This is a composed dinner salad built on Ina Garten's logic: one roasted component, one crisp component, one sharp dressing. The roasted squash weighs 700 g and carries the plate; the greens stay raw and cold for contrast.
Total time is 50 minutes, most of it oven time. You need one sheet pan, one whisk and one large bowl. The dressing is a Dijon-shallot vinaigrette emulsified by hand.
Serve it warm, not hot. The squash should be warm to the touch and the greens cold; that temperature gap is what makes the salad read as dinner rather than side.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
About the Ingredients
700 g (about 5 cups) butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
Cut cubes uniform so they finish together. Buy pre-cubed squash only if the pieces are 2 cm or smaller, otherwise halve them.
120 g (about 1 1/2 cups) fresh baby arugula, washed and dried
Dry it thoroughly; wet leaves dilute the dressing. Substitute baby spinach for a milder, less peppery bowl.
1 medium head (about 300 g) radicchio, cored and torn into 5 cm pieces
Radicchio adds bitterness that balances the squash. Substitute Treviso or Belgian endive if the round head is unavailable.
60 g (about 1/2 cup) toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
Toast them yourself for 6 minutes at 175 C; stale bagged walnuts taste flat. Substitute pecans or pumpkin seeds for allergy needs.
60 g (about 2/3 cup) shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano
Shave with a vegetable peeler for wide curls. Buy a wedge and shave it yourself; pre-shredded cheese will not curl.
80 ml (about 1/3 cup) extra-virgin olive oil, plus 15 ml (1 tbsp) for the squash
Use a peppery oil for the dressing and a neutral one for roasting. Substitute avocado oil for roasting if olive oil smokes in your oven.
25 ml (about 2 tbsp) red wine vinegar
Sharp and fruity. Substitute sherry vinegar for a rounder finish or lemon juice for a brighter one.
10 g (about 2 tsp) Dijon mustard
The mustard is the emulsifier; do not skip it. Substitute whole-grain mustard for more texture.
1 small shallot (about 20 g), minced fine
Mince it to 2 mm so it disappears into the dressing. Substitute 2 tbsp finely minced red onion, rinsed under cold water.
6 g (about 1 tsp) fine sea salt, divided, and 2 g (1/2 tsp) black pepper
Season the squash before roasting and the dressing separately. Substitute kosher salt by weight, not volume.
40 g (about 1/3 cup) dried cranberries
Adds a chewy sweet counterpoint. Substitute chopped dried cherries or golden raisins if cranberries are too tart.
Tips & Tricks
Dry the greens completely
Arugula straight from the spinner still holds water; roll it in a clean towel. Wet leaves make the vinaigrette slide off and pool at the bottom.
Do not crowd the sheet pan
700 g of squash needs a 45 x 35 cm pan in one layer. Overlap steams the cubes and they never brown.
Whisk the dressing slowly
Add the oil in a thin stream while whisking to hold the emulsion. Dump it in at once and the vinaigrette breaks within minutes.
Pro Tips
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Heat the oven
Set the oven to 220 C (425 F) with a rack in the middle. A hot oven browns the squash before it turns soft [a cooler oven steams it instead].
2. Season the squash
Toss 700 g squash with 15 ml olive oil, 3 g salt and the pepper on a sheet pan. Spread it in one layer, cut sides down [flat contact with the pan is what produces browning].
3. Roast until golden
Roast for 28 to 32 minutes at 220 C (425 F). The cubes are done when the edges are deep golden brown and a knife slides in with no resistance.
4. Whisk the vinaigrette
Whisk 25 ml vinegar, 10 g Dijon, the shallot and 3 g salt in a small bowl. Add 80 ml olive oil in a thin stream while whisking until it thickens and looks glossy.
5. Toast the walnuts
Spread 60 g walnuts on a dry pan and toast at 175 C (350 F) for 6 minutes. They are ready when they smell nutty and a piece snaps cleanly in half.
6. Cool the squash briefly
Slide the squash onto a plate and rest it 5 minutes. It should be warm, not steaming, so it does not wilt the greens.
7. Toss the radicchio
Put 300 g radicchio in a large bowl, add half the vinaigrette and toss for 20 seconds. The leaves should be coated but not sitting in liquid.
8. Assemble and serve
Fold in 120 g arugula, the warm squash, 40 g cranberries and the walnuts. Shave 60 g Parmigiano over the top, drizzle the remaining dressing and serve immediately.
Delicious Variations
Roasted Pear Version
Swap the squash for 4 firm pears, halved and roasted 20 minutes at 220 C (425 F); the dressing stays the same.
Chicken Dinner Salad
Add 400 g sliced roasted chicken breast to make it a 40 g protein plate; season the chicken with the same salt and pepper.
Fennel and Orange
Replace the radicchio with 1 shaved fennel bulb and add orange segments; use lemon juice instead of red wine vinegar.
How to Store Delicious Salad Dinner Ideas from Ina Garten
Refrigerator
Store undressed components separately in sealed containers for up to 3 days. Keep the vinaigrette in a jar and shake before use.
Freezer
Freeze only the roasted squash, up to 2 months, in a sealed bag. Do not freeze the dressed greens or the shaved cheese.
Reheating
Reheat the squash at 200 C (400 F) for 8 minutes, or in a skillet over medium heat for 4 minutes, until the edges crisp again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I make this salad ahead of time?
Yes, roast the squash and whisk the dressing up to two days ahead and refrigerate both separately. Toss the greens with dressing only at the moment of serving, since arugula collapses within 20 minutes.
Q: What can I use instead of butternut squash?
Delicata, acorn or sweet potato all work, cut to the same 2 cm cube. Delicata needs no peeling and roasts in about 22 minutes, so check it earlier than the squash.
Q: How do I keep the salad from getting soggy?
Dry the arugula completely and dress the radicchio first, then fold in the arugula. Warm squash also releases moisture, so rest it 5 minutes on a plate before it meets the greens.
Q: Is this salad filling enough for dinner?
It serves six at roughly 285 calories each, so add protein for a heartier meal. Roasted chicken, white beans or a soft-boiled egg on top pushes it to a full dinner plate.
Q: Can I use bottled vinaigrette instead?
You can, but use 100 ml and taste before adding salt, since bottled dressing is already seasoned. The homemade Dijon-shallot version takes four minutes and holds its emulsion better on warm squash.
Roast the squash, whisk the vinaigrette, and assemble at the last minute. Weigh, watch, repeat.
Delicious Salad Dinner Ideas from Ina Garten
Delicious salad dinner ideas from Ina Garten turn crisp greens, roasted vegetables and sharp vinaigrette into a full 50-minute meal for six people.
🧂 Ingredients
- 700 g (about 5 cups) butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
- 120 g (about 1 1/2 cups) fresh baby arugula, washed and dried
- 1 medium head (about 300 g) radicchio, cored and torn into 5 cm pieces
- 60 g (about 1/2 cup) toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
- 60 g (about 2/3 cup) shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 80 ml (about 1/3 cup) extra-virgin olive oil, plus 15 ml (1 tbsp) for the squash
- 25 ml (about 2 tbsp) red wine vinegar
- 10 g (about 2 tsp) Dijon mustard
- 1 small shallot (about 20 g), minced fine
- 6 g (about 1 tsp) fine sea salt, divided, and 2 g (1/2 tsp) black pepper
- 40 g (about 1/3 cup) dried cranberries
📋 Instructions
- 1Heat the oven — Set the oven to 220 C (425 F) with a rack in the middle. A hot oven browns the squash before it turns soft [a cooler oven steams it instead].
- 2Season the squash — Toss 700 g squash with 15 ml olive oil, 3 g salt and the pepper on a sheet pan. Spread it in one layer, cut sides down [flat contact with the pan is what produces browning].
- 3Roast until golden — Roast for 28 to 32 minutes at 220 C (425 F). The cubes are done when the edges are deep golden brown and a knife slides in with no resistance.
- 4Whisk the vinaigrette — Whisk 25 ml vinegar, 10 g Dijon, the shallot and 3 g salt in a small bowl. Add 80 ml olive oil in a thin stream while whisking until it thickens and looks glossy.
- 5Toast the walnuts — Spread 60 g walnuts on a dry pan and toast at 175 C (350 F) for 6 minutes. They are ready when they smell nutty and a piece snaps cleanly in half.
- 6Cool the squash briefly — Slide the squash onto a plate and rest it 5 minutes. It should be warm, not steaming, so it does not wilt the greens.
- 7Toss the radicchio — Put 300 g radicchio in a large bowl, add half the vinaigrette and toss for 20 seconds. The leaves should be coated but not sitting in liquid.
- 8Assemble and serve — Fold in 120 g arugula, the warm squash, 40 g cranberries and the walnuts. Shave 60 g Parmigiano over the top, drizzle the remaining dressing and serve immediately.
Tomasz writes precise, method-first recipes for breads, ferments, and slow braises, drawing on Polish and Central European home cooking. He cares about weights, temperatures, and timing, and explains the reason behind each step so cooks can repeat results. His angle is turning fussy techniques into clear, checkable instructions.