Grown-up Lunch: Autumn Harvest Salad with Green Goddess Dressing

A few weeks ago, I received a copy of  Cooking Light’s latest cookbook, Cooking Light Lighten Up, America! to check out. The book features 150+ classic American recipes that have been revamped to be healthier. The first recipe to catch my eye was a lightened version of Green Goddess Dressing. Zach and I are obsessed with a Green Goddess salad from one of our local pizza places so a few days later I made a batch of this dressing to try. It is SO good — zippy, tangy, garlicky, herb-y. We’ve been dressing simple green salads with it several nights per week and dipping veggies in it at snack time.

Last week, I decided I wanted to use it on a hearty lunch salad so I pulled this and that out of the fridge and made this Autumn Harvest salad for Zach and I.

Autumn Harvest Salad
serves 2

Ingredients

• one bag of butter lettuce
• 4 slices of natural-style deli turkey, chopped
• 1 cup roasted carrots
• 2 cups roasted butternut squash
• 2 tablespoons pepitas
• Green Goddess Dressing, to taste (see recipe below)

Preparation

1. If you don’t already have roasted carrots and squash (like I did), toss peeled carrots and butternut squash cut into 1 inch chunks with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 20-30 minutes or until veggies are tender and just a little brown.
2. Toss all ingredients together.
3. Eat salad.

Green Goddess Dressing
recipe courtesy of Cooking Light

Ingredients

• 1 small garlic clove, peeled
• 1 cup basil leaves
• 1/2 cup fat-free Greek yogurt
• 1/3 cup parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup canola mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation

1. With food processor on, drop garlic through food chute; process until minced. Add basil and remaining ingredients; process until smooth.