This mega filling Roasted Butternut Squash and Chicken Spinach Salad includes crunchy pecans, sweet tart apples, golden raisins and cinnamon maple cider vinaigrette! This healthy, filling salad recipe is a nutritious entrée salad for lunch or dinner!
This fall-inspired harvest salad is packed with all the autumn-inspired delights, and is loaded with flavor and nutrients to boot!
Plus, it’s super filling and makes for a balanced meal.
Protein packed, an amazing source of fiber and complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats, this nourishing meal is an all around feel good experience.
Salads like this are my all time favorite comfort food because they contain a huge array of micronutrients in addition to all essential macronutrients, plus they are so palate-pleasing, and filling!
Essentially, this amazing winter salad checks all the boxes.
I love how all the flavors come together in a magical whirlwind that pleases the taste buds so!
The next time you find yourself craving a hearty, clean meal that fills the belly and soul, whip up this delicious meal!
You can also prepare some of the ingredients ahead of time in bulk to put it on repeat for easy meal prep.
Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for this filling salad recipe! The great news is the whole list of ingredients for this harvest chicken salad can be found at all grocery stores.
Ingredients For Butternut Squash and Chicken Salad:
Baby Spinach: Baby spinach is our base for some epic fiber, magnesium, vitamins, etc.
Swap it out for your favorite leafy greens, like kale, spring mix, mixed greens, or romaine hearts.
Butternut Squash: Roasted butternut squash brings comforting carbs and awesome volume and texture to this amazing spinach salad.
I love adding hearty vegetables like winter squash or root vegetables to salads because they add so much flavor in addition to dietary fiber and volume.
Chicken Breast: The protein portion of this healthy salad recipe is roast chicken. It can easily be made homemade using my simple recipe, requiring only 4 ingredients, or you can use store-bought rotisserie chicken.
Lean protein is the most satiating nutrient, so protein-packed salads like this are ideal for those times you just want to feel full.
Fresh Apples and Golden Raisins: We have crunchy crispy apple and golden raisins for the tart and sweet balance, and awesome texture.
Raw Pecans: Crunchy pecans add intoxicating nuttiness to any salad. I just have to add some form of nut or seed to all my salads!
The salad dressing? Swoon-worthy. Let’s chat about the ingredients for the cinnamon-maple vinaigrette.
Dressing Ingredients:
Olive Oil: A delicious salad dressing starts with the fat. I like using extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil for healthy fats.
Apple Cider Vinegar: Every great salad dressing has an acidic element such as vinegar or lemon juice. I like using apple cider vinegar here, but balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar, or fresh lemon juice work great too.
Pure Maple Syrup: Adding a little sweetener to vinaigrette recipes helps to cut the acidity and adds an additional flavor to the palate. I love using pure maple syrup because it adds to the fall theme.
Ground Cinnamon: A little cinnamon brings warm flavor to the cider vinaigrette, which my readers absolutely adore. It may sound strange, but as long as you enjoy the flavor of cinnamon, you will love what it does for a fall or winter salad!
Sea Salt: Add salt and black pepper to your personal taste.
The perfect vinaigrette to tie all the deliciousness in a smooth, sweet blanket of tang.
Recipe Adaptations:
- Add your favorite vegetables, such as red onion, raw broccoli, roasted beets, tomatoes, etc.
- Swap out the pecans for walnuts, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, or sunflower seeds.
- Add cheese such as feta cheese, goat cheese, or blue cheese.
- Mix 1 to 2 teaspoons of dijon mustard into the dressing if you love mustard in your vinaigrettes.
- Toss in fresh pomegranate seeds if you have access to them.
Meal Prep Options:
This salad can easily be made in parts and meal prepped out.
You can roast the chicken and butternut squash up to three days in advance and store it in an airtight container.
Similarly, you can make the vinaigrette up to 5 days ahead of time.
If I worked outside of my home, this is the exact meal I would prepare in bulk for work lunches
The chicken is such an easy source of protein, and it can be added to other salads, stir fry, or you can munch on it as a snack.
Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s make this amazing butternut squash and chicken salad!
How to Make This Filling Salad Recipe:
Roast the Butternut Squash:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Spread the chopped butternut squash over a baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and cinnamon.
Toss everything together using your hands until everything is well coated.
Roast butternut squash for 20-25 minutes, shaking the baking tray once half-way through, or until it is golden brown on the outside and soft on the inside.
Prepare The Homemade Vinaigrette:
Add all of the ingredients for the maple vinaigrette to a small blender or bowl. Blend, or whisk until completely combined. Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator until ready to use.
You can do this step up to 5 days in advance if you’d like.
Make the Salad:
Add all of the salad ingredients, including the cooled cooked chicken and roasted butternut squash to a large mixing bowl or serving bowl.
Mix everything vigorously in the large bowl until well combined. Taste for flavor and add anything you desire, from salt to cheese like feta cheese or gorgonzola cheese, etc.
Now you have yourself a super filling, well-balanced meal, packed with your essential macronutrients and micronutrients.
Seriously, though…what more could you possibly need? Okay, okay, maybe a Christmas cookie or two.
Enjoy this hearty roasted butternut squash salad that screams autumn delight!
Looking for more healthy salad recipes? Also try these gems!
More Healthy Salad Recipes:
- My Current Favorite Salad
- Sesame Turkey Avocado Chopped Salad
- Crispy Mediterranean Chicken Salad with Lemon Herb Tahini Vinaigrette
- Sunflower Crunch Kale Salad
Roasted butternut squash, juicy chicken, nutty pecans, tangy apples, and sweet raisins all swaddled in an amazing warmly-spiced sweet and sour vinaigrette?
This is the exact type of salad I could eat every single day!
Butternut Squash Chicken Spinach Salad
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 1 pound boneless chicken tenders or breasts
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil see note
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
For the Salad:
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil see note
- 2 cups butternut squash peeled and chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- 1/2 cup raw pecan halves
- 1/4 cup golden raisins
- 1 large green apple cored and sliced
For the Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup avocado oil see note
- 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (omit for Whole30)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt to taste
Instructions
Prepare the cider vinaigrette:
- Add all ingredients for the vinaigrette to a small blender and blend until thick and completely smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Roast the butternut squash and chicken:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Spread the butternut squash over a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and cinnamon. Toss everything together using your hands until everything is well coated.
- Place the chicken in a casserole dish. Drizzle with olive oil, dried oregano, paprika, and sea salt. Use your hands to mix everything together so that all tenders are well coated in oil and spices.
- Roast the butternut squash and the chicken in the oven for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the butternut squash is golden-brown and soft on the inside, and the chicken tenders are cooked through (internal temperature of the chicken should be 160 degrees F.). If the chicken is not finished cooking after 20 minutes, turn off the oven and leave chicken in the still-hot oven 5 to 10 minutes, until all the way cooked.
Prepare the Salad:
- Divide the baby spinach between 4 bowls. Top with pecans, golden raisins, roasted butternut squash, chicken, and apple slices. Drizzle desired amount of vinaigrette over each bowl and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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This salad is SO good! I first discovered it in the Power Bowls cookbook, and it’s been in our regular rotation. My kids love it too (and they don’t normally enjoy squash!) The cinnamon adds such a warm flavor and the dressing is just yummy! It’s a fantastic salad!
Aww I love hearing that, Kara! Thanks so much for swinging back around to share your feedback and for such a sweet note! Happy New Year to you and your family! xo
This is delicious!!!!!
Omg! This looks so good! I have to try it out this week!
Man, is there anything better than a big beautiful salad for lunch? This one has so many wonderful fall/winter flavors. That dressing! I want to dive right into that bowl and then swim around for hours from all of the energy it gives me. 😉