Chicken and Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette
February 3rd, 2012 § 1 Comment
Have I ever confessed my love for Ina Garten’s cooking? In addition to be completely envious of the gorgeous barn she built as an addition to her home in East Hampton, I adore her cooking style.
(I mean, seriously! Look at this place!)
I love watching Ina’s Barefoot Contessa shows on Food Network, so I decided to add her “Back to Basics” cookbook to my collection of recipes. Best. Idea. Ever. I have tons of bookmarks for recipes all throughout the book, including this salad. The combination of cold, warm, crunchy, soft and chewy makes this salad a well rounded meal. The spiciness of the arugula and the slight sweetness of the squash provide a great balance, plus the bright colors make it pretty to look at. Ina really knew what she was doing when she created this recipe!
Chicken and Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette
Recipe adapted from “Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics”
Ingredients
1 cup roasted chicken breast, shredded
1 (1 1/2-lb) butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4″ pieces
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
3 tablespoons dried cranberries
3/4 cup apple juice
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 ounces arugula, washed and dried
1/2 cup walnut halves, toasted
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place the squash on a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil (for easy clean up). Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the maple syrup, Kosher salt and pepper and toss to coat. Roast the squash for 15-20 minutes, turning once, until tender. Add the dried cranberries during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
While the squash is roasting, combine the apple juice, vinegar and shallots in a small pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat until reduced to about 1/4 cup (about 6-8 minutes). Remove from heat and whisk in mustard and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Place arugula, chicken, squash, walnuts and cheese in a large bowl. Spoon just enough dressing over the salad to moisten – being careful not to overdress – and toss well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.
Barn photo courtesy of HouseBeautiful.com.
