Ingredient Spotlight. Our Butternut Squash Seed Oil is the secret handshake here — nutty, toasty, and gently sweet, it roasts the squash and echoes its flavor in every bite. For the croutons we reach for our Herbes de Provence Infused Olive Oil, whose lavender-and-thyme perfume crisps the sourdough beautifully.
Vinaigrette: ½ cup Cranberry Pear White Balsamic Vinegar · ¼ cup Butternut Squash Seed Oil · 1 shallot, finely chopped · ½ tsp ground ginger · salt · pepper
2 pears, chopped · 1 cup dried cranberries · ½ cup pepitas
Instructions
Heat oven to 400°F. Toss the squash with the Butternut Squash Seed Oil, salt, and pepper on a parchment-lined sheet. Roast 35–45 minutes, until tender and caramelized at the edges.
On a second sheet, toss the sourdough with the Herbes de Provence oil, salt, and pepper. Roast 10–15 minutes, until golden and crisp; cool.
Whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together and let sit 15 minutes to mellow the shallot.
In a large bowl, combine the roasted squash, croutons, pears, cranberries, and pepitas.
Drizzle generously with the vinaigrette, toss gently, and finish with a thread of Butternut Squash Seed Oil. Serve while the croutons are still crisp.
Chef's Notes
Dress it just before serving so the bread stays crunchy.
Roast the squash until the edges turn deep gold — that's where the sweetness lives.
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