Spinach Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash, Bacon, Walnuts and Maple Vinaigrette

The usual late summer/early fall weather is upon us ~ very warm days, and cool evenings.

Butternut Squash is plentiful in the market, but it's not quite chilly enough for soups or heavier meals. Instead of a hot meal I put together this healthful (if you don't take into account the bacon) salad for dinner recently.

You can serve the salad at room temperature, but I really like it best when the squash and dressing are still warm. With each bite you'll get a taste of creamy ( roasted squash), crunchy (toasted walnuts) and crispy (salty- smoky bacon), and the sweet-tangy maple dressing brings the spinach and other ingredients together beautifully.

It's very good when accompanied with warm cornbread or toasted and buttered sourdough slices.

There are many Maple Viniagrette dressing recipes out there, but I make mine a little differently than most ~ I reduce the maple syrup by about half (in a small pan, stovetop over medium heat) before whisking it with Sherry Vinegar (you can also use apple cider vinegar, but it is generally a bit stronger so beware and adjust amount to suit your taste.) Then just whisk in a small amount of Dijon mustard, some olive or grapeseed oil and salt and pepper then taste for seasonings. When making vinaigrettes I usually use quite a bit less oil than most recipes call for, just a personal preference.

If you would like a printable copy of the recipe, you can find it on my recipe blog by clicking HERE.

This is my entry for Tuesday Twister ~ Click Logo to find out more.

Enjoy~ and thank you for stopping by, friends!