Butternut Squash Salsa.
Or perhaps we should call it autumn salsa, since it includes one of my other favorite autumn treats… pomegranate!
My home looked like a crime scene after cutting into this pomegranate on Saturday afternoon. As of this morning, I am still finding tiny fuschia spots on my kitchen walls. I also ended up with fresh pomegranate juice in my eye.
Totally worth it. I find pomegranates to be so refreshing and thirst-quenching. Even more reason to include them in this salsa with the warm, wintery spiced squash.
Even Mr. How Sweet, who can be a bit picky about his salsa and salads, enjoyed this with some crunchy tortilla chips. He even started eating it with a spoon. I think he spit out the pomegranate arils though. His taste buds can’t handle those yet.
But that is fine – just means more pomegranate for me. It’s a plus that only one of us enjoys them, considering one cost a full $3.00. Trust me, my bank account wept.
The combination really can’t get any better. Nutmeg-spiced roasted squash, sweet onions, juicy, crisp apples and fresh pomegranate arils that invigorate the entire dish. It’s a sparkling taste of the season.
I also think the salsa would be fabulous with some black beans thrown in. I didn’t have any on hand, but we are having tostadas for dinner this week and I think this salsa + black beans will also be making an appearance.
Butternut Squash Salsa
Ingredients
- 1/2 small butternut squash, chopped
- 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
- 1 apple, chopped
- 1/2 sweet pepper, chopped (I used yellow)
- 1/4 cup pomegranate arils
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Lay squash out on a baking sheet and sprinkle with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil. Roast for 20 minutes, flipping once. It is important to make sure the squash still has some bite to it – you don’t want it to turn into mush. One done, remove and let cool.
- In a large bowl combine squash and all other ingredients, including vinegar and honey. Stir until thoroughly mixed and season with salt and pepper according to your tastes.
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66 Comments on “Butternut Squash Salsa.”
so colorful!!! love it! :)
Yes it is! The pomegranates are B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!!!
Ah… the joys of the pomegranate. It’s totally worth it, despite the mess it makes. This salsa has such amazing colors and I bet it tastes fantastic! Definitely one to put on the Thanksgiving menu!
Pomagranetes always photograph beautifully!!!
Great salsa!
Wow, what a great idea and lovely, lovely use of butternut squash. I haven’t had pomegranate yet this year but can’t wait.
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I love pomegranates, too! Thanks for the recipe! :-)
THIS. IS. BRILLIANT. The colors, the flavor, the in-season flare. This might be my go-to appetizer for fall and winter.
Oh yum! Nice use of seasonal foods!
This looks really good AND super-nutritious. Wicked!
Oooh, this has so many of my favorite things!!! Yum!
Wow, that’s gorgeous.
How fun is this recipe, I love it! Really creative and such a fun festive fall twist on a classic, great job on this girl!
Wow that looks so delicious!
Such a fun salsa – I bet a pinch of cinnamon would be good in there too? I too had the pomegranate “crime scene” over here yesterday as well! xo
I bet a pinch of cinnamon would be great in this salsa too! Looks amazing & I love the combo of flavors :) xo
Don’t you have to spit the pomegranate aril centers (the seedy part) of it out, though?
Nope – I just eat them whole.
Did you know that if you peel a pomegranate in a bowl of water, the arils will float and the few that do “explode” do so in the water. MUCH less messy.
What a beautiful salsa!
I do, but then I wouldn’t get to slurp up all the fresh pom juice that comes out of it!
That looks really good and really creative.
Okay, now this is my kind of salsa! Salad to me is usually just ‘meh’, take it or leave it, but this one I would take!
This looks gorgeous AND delicious! Can I ask though, can this be made in advance? I’m having an autumn dinner party on Saturday but like to do as much the night before or morning of as possible! This would be a great seasonal addition.
I am not positive, we ate it all in one sitting. But I think you could give it a try – I would do it in the morning or afternoon of the day.
I love, love, love poms and beets but never buy them because I’m so afraid of the mess. I have issues.
Whatever u may want to call it, its so pretty bursting with delish colors!!
this looks awesome and i love the rainbow bright colors!
xoxo
:)
i’ll take autumn salsa any day of the week!
I would love autumn salsa anytime any place! This looks absolutely amazing!!!
Cool recipe! Just regular corn chips with this?
That’s what we used!
…but how the hells did you get that pomegrante open like that…. Jaws of steel?
My super strong claws!
Interesting! I will have to try this. Love the vibrance too.
Mmmm that flavor combo sounds amazing. I actually just posted an easy way to open pomegranates minus the crime scene – it’s made my life so much easier and cleaner for that matter.
Interesting combination. I’ll have to give it a try. Totally forgot about pom season. arg!
bnut squash in a salsa?? GENIOUS!!
Wow, I’ve never had butternut squash OR pomegranate. I feel ashamed now… :(
Sounds delicious, even though I have no idea what pomegranate tastes like (yes, it’s sad).
How creative are you?! Wonderful fall fusion here!
This salsa is so creative, love those Pomegranate seeds & I know what you mean about the massacre :) xo
What a fantastic idea!
My vocal chords were making ‘mmmm’ and ‘oooooh’ sounds of their own accord while I was reading/looking at this. It sounds incredible and looks even better.
You are so creative! I have never had a fresh pomegranate…I feel like I am definitely missing out…except definitely not on the price! When I see them on sale next, I am going to snag a few!
You have been posting so many veggie recipes lately – who are you, and what have you done with Jessica!!!!???
Hehe, I kid, I kid. But really … bring on the bacon!!!!!
That is one fresh, vibrant, colorful bite of autumn!!! Love it, and goodness, just realized I haven’t had a Pom in like 1.5 years.
Oh, and you know what? I dunno why, but I want this on roast duck. Strange.
Delightful! Bought POMS yesterday at Sam’s Club 4/7.88 which I thought was a steal. Can’t wait to try this!
This is brilliant! I love all the fall flavors it includes. :-)
I love pomegranites! It’s funny but when I moved here, I just assumed all the fruit that was popular in Moscow was also popular everywhere else. Apparently that was not the case. I introduced my hubs and his family to pomegranites a few years ago and now I’m trying to get him to actually eat a persimon. Weird how these delicious fruits are less popular here.
What cool pictures!!! You are really taking food styling to a new level. Recipe looks quite daring as well… great job!!
This looks incredible! I LOVE pomegranate too…$3 for one is crazy though! Ours are 2/$4 right now and I thought that was bad – yikes!
I’m sure some one has already told you this, but if you split the pom under water (like in a bowl) – it is way less messy and the seeds just float to the top.Whoever did that the first time was a genius…but so are you for putting these yummy flavors together.
Love the vibrant colors! Almost looks too pretty to eat…almost ;)
oh that is great! I love the idea of all those flavors mixed together!
Well, this just looks amazing! Sorry it took me a few days to get around to commenting, but I just had to let you know that this sounds perfect! Love it!
Glad you reposted- def missed the salsa! That looks amazing.