Wintertime Arugula and Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

Now that winter is coming, I'm looking for dishes to celebrate squash season! I love winter squashes because they are so satisfying and hearty, yet loaded with nutrition and health benefits. They are an easy way to get your carb-fix without affecting your waistline - always a good thing! The pomegranate seeds in this dish are bursting with antioxidants, which help fight free radicals in the body. Antioxidants help us to stay youthful, fresh faced, healthy, limber, and lean. This recipe is absolutely gorgeous and looks gourmet, but was actually super simple to make. I just went to Trader Joe’s, picked up a bag of arugula, a bag of diced butternut squash, and a box of de-seeded pomegranate seeds and used a dressing I already had on hand. Super simple, but really gorgeous! This would be a great starter for guests or an entree with some grilled salmon on top!

Arugula and Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

You’ll need:

• 4 cups of fresh baby arugula
• 1/2 cup of pomegranate seeds
• 4 cups of diced butternut squash (about 1 whole squash, peeled and diced)
• Lemon Vinaigrette dressing
• olive oil
• fresh cracked pepper

1. Toss diced butternut squash with a little olive oil. Place on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake until edges begin to brown, about 30-40 mins.
2. Layer arugula, squash, and pomegranate seeds on a plate and drizzle with vinaigrette and a generous amount of cracked pepper.
3. Serve as an appetizer or as an entree by adding protein like grilled salmon or red snapper.
4. This is an elegant dish that is super easy to make, bursting with flavor, and loaded with minerals and antioxidants.

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