Warm Butternut Squash Salad with Pomegranate Dressing

By davidv

"Believe me when I tell you this recipe is fall in a bowl! Ingredients that may be new to you all find a home together in this warm salad, while each retaining their unique flavors. Serve it as a side dish, or in larger servings as a main course."—David

Tip: The easiest way to remove those pesky pomegranate seeds from the fruit's flesh is to slice the pomegranate in half, hold it over a bowl with the sliced-side down, and hit the fruit with a wooden spoon to release the seeds (don't forget to wear an apron!)

Ingredients

• Salad:
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, roughly chopped
• 1 fennel bulb, roughly chopped
• 1 lb butternut squash, cubed into 1/2” pieces and cooked until fork-tender
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 (5-oz) package baby arugula
• 1/2 pomegranate (seeds left whole)
• 1 (3-oz) bag pork cracklings, broken into small pieces
• Dressing:
• 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 4 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 pomegranate (juice & seeds)

Details

Adapted from qvc.co

Preparation

Step 1

Salad:

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the onion and the fennel and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the cooked butternut squash, salt, and pepper and sauté, stirring occasionally, for another 6 minutes.

Remove the mixture from the heat and place into a medium-size mixing bowl. Add 1/2 of the dressing, toss, and set aside.

Dressing:

Place all ingredients into a small blender or food processor and process until fully combined. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh colander. Store the dressing in the refrigerator until needed.

To assemble the salad, place the arugula in a large mixing bowl. Add 1/2 of the dressing and toss. Add the warm vegetables and toss again. Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds and pork cracklings over the salad and serve immediately.