Roasted Beet and Squash Salad

This hearty salad is easy to put together and makes a lovely accompaniment to a piece of grilled steak or works as a satisfying vegetarian meal all by itself. Any winter squash works well in this recipe, but we particularly love acorn squash in this dish. This recipe makes 4 side salads or 2 meal-sized salads.

PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 45 minutes

Ingredients
1 winter squash, halved, seeds removed and cut into wedges
4 large beets
1 small red onion, sliced
6 ounces baby greens, washed and dried
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (or use the seeds from the squash in this recipe, see cook's note for roasting the seeds)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Good-quality balsamic vinegar for drizzling
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
Preheat your oven to 375 F. Drizzle beets with 1 tablespoon of oil, season lightly with salt and wrap in foil. Place on a baking sheet along with the squash wedges. Drizzle the squash with 1 tablespoon of oil and season lightly with salt. Roast for 45 minutes; the squash should be fork-tender. Remove from oven and set aside for 10 minutes to cool. Once cooled, remove beets from foil, peel and slice.

To assemble the salad, add greens to a large serving bowl and toss gently with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add onions, seeds, squash and beet slices; drizzle with vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Cook's note: To roast squash seeds, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and roast at 300 F for 45 minutes.