Hearty Roasted Butternut Squash & Apple Salad

Are you in the mood for a hearty fall/winter salad that combines the rich flavors of roasted butternut squash, sweet apples, and wholesome wheat berries? Look no further! This recipe is a delightful creation from Cookie and Kate, inspired by a favorite restaurant salad. It's a perfect blend of textures and tastes, featuring the natural sweetness of butternut squash, the tartness of roasted apples, and the chewiness of wheat berries.

Ingredients:

Salad:

• 1 cup hard white wheat berries, rinsed (or your whole grain of choice—farro, quinoa, or sorghum are great substitutes)
• 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced into ½” wide wedges
• One small (2 to 2 ½ pounds) butternut squash
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt, plus more for sprinkling
• 5 ounces baby arugula (about 5 cups, packed)
• ⅓ cup dried cranberries

Cinnamon-Maple Pecans:

• ½ cup pecan pieces (or roughly chopped whole pecans)
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup
• Pinch ground cinnamon
• Pinch salt

Ginger Dressing:

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste