In the middle of winter, I never want to eat a cold salad, but warm greens can really hit the spot. I made this salad a couple of weeks ago for the first time and loved it so much that I’ve made it four times since. A bit of lemon juice is all that’s needed to complement the flavors of the squash, cranberries, and pine nuts.

Warm Swiss Chard Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash
Serves 2.

Ingredients

• 2 cups peeled butternut squash cubes
• 1 bunch swiss chard, washed, dried, destemmed, and roughly chopped
• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• small handful of dried cranberries
• 2 teaspoons pine nuts
• 2 oz goat cheese
• olive oil, salt, pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Place the squash cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, mixing with your hands to evenly distribute. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the squash is tender, stirring and flipping the squash half way through the baking time so it cooks evenly. Remove from the oven and set aside.
2. In a medium-sized saute pan over medium-high heat, heat a tablespoon of olive oil and then add the swiss chard. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the chard is bright green and softened. Add the lemon juice, dried cranberries, and pine nuts, stirring for one additional minute. Remove from the heat. Taste the salad and add additional lemon juice, salt, and pepper if desired.
3. Plate the salad and top with the roasted butternut squash cubes and goat cheese crumbles.
4. Enjoy!