Make a fantastic autumn salad with soft squash and a flavorful dressing.

When the weather changes, switch from your summer salad to this fall favorite. This salad uses honeynut squash, which is a sweeter and smaller version of butternut squash. It’s a festive salad perfect for a dinner party or a regular weeknight dinner.

The dressing, made with miso and spicy brown mustard, does two jobs. It not only flavors the squash and napa cabbage but also acts as a marinade before grilling. The result is a subtly smoky salad with sweetness, bold flavors from the umami-rich dressing and radicchio, and a touch of freshness from mint.

For this salad, use white miso, which is the mildest type. Yellow and red miso are stronger and saltier, usually found in supermarkets.

Ingredients For Grilled Honeynut Squash Salad:

  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons white miso
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
  • 1 clove garlic, finely grated
  • 1/3 cup olive oil, plus extra for cabbage
  • 1 1/2 pounds honeynut or red kuri squash, trimmed, halved, seeded, and sliced into 1/2-inch wedges
  • 1/2 napa cabbage, trimmed and halved into 2 large wedges
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 5-ounce head radicchio, trimmed and torn into bite-size pieces
  • Roasted salted pepitas (optional, for topping)
  • Fresh mint leaves (optional, for topping)

Directions Grilled Honeynut Squash Salad:

  1. Whisk together vinegar, miso, syrup, mustard, and garlic. Slowly add oil while whisking until well mixed.
  2. Preheat grill or grill pan to medium (350°F to 400°F).
  3. Toss squash with 2 tablespoons of dressing. Brush cabbage with dressing and oil. Season both squash and cabbage with salt and pepper.
  4. Grill cabbage and squash for about 8 minutes, turning once, until charred and tender.
  5. Chop cabbage into large pieces and place in a bowl or on a platter. Add radicchio leaves and 2 tablespoons of dressing. Toss well and season with salt and pepper.
  6. Arrange grilled squash on top. Just before serving, drizzle with remaining dressing and top with pepitas and mint, if using.

Fall Salad Recipe

StepIngredientsInstructions
13 tbsp apple cider vinegarWhisk together vinegar, miso, syrup, mustard, and grated garlic in a small bowl. Slowly add olive oil, whisking until emulsified.
23 tbsp white misoPreheat the grill or grill pan to medium (350°F to 400°F). Toss squash with 2 tbsp of the dressing in a large bowl.
32 tbsp pure maple syrupPlace cabbage on a baking sheet. Brush both sides with dressing and lightly drizzle with oil. Season squash and cabbage with salt and pepper.
41 tbsp spicy brown mustardGrill cabbage and squash for about 8 minutes, turning cabbage over once. Transfer cabbage to a cutting board. Continue grilling squash until charred and fork-tender.
51 clove garlic, finely gratedCoarsely chop cabbage into large pieces. Place in a large bowl or on a platter along with radicchio leaves and 2 tbsp of dressing. Toss well and season with salt and pepper.
61/3 cup olive oil, plus more for cabbageArrange grilled squash wedges on top of greens. Just before serving, drizzle with remaining dressing and top with pepitas and mint, if using.
71 1/2 lb honeynut or red kuri squash, sliced
81/2 napa cabbage, halved
9Kosher salt
10Freshly ground black pepper
111 5-oz. head radicchio, torn
12Roasted salted pepitas (optional)
13Fresh mint leaves (optional)

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving
Calories265
Total Fat20g
– Saturated Fat3g
Cholesterol0mg
Sodium610mg
Total Carbohydrate19g
– Dietary Fiber3g
– Total Sugars11g
Protein4g
Vitamin C23mg
Calcium73mg
Iron2mg
Potassium494mg

The % Daily Value (DV) is based on a daily intake of 2,000 calories. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.