Squash and Arugula Bowl with Mustard Vinaigrette
Acorn squash charred on the grate, dressed hot, and dropped onto greens that wilt under it.
- calories
- 320
- weight
- 7 oz
- cal / oz
- 46
- protein
- 8 g
- serves
- 4, scales
- prep
- 10 min
- cook
- 15 min
- total time
- 25 min
- water
- none
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Lunch
- Grill grate
- Campfire coals
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Canoe / raft
- Vegetarian
- Gluten free
- Foil packet
- Pre-mix at home
- Needs a cooler
- Basic
Ingredients
| Acorn squash | 1 medium | seeded, cut into half-moons at home |
|---|---|---|
| Olive oil | 3 tbsp | |
| Lemon juice | from 1 lemon | squeezed at home into the dressing jar |
| Stone ground mustard | 1 tbsp | |
| Honey | 2 tsp | |
| Garlic | 1 clove | minced, or 1/4 tsp granulated |
| Dried thyme | 1/4 tsp | |
| Dried oregano | 1/4 tsp | |
| Crushed red pepper | 1/4 tsp | |
| Arugula | 4 cups | packed in a rigid container, not squashed in a bag |
| Pine nuts | 2 tbsp | toast them at home |
| Parmesan | 3 tbsp shaved | a wedge keeps for days out of the cooler |
| Salt and pepper | to taste |
Method
- Shake the jar of oil, lemon, mustard, honey, garlic, thyme, oregano, and red pepper until it stops separating.
- Toss the squash half-moons with half the dressing. Salt and pepper them.
- Get the grate hot over the coals. Lay the squash down and leave it alone for 5 to 7 minutes a side, until it gives when you press it.
- Pile the arugula on a plate or in the pot lid. Lay the hot squash straight on top.
- Pour the rest of the dressing over, then scatter the pine nuts and parmesan. Eat while the greens are still half-wilted.
Squash is one of the few vegetables worth carrying whole. It does not bruise, it does not need a cooler, and it takes a hot grate better than anything else in the produce aisle. Cut it at home so you are not doing knife work on a picnic table in the dark.
The dressing does double duty: half of it is a marinade that helps the cut faces brown, half of it goes on at the end where the acid still tastes like something. Dropping the squash on the arugula hot is the point. The greens collapse just enough to stop being a salad and start being dinner. The parmesan and pine nuts are what keep this from being watery, so do not leave them behind.
Packing
Cut and seed the squash at home and pack the half-moons flat in a bag. The whole dressing goes in one small screw-top jar. Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan at home so you are not babysitting them over a fire.
Variations
- No grate: wrap the dressed squash in foil and bury it in the coals for about 20 minutes. You lose the char, you keep the dinner.
- Swap arugula for a bag of shredded cabbage if you are out more than two days. It will not wilt on you.
- Add a pouch of chicken or a can of white beans to make it a real dinner instead of a side.
https://www.lodgecastiron.com/blogs/recipe/grilled-acorn-squash-salad-with-herbed-lemon-vinaigrette