A while back I absolutely fell in love with this Skinny Honey Mustard Salad Dressing that I had made, and have seriously been looking for almost any excuse to make it again. I could almost drink this dressing down by the gallon, I swear. Anyway, I've used it as both a marinade and a dip for chicken, but I was in the mood for a salad today and had my eyes set on this lovely butternut squash that was perched on my kitchen counter.

In keeping with my fall theme, I basically took all of my favorite fall inspired things and threw them into one giant salad together. The end result? A perfectly filling and delicious salad that I more than enjoyed for lunch!

So what's traditional in the fall in my mind? Winter squashes such as butternut, turkey, cranberries, apples, and how could I forget spinach? I couldn't! Good stuff. Add some blue cheese and walnuts and you've got perfection at hand.

Now, this made for a rather large salad, so if you're looking to use this as a side to dinner then you will probably want to half the serving and split it into two salads instead of just the one.

I sautéed my butternut squash, but baking it would give you about the same result - just that it takes a little longer in the oven than it does in the pan and I really didn't want to heat up my kitchen too much. We've still got 90+ degree days here in Austin - yikes!

If you aren't a big fan of butternut squash, you could probably use fresh pumpkin in the same way since the two are really quite similar in taste and texture. But, I can't say for sure since I haven't officially tried it myself.

Skinny Fall Harvest Salad
TheSkinnyFork.com

2The Skinny:
Servings: 1 • Size: 1 Salad • Calories: 301.6 • Fat: 8.9 g • Carb: 37.9 g • Fiber: 7.1 g • Protein: 19.6 g • Sugar: 18.6 g • Sodium: 363.7 mg

Ingredients:
1/2 C. Butternut Squash - Peeled, Seeded & Cubed
1-2 Tbsp. Water
3 Oz. (1 1/2 C.) Baby Spinach
1 Tbsp. Dried Cranberries
1 Tbsp. Blue Cheese Crumbles
1 Tbsp. Walnuts, Chopped
1/2 Medium Apple, Chopped
2 Oz. Thick Cut Smoked Deli Turkey, Cubed
2 Tbsp. Skinny Honey Mustard Salad Dressing
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Directions:

Lightly coat the inside of a small pan with some non-stick cooking spray and add in the butternut squash and water. Season with some salt and pepper and heat over a medium-high heat.

Cover and allow to 'steam' cook for 5 minutes or until the squash has become tender.

I like to give a few tosses in between the cooking to cook evenly on all sides.

Once done, allow the squash to cool lightly.