This maple-roasted honeynut squash salad with black-eyed peas and apples is a wonderful way to enjoy the best of the fall harvest. Paired with a homemade creamy lemon-cashew dressing with pecans, this meal is packed with flavor!
Here are the honeynut squash from the farmer’s market where I purchased mine: the orange brown ones in the middle of the photo that look like oversized pears. I don’t know if I have seen them in supermarkets.
The farmer explained that they are a hybrid of butternut squash and buttercup squash and that the skin can be eaten. This is a real convenience, like with delicata squash. I don’t like to have to trim or slice the skin off of other winter squashes.
Honeynut squashes are smaller than butternut squash. While they have been around for decades, this is the first that I have tried one. They don’t seem to be as widely available as acorn, spaghetti, and butternut squash.
Sources such as this article about honeynut squash from the Centers for Science in the Public Interest, suggest that they contain more vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene).
Why We Love This Recipe
This salad combines crispy apples, celery, and almonds with colorful and leafy spring mix, these flavorful chunks of roasted honeynut squash, and a creamy, flavorful dressing. It’s refreshing and filling: a great fall lunch to pack for work or elevated light meal to prepare for family or friends.
Ingredients Needed and Substitution Ideas
Maple-Roasted Honeynut Squash Salad with Black-Eyed Peas and Apples
- Honeynut squash – or you can use butternut, acorn, or kabocha squash
- Maple syrup – this goes very well with the squash and will be used in the dressing after it cooks.
- Olive oil – or it’s fine to use any other neutral oil like avocado, soy, peanut or grapeseed
- Spring mix lettuce – or romaine, baby kale, or spinach
- Celery – this gives the salad a great flavor or crunch, or try grated carrots, chopped walnuts, or peanuts.
- Apple – I like Honeycrisp, Pizazz, or Hunnyz, or Cosmic Crisp
- Black-eyed peas – it’s fine to substitute this with any cooked beans you like, or chickpeas or lentils.
- Green onions – I like these because they are mild and quick to snip or chop. Also they’re easy to regrow from the white stalks so you can easily keep them in your home to cook with.
- Slivered almonds – these are a nice choice for nuts because they are higher in calcium than others, or feel free to choose chopped walnuts, cashews, peanuts, or whatever you have on hand.
Creamy Lemon-Cashew Dressing with Pecans
- Cashew butter
- Lemon juice: either fresh or bottled lemon juice is fine
- Rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- Chopped pecans: the ones I bought are dry roasted and unsalted. I then chop them more finely.
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Since I store opened cashew butter in the refrigerator, I have found that heating it in the microwave first for about 15 – 20 seconds makes it much easier to blend smoothly with the other ingredients. Then, add the remaining ingredients to the bowl with the warm cashew butter and blend well with a fork or a small whisk.
How to Make Maple-Roasted Honeynut Squash Salad with Black-Eyed Peas and Apples
For the Salad
- Preheat the oven to 400℉.
- Cut the honeynut squash in half lengthwise. Use a spoon or melon baller to scrape out the seeds (this recipe uses half of the squash).
Place the halves on a baking tray with the cut sides up. Brush the inside of each with the olive oil and maple syrup.
Bake the honeynut squash for about 40 minutes or until it is tender when pierced with a fork.
Divide the spring mix, celery, apple slices, and black-eyed peas between four large bowls. Top with the chopped green onions and slivered almonds bowls.
When the squash has cooled enough to handle, pour the oil and syrup in the center of the round part of each into a small bowl. Chop the squash into pieces of about one inch.
Lemon-Cashew Dressing with Pecans
Start with the liquid that cooked in the squash halves in the small bowl. Add the cashew butter and microwave the bowl for about 20 seconds or until the cashew butter can be stirred easily.
Add the rice vinegar, water, lemon juice, chopped pecans, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to the bowl. Mix well with a fork or a small whisk. Pour the dressing equally over the four salads.
What to Serve with This Salad?
- Fresh whole grain or sourdough bread
- Stuffed mushrooms
- Corn chowder
- Lentil soup
- Blue corn chips
- Vegan cornbread muffins
- Quinoa or wild rice pilaf
Storage
You can make this salad ahead of time. It works well in a storage container to pack for lunch, but be sure to store the dressing separately until you are ready to eat it. It will be fine in the refrigerator for two days.
Other Recipes You May Enjoy
- Simple Orange Cinnamon Acorn Squash Rings
- Vegetarian Chili with Butternut Squash and Cauliflower
- Stuffed Peppers with Butternut Squash and Quinoa
- Easy Kabocha Squash and Collard Greens with Whole Wheat Pasta
Maple-Roasted Honeynut Squash Salad with Black-Eyed Peas and Apples
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Chef's knife
- Melon baller or spoon
- Baking pan
- Small microwaveable bowl
- Fork or small whisk
Ingredients
Honeynut Squash Salad
- ½ (about ½ pound) honeynut squash
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 4 cups spring mix lettuce
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 1 apple cored and sliced
- ½ cup black-eyed peas
- 2 tablespoons green onions, chopped
- 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
Lemon-Cashew Dressing with Pecans
- 2 tablespoons cashew butter
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh or bottled
- 2 tablespoons chopped pecans
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- dash salt
- dash freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Honeynut Squash Salad
- Preheat the oven to 400℉.
- Cut the honeynut squash in half lengthwise. Use a spoon or melon baller to scrape out the seeds (this recipe uses half of the squash). Place the halves on a baking tray with the cut sides up. Brush the inside of the squash halves with a teaspoon of olive oil and maple syrup. Bake the honeynut squash for about 40 minutes or until it is tender when pierced with a fork.
- Divide the spring mix, celery, apple slices, and black-eyed peas between four large bowls. Top with the chopped green onions and slivered almonds bowls.
- When the squash has cooled enough to handle, pour the oil and syrup in the center of the round part of each into a small bowl. Chop the squash into pieces of about one inch.
Lemon-Cashew Dressing with Pecans
- Start with the liquid that cooked in the squash halves in the small bowl. Add the cashew butter and microwave the bowl for about 20 seconds or until the cashew butter can be stirred easily.
- Add the rice vinegar, water, lemon juice, chopped pecans, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to the bowl. Mix well with a fork or a small whisk. Pour the dressing equally over the four salads.
Notes
Nutrition
If you have tried this maple-roasted honeynut squash salad with black-eyed peas and apples, I would really appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to let me know how you liked it and include a star rating in the comments below.
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