Recipe: Raw Butternut Squash Salad with Brown Butter, Hazelnuts and Currants
Post by Olivia Blodgett, Registered Dietitian
This recipe is not my own but I have to share it because you need to know about it. We are in it for the long haul with winter squashes, root vegetables and potatoes off all kinds. No more tomatoes, zucchini and corn for another 9 months (ugh), so here is a fantastic recipe to make this reality a little easier to swallow. We all know butternut squash is delicous roasted or as an addition to soups and stews, but did you know it can also be eaten raw? This salad is incredible and probably my single favorite recipe from my absolute favorite cookbook. You’ve gotta try this one!
Raw Butternut Squash Salad with Brown Butter, Hazelnuts and Currants
(adapted from Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden)
Ingredients
- ½ cup dried currants
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 pound butternut squash, peeled and seeded
- 3 scallions, trimmed (including ½ inch off the green tops), thinly sliced on an angle, soaked in ice water for 20 minutes, and drained well
- ½ teaspoon dried chile flakes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup brown butter*
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup lightly packed mint leaves
- ½ cup hazelnuts, lightly toasted, some roughly chopped, some crushed
Instructions
Put the currants in a small bowl and pour over the vinegar. Soak for 30 minutes. Use a vegetable peeler to shave the squash into very thin ribbons. If you have pieces of squash that are too hard to shave, just cut them into very thin julienne with a sharp knife. It doesn’t matter if everything is the same shape; you just want the squash as thin and delicate as possible.
Pile the squash into a large bowl and add the currants and soaking vinegar, scallions, chile flakes, and a generous amount of salt and black pepper. Toss to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning so it is balanced and vibrant.
Pour in the warm brown butter and toss again. Add the olive oil, toss again, and taste. Add the mint and hazelnuts, toss, and serve right away.
*How to brown butter: Click here