut weapon” on my handsome husband!

As always, thank you so much for stopping by! Let me know what you think if you give this recipe a shot. Here’s to a happy and healthy Thanksgiving and many more wonderful holidays.

heather-scherie