Salads are my go-to lunch most days of the week, so I’m always looking for new ideas to brighten up my daily lettuce. So how could I not read a story headlined, I wasn’t a salad lover until I tried this recipe?
It turns out the actual salad is called Fall Chopped Salad with Spinach, Butternut Squash, Apples & Cheddar on Eatingwell.com.
Spinach is the main ingredient along with an apple, butternut squash and even maple syrup.
The full ingredient list:
- 1 small (1 1/2 pounds) butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 4 cups)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- ½ teaspoon salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper, divided
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 8 cups packed baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 medium Honeycrisp apple, diced
- ½ cup diced sharp Cheddar cheese
- ½ cup toasted chopped pecans
I’d leave out the pecans, the salt, maybe the squash and certainly the syrup to cut the sugar. I’d also add some spring mix lettuce to flesh it out a bit. The apple might be a nice touch.
If you try it, let me know what you think of it.
I changed the cheese to Swiss which has less salt, added walnuts instead of pecans. I also added a few white beans and arugula. I made my own dressing using vinegar olive oil, a packet of stevia and Italian herbs and lemon juice. It was amazing, loved the bit of added apple. I’m all about the low or no salt. I am type2 diabetic and am stage 3 CHF.