Description
Fall Orzo Salad is a simple fall pasta salad made with roasted butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, kale, and goat cheese in balsamic vinaigrette.
Ingredients
Scale
For the salad
- 2 cups diced butternut squash
- 1 ½ cups sliced brussels sprouts
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
- 2 cups chopped kale
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup pepitas *
- ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese
- Sea salt and pepper, to taste
For the Balsamic Dressing
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons golden balsamic vinegar (or regular balsamic)
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon dijon mustard
- Sea salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the butternut squash on one side of a large baking sheet and the Brussels sprouts on the other. Drizzle the olive oil over the veggies and lightly season with sea salt. Toss to coat and spread out to a single layer. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway with a spatula, until tender and golden
- Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the orzo according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water for about a minute until cooled to room temperature.
- In a small bowl or jar, whisk or shake all the dressing ingredients together until fully combined.
- Place the kale in a large bowl with 1 teaspoon of the balsamic dressing. Using your hands, massage the kale for 1-2 minutes, until tender. Add the orzo, roasted veggies, dried cranberries, pepitas, and goat cheese. Drizzle with the balsamic dressing. Toss until combined.
- Season with sea salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Toast the pepitas. It’s optional, but worth it. A couple minutes in a dry skillet over medium heat brings out their nutty flavor and adds extra crunch.
To store, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The orzo tends to soak up the dressing, so add a drizzle of olive oil or more dressing before serving to freshen it up.
Nutritional Values (per serving) are approximates only. Calculated as 6 small servings.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 253
- Sugar: 8.4 g
- Sodium: 202.8 mg
- Fat: 14.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 3.1 g
- Protein: 6.8 g
- Cholesterol: 4.4 mg