Butternut Squash Bibb Lettuce Salad with an Avocado Dressing

This week is all about menu planning in action! Be sure to check out the post about it HERE. Todays recipe will serve 10-15 people and was adapted from foodiecrush.com.

Salad covered with dressing!

Large bowl of salad!

Look at the colors!

What you'll need

• Knife
• Cutting board
• Blender
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Baking sheet
• Mixing bowl 
• Mixing spoon

Ingredients

For the salad

• 1 head of bibb lettuce -- Feel free to substitute any heavier lettuce such as romaine
• 3 cups butternut squash chopped into 1/2 inch chunks
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 4 strawberries, sliced (When strawberries are not in season use dried fruit such as cranberries)
• 1/4 cup feta cheese (If you don't like feta try goat cheese)
• 1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds

For the dressing

• 1 medium very ripe avocado 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 serrano pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 green onions roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup cilantro (Optional)
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 limes juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Place your butternut squash in the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.
3. Peel and chop the butternut squash and place the cubes back on a foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle them with the olive oil and toss to coat. Then season with the salt. Place back in the oven for 10 more minutes or until lightly browned.
4. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
5. While your squash is in the oven put all of the dressing ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. The more buttermilk you add the thinner your dressing will be. 
6. Place the salad leaves in the bottom of a large bowl and layer with the butternut squash, fruit, cheese, cilantro (optional). Then top with a few tablespoons of the dressing. Feel free to toss the salad coat the salad more evenly with the dressing. 

Since this weeks recipe was menu planning in action we made these 6 different recipes together and have NO left over ingredients!

• Gluten Free Corn Muffins
• Colorful Fruit Salad
• Butternut Squash Bibb Lettuce Salad with Avocado Dressing
• Vegetable Soup with Buffalo
• Mushroom Casserole
• Salmon with a Dry Rub

Click on any of the above to see the recipe on how to make it and as always feel free to leave questions or comments below!