Winter Salad with Chestnut Honey Vinaigrette

Roasted root vegetables tossed with golden butternut squash, slices of orange and sweet Bosc pears along with toasted pecans and dried cranberries served on a bed of field greens makes for a beautiful winter salad. Finish with a luscious vinaigrette made with chestnut honey, Dijon mustard and red wine vinegar and winter doesn’t seem quite so gloomy!

Inspiration in the kitchen comes from any number of sources. From old recipes, from the current weather and from family and friends. This salad was inspired by a dear and lifelong friend. On a recent trip to Switzerland, she and her sister discovered a gorgeous vinaigrette, and she was kind enough to share it with me.

The base of the vinaigrette blends tangy Dijon mustard with a robust red wine vinegar and a rich chestnut honey. Extra virgin olive oil along with sunflower oil are blended in, with a sprinkling of kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

The result is a thick, creamy vinaigrette that’s lightly sweet with a delightful tang!

For the salad, butternut squash, beets, carrots share the platter of fresh field greens with navel oranges and tender Bosc pears. Scatter dried cranberries for a hidden treat plus toasted pecans for a delightful crunch.

Serve the salad with the roasted vegetables stir warm or chilled – either way is quite wonderful. Top with a generous drizzle of the chestnut honey vinaigrette and you’ll find winter salads can be quite wonderful.

Winter Salad with Chestnut Honey Vinaigrette

For the salad:

1 small butternut squash

5 to 6 small beets

4 to 5 carrots

6 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons kosher salt

¾ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

4 cups field greens

2 ripe Bosc pears, cored and sliced thin

2 navel oranges, peeled and sliced

½ cup dried cranberries

¼ to ½ cup chopped toasted pecans

For the vinaigrette:

5 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chestnut honey

1 to 1-½ teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste

¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste

½ cup sunflower oil

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

For the salad:

To roast the butternut squash:

Scoop the seeds out of each half of the squash and place cut side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush each half with 2 tablespoons olive oil (about 2 tablespoons total) then sprinkle with about ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.

Roast in a 400-degree oven for about 1 hour or until the squash is tender when pierced with a sharp knife. When the squash is cool enough to handle, peel and cut into cubes.

To roast the beets:

Trim the tops and roots off the beets, peel and cut into pieces, about 2″ each. (Quick tip: wear food service gloves to prevent your hands from getting stained from the beet juice.) Toss the beets with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with foil. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.

Roast at 400-degrees for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring about every 15 minutes. Cook until the beets are cooked through and very tender when pierced with a sharp knife.

To roast the carrots:

Scrub or peel the carrots and cut into pieces, about 3” to 4”. Place the carrots on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over the carrots then toss to coat all sides. Spread the carrots out into a single layer. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.

Roast the carrots in a 400-degree oven for 40 minutes or until they are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your carrots – start checking them after 30 minutes.

To make the vinaigrette:

Place the Dijon mustard a small mixing bowl. Pour in the red wine vinaigrette and chestnut honey. Add the kosher salt and black pepper, stir to blend.

Pour the sunflower oil and the olive oil in and blend together using an immersion blender.

Makes about 2 cups so you will have enough for more than one salad.

To assemble the salad:

Spread the field greens across the bottom of the platter. Arrange the roasted vegetables along with the sliced pears and oranges around and on the greens. Sprinkle the cranberries and pecans over the top.

Drizzle a portion of the vinaigrette over the salad.

Serves 4 to 6.

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