Description
This vibrant Black Rice Butternut Arugula Salad combines nutty black rice with roasted spiced butternut squash, fresh arugula, and tart pomegranate seeds, all brought together with a tangy apple cider vinaigrette. It’s a hearty and colorful salad perfect as a light main or a flavorful side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Salad:
- 1 cup black rice (about 3 cups cooked)
- 1 1/4 lbs. butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, toasted
- 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
- 5 cups baby arugula
- 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
For the Dressing:
- 1 cup apple cider, reduced to 3 tablespoons
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- Pinch of red pepper flake
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
- 1/3 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat and cook rice: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Prepare the black rice according to package instructions until cooked and set aside to cool.
- Roast the butternut squash: Toss the cubed butternut squash with olive oil, cinnamon, ground cloves, allspice, salt, and pepper to coat evenly. Spread on a large baking sheet and roast for 25 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the squash is tender and golden.
- Reduce apple cider: While the squash roasts, bring 1 cup of apple cider to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the cider reduces to about 3 tablespoons. Remove from heat and let it cool completely.
- Make the dressing: In a jar or small bowl, combine the cooled reduced cider, apple cider vinegar, nutmeg, dried thyme, red pepper flakes, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, and olive oil. Shake or whisk until well combined.
- Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, combine the cooked and cooled black rice, roasted butternut squash, and baby arugula. Drizzle about one-third of the dressing over the mixture and toss gently to combine.
- Add final toppings and serve: Fold in pomegranate arils and toasted pumpkin seeds. Toss lightly again to distribute evenly. Top the salad with chopped flat leaf parsley and serve with extra vinaigrette on the side.
Notes
- Make sure the black rice is fully cooked and cooled before assembling to prevent the salad from becoming mushy.
- Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant and slightly golden to bring out their flavor.
- The apple cider reduction adds sweetness and depth to the vinaigrette—do not skip this step for best flavor.
- You can prepare the apple cider reduction and roast the squash ahead of time to save time during serving.
- Adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to control the level of spiciness in the dressing.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: black rice salad, butternut squash salad, pomegranate salad, arugula salad, apple cider vinaigrette, roasted vegetables, fall salad, vegetarian salad
