Thanksgiving Salad with Butternut Squash “Turkey” Recipe

This Thanksgiving, create a fun, edible centerpiece that is sure to delight people of all ages, with this creative salad. This recipe is adapted from Two Healthy Kitchens.

Total time: 40-45 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

Salad

• 1 butternut squash (ideally, approx. 2 - 2 1/2 pounds and 8-10 inches tall)

• 2 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (divided)

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (divided)ce 

Turkey Decorations

• two pecan halves (for turkey's feet)

• goat cheese (for eyeballs)

• two cloves (for eyes)

• red pepper (to make wattle)

• triangular piece of raw butternut squash (for beak)

Maple-Balsamic Dressing

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1 teaspoon smooth dijon mustard

• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 475°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Carefully slice the squash in half vertically, from stem to bottom. Scoop out the seeds (save them to roast later).

Peel only one of the halves and dice it into 1/2" cubes. While you are cutting the cubes, also be sure to cut a triangle that you will save to be the turkey's beak. (You will not roast the triangular beak – set it aside until you assemble your turkey.)

Toss the cubed butternut squash with 2 teaspoons oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Make sure that the cubes are evenly coated with oil, and that the seasonings are distributed throughout.

Spread the squash cubes out on the baking sheet so they aren't piled on top of each other, leaving room at the center of the sheet.

Brush both sides of the unpeeled half of the butternut squash with 1/2 teaspoon oil, and sprinkle the cut side with remaining salt and pepper. Place, cut-side down, in the center of the baking sheet. 

Place baking sheet in the oven and roast for 12 minutes. Stir the cubed squash (do not move or flip the half squash), and continue roasting for 7-10 minutes more, until cubed squash is tender and has toasty, browned, roasted spots but isn't burned. Remove the cubes from the baking sheet and set aside. 

Flip your halved butternut squash over and test it gently with a fork to make sure it is done, too. If it isn't quite done to your liking, you can return it to the oven, cut-side down, for a few minutes more. Watch it closely so it doesn't start to brown too much, though, and will still look nice when used as your turkey's body.

While the squash is roasting, you can prep the rest of the salad:

Fan your lettuce leaves out on a large, round platter.

As you layer on your lettuce, sprinkle a little of the pecans, cranberries, and crumbled goat cheese throughout the layers, making sure you have plenty left to sprinkle on top.

Cut a squiggle of red pepper to make the turkey's "snood".

Scoop out little semi-rounds from the un-crumbled, remaining log of goat cheese, and gently push 1 clove into the domed, curved side of each round.

In a medium bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients.

Once the roasted squash is cool enough to handle, sprinkle the squash cubes on top of the salad. Gently lay the half-squash "turkey body" in the middle of the salad.

Place the goat cheese "eyes" on the turkey's "head," and position the triangular piece of squash and the squiggle of red pepper as the "beak" and "snood." At the bottom of the body, place the two pecan halves as "feet."

Serve salad with Maple-Balsamic Dressing on the side and enjoy!