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.

Once the squash as cooled, plate your salad and top with the dressing. 

Serve right away and enjoy!