Black Rice Butternut Arugula Salad with Pomegranate + Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Things I can’t get enough of: pomegranates + apple cider + apples + butternut squash + nutmeg/clove/everyfallspice. I swear I wait all year for these ingredients. SO, naturally, I put them all into a salad! This has to be in my top 3 favorite dishes I’ve made this season so far. And I’ve made A LOT of things. Also, can we just take a minute to acknowledge how gorgeous this is?!




This dressing is unreal. Reduced. apple. cider.

Gotta have crunch, always.

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Black Rice Butternut Arugula Salad with Pomegranate + Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 4

Author Molly (Spices in My DNA)

Ingredients

• For the salad:
• 1 c. black rice (about 3 cups cooked)
• 1 1/4 lbs. butternut squash, cut into 1/2'' cubes
• 2 T. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 2 T. pumpkin seeds, toasted
• 1/2 c. pomegranate arils
• 5 c. baby arugula
• 1/4 c. chopped flat leaf parsley
• For the dressing:
• 1 c. apple cider, reduced to 3 T. (see directions)
• 3 T. apple cider vinegar
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
• pinch of red pepper flake
• 1 tsp. dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
• 1/3 c. olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425℉. Prepare rice according to package directions. Add squash to a large baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Add cinnamon, clove, allspice, salt, and pepper, and toss to coat. Roast for 25 min, stirring once, until tender and golden.

2. While squash is roasting, reduce the cider. In a small saucepan, bring cider to boil, then reduce to med/low and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until it is about 3 tablespoons. Let cool.
3. To make dressing, add reduced cooled cider, apple cider vinegar, nutmeg, thyme, red pepper flake, dijon, garlic, and olive oil to a jar and shake until combined.
4. To assemble salad, add cooled rice, arugula, and butternut to a large bowl. Drizzle with some of the dressing, maybe a third, and toss. Add the pomegranate and toasted pumpkin seeds and toss again. Top with chopped parsley and serve with extra dressing.