Roasted Butternut Salad with Barley and Candied Bacon
This Roasted Butternut Salad with Barley and Candied Bacon is Fall at it's very best! This healthy, flavorful salad is a meal in itself and everyone will ooh and ahh over every delicious bite!
Calories:
Ingredients
- For the salad:
- 10 strips bacon
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 cups butternut squash peeled and diced into ½" cubes
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ cups walnuts roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups pearl barley cooked according to package directions
- 4 cups fresh baby spinach sliced thinly into ribbons
- 2 cups crumbled Feta cheese
- 1 medium pomegranate seeded
- For maple Dijon vinaigrette:
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup canola oil
- generous pinch sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line 3 sheet pans with foil.
- For candied bacon, place bacon strips on one of the prepared sheet pans. Sprinkle evenly with half of the brown sugar. Place in oven for 10 minutes, then remove from oven and flip bacon strips to opposite side. Sprinkle with the remaining half of the brown sugar. Return to oven and bake for another 8-12 minutes, or until deep golden brown (amount of time will depend on your oven and the thickness of the bacon). Watch bacon carefully during the last 5 minutes as it can easily go from golden to burned. Remove bacon to a sheet of foil or parchment paper and allow to cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, slice bacon, width-wise, into ¼" slices. Set aside.
- Place diced butternut squash on the second sheet pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle lightly with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place in oven for about 15 minutes or until tender, but not mushy. Gently stir halfway through baking time. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Place walnuts on 3rd sheet pan. Drizzle with the 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Toss well and place in oven for about 8 minutes or until beginning to turn golden. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
- Arrange candied bacon, barley, Feta, spinach, butternut squash, pomegranate arils (seeds) and walnuts in attractive rows on salad plates or shallow bowls. Drizzle with dressing or allow guests to dress their own salads. You can also toss all salad ingredients in a large bowl and divide between 4 individual plates or allow guests to serve their own salads.
- For the vinaigrette, combine all ingredients in a medium size jar. Cover with lid and shake vigorously.
Notes
The candied bacon, roasted butternut squash, walnuts, and dressing can all be made up to a day in advance. Refrigerate separately except for walnuts which can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Warm the bacon and squash on low power in the microwave. These ingredients should be warm or at room temperature, not hot.