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Butternut Squash Orzo Salad with Candied Bacon—Spicy, smoky, sweet, roasted butternut squash is tossed together with orzo pasta, torn kale, salty crisp candied bacon (so yummy), roasted pumpkin seeds, and creamy goat cheese (or use salty feta cheese). It’s then dressed well with a sweet and tangy balsamic vinaigrette. This is a wonderful salad to share all season long, with pretty colors and delicious flavor!
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It’s finally time again for big fall salads, warm bowls of pasta, apples in everything, and cozier foods. I love this time of year. We all know this, but I love the recipes I create for fall even more.
I don’t know what it is about these September, October, November, and even December months, but I never seem to lack recipe concepts. I get so excited to share my fall content throughout these months!
I’ve been waiting for weeks to share this warm butternut squash salad, and I’m so happy it’s finally here!
I spent a while on this recipe, perfecting the spices, adjusting the dressing, and even deciding on the perfect cheese. It took me about a week to develop, but the time was worth it.
This is a special butternut squash salad. It has spicy, smoky flavors, notes of cinnamon, and even a little sweetness. In general, it’s a really wonderful September salad that eases us into fall.
And I have to say, the candied bacon, squash, and goat cheese are a combination I didn’t know I would love so much—but it is delicious!!
Let’s get into the details
Step 1: roast the squash and cook the bacon
You want to start this recipe by cooking the squash, as it takes longer to cook. I toss the cubes of butternut squash with smoked paprika, chili powder, and a dash (or two) of cinnamon, then season with salt and pepper.
This spicy mix is great. It has a small amount of warm smokiness, spice, and sweetness.
I push the squash to one side of the pan, and on the other, I toss the bacon with rosemary, maple syrup, and cayenne, then scatter the bacon around the squash.
Bake the squash and bacon together until the squash is soft and the bacon is tender. They should cook in just about the same amount of time.
Step 2: cook the orzo and toss the salad
While the squash is cooking, boil the orzo, then toss it with the kale and toasted pepitas in a big salad bowl.
I like to toss the orzo with the kale while it is warm. The heat from the orzo helps to soften the raw kale.
Step 3: mix the vinaigrette
For the vinaigrette, I used one of my favorites: balsamic! We’re going to shake together high-quality olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fig jam, maple syrup, salt, pepper, and chili flakes.
Then I like to add some fresh thyme too. You could also use sage or rosemary.
Step 4: finish the salad
When the squash and bacon are done, add them to the salad. Add the creamy, crumbled goat cheese, maybe some extra vinaigrette, and then give it all a toss-up.
Personally, I like this salad best when it’s warm, but you can easily chill and serve it, too. Because we’re using kale, this is a great salad to meal prep/make in advance. The kale actually does better with some time to sit and absorb the vinaigrette flavors.
This salad will be great for upcoming fall dinners with friends. I might even add this salad to my Thanksgiving menu. Is anyone else already starting to plan their holiday meal? I can’t believe how fast the holiday season is approaching!
Looking for other salad recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Fall Harvest Roasted Butternut Squash and Pomegranate Salad
Shredded Brussels Sprout Bacon Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette
Pomegranate Salad with Maple Candied Walnuts
Autumn Harvest Honeycrisp Apple and Feta Salad
Lastly, if you make this Butternut Squash Orzo Salad with Candied Bacon, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Butternut Squash Orzo Salad with Candied Bacon
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cups cubed butternut squash
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 6-8 slices bacon, chopped, (omit if vegetarian)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or sage
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1 box orzo pasta
- 2 cups shredded or torn kale
- 1/2 cup roasted pepitas
- 6 ounces crumbled goat cheese
Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1-2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fig preserves, optional
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- salt and black pepper
- chili flakes
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. 2. On the baking sheet, toss together the butternut squash, paprika, chili powder, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Scoot the squash to one side of the pan. On the opposite side, toss the bacon with rosemary, maple, and cayenne. Scatter the bacon in an even layer around the squash. Bake for 15 minutes, until the bacon is crisping. Pull out of the oven and toss. Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, watching closely, until the bacon is crisp and the squash tender.3. Meanwhile, cook the orzo as directed on the box. In a large salad bowl, combine the kale, warm orzo, and toasted pepitas.4. To make the dressing, whisk/shake together all ingredients in a jar. Pour the dressing over the salad and massage into the greens. 5. Add the roasted squash, bacon, and goat cheese, then gently toss. And done! Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
This salad was such a treat! Loved this recipe!
Hey Natalie,
Amazing!! So glad to hear you enjoyed this salad, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xT
As I was making this, I kept wondering – how are all these flavors going to be together? But, there was no need to worry at all. They all combined wonderfully to make the best-tasting salad! “Yum Yum” is really all I can say! Delicious!!!
Hey Glenda,
Awesome! Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Happy Sunday! x
10/10 recommend, easy and amazing flavour combination.
Hey Lorna,
Awesome! Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Happy Sunday! x
I made this with wild rice instead of orzo and squeezed some lemon on top for my last tossing. Wow. Great recipe to play with, Tieghan, thanks!
Thanks so much, Gillian! Love to hear that you enjoyed this salad, I appreciate you giving it a try! xT
I followed the recipe for the dressing and spices. I used sweet potatoes, farro, roasted beets, pepitas, bacon and feta-delicious!
Hey Mary,
Awesome! Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Happy Sunday! x
A friend served this and we all raved….then it popped up on my page from you! now hopefully I can recreate
Hey Rosemary,
Awesome! Love to hear that this recipe turned out well, thanks to your friend for making it! Happy Sunday! x
Tieghan,
Wow! This recipe contains some of my favorite foods and ingredients. The mixture of squash, cinnamon, kale, fresh spices, orzo pasta, and maple syrup is so creative and packs so much flavor in one dish. As a bonus, the combination of colors is beautiful! I can’t wait to add this to one of my evening meals this season.
Thank you so much, Sophia!! I hope you love this recipe and appreciate your comment! xT
Tieghan, this recipe is absolutely delicious!
I used turkey bacon and baby kale, and these worked well. In the dressing, where you give choices, I opted for 2 cloves of garlic, the fig preserves and maple syrup.
My suggestion would be to, perhaps, cut back a bit on the amount of orzo and DEFINITELY add more KALE to the salad. Although I didn’t add ALL 6 oz. of goat cheese to the finished salad, I brought some to the table so that others could add more, as desired. The flavors are wonderful, and it must have taken DAYS to develop this recipe!
(I admit that I’m NOT speedy, and it took me 2 hours to make it!) The recipe makes a huge amount, and we’ll certainly enjoy it all weekend and beyond! We ate it with some leftover chicken breast that had a creamy curry sauce. It would be terrific at Thanksgiving with a slice of turkey and gravy! BRAVA!!!!
Hey Maggie,
Happy Friday!! Thrilled to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it and your comment! xx
This sounds delicious! Orzo substitute…gluten free.
Hi Cheryl,
Thanks so much! Your local grocery store should carry gluten free orzo, otherwise arborio rice will work too! I hope you love this recipe! xT
It’s actually very hard to find GF orzo in general, and if you do it’s usually made with corn so it has a very strong corn taste. Cheryl, I’m also GF, and I don’t like the all-corn flavor, so I would probably pivot to rice or just a different short GF pasta like rigatoni.
I made this today and it was pretty good! I didn’t follow the recipe exactly… I used a spinach and spring greens mix, and I just used bottled balsamic dressing instead of making one because I was running short on time. My only complaint is that I don’t think the pasta worked for me in this recipe. I wish I had used farro or some other heartier grain. Anyway, it was still good! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Hi Kim,
Happy Friday!! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for making it and your comment! xx
Cheryl, BRAILLA brand makes a Chickpea ORZO. When husband was on a starch free diet last spring, I found BARILLA full line of Chickpea products. We still use them
Delicious! I’ll be making this for Thanksgiving.
Thanks so much, Mary Lou! Love to hear this! Have a great day! xT
Can we substitute baby spinach for the kale?
Hi Kelly,
Totally, that would also work nicely for you! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try! xT
I also wanted clarity on how much a box of orzo is? How many cups?
Hi Susan,
You will want to use 1 pound of orzo. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try! xT
This recipe sounds wonderful! Is the ‘box” of orzo in the recipe a one (1) pound box?
Many thanks.
Hi Maggie,
Yes, that is correct:) Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Thanks so much, Tieghan!
How do I pin a recipe of yours?
Hi Wendy,
Just roll your mouse over any photo and the Pinterest “save” button will appear. I hope this helps! xT
Good Morning. Waking up to needed rain for 24H. 🙂
He cannot eat Kale or anything veggie dark green…and not fond of goat cheese.
Suggestions?
I love Fig jam so the dressing will be perfect.
So hoping we can find alternatives.. Thanks.
Hi Leslie,
How about arugula? That would work nicely! And then really any cheese you like will work:) I hope you love this salad! xT