Carrageenan Free Roasted Squash Salad with Pomegranate and Pepitas
Warm, spiced squash meets peppery arugula, jewel-bright pomegranate arils, and crunchy pepitas in a salad that feels genuinely celebratory without requiring much effort. The butternut cubes get tossed with turmeric, cinnamon, and ginger before hitting a hot oven, so by the time they come out — golden-edged and tender — your kitchen already smells incredible. The tahini-lemon dressing comes together in minutes with a whisk and a few pantry staples, and it's silky enough to drape beautifully over everything without any thickeners or additives you'd need to second-guess. That matters here, because carrageenan has a sneaky way of showing up in store-bought dressings and dairy-adjacent products, and this recipe sidesteps all of that entirely by keeping every component whole and homemade. Every ingredient on this list is straightforward and easy to source clean. The result is a salad that works as a stunning side or a satisfying light main, and the contrast of warm squash against cool greens makes it feel far more composed than the effort involved.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the roasted squash
- 1 medium butternut squash (about 2 lb), peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp tahini
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
- 2–3 tbsp water, to thin
- ¼ tsp salt
For the salad
- 5 oz baby arugula
- ¾ cup pomegranate arils (from about ½ medium pomegranate)
- ⅓ cup dry-roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 2
In a large mixing bowl, toss the squash cubes with 2 tbsp olive oil, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, and 1/2 tsp salt until evenly coated. Spread in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between pieces.
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