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Roasted Butternut and Crispy Rice Salad

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Fall flavors meet crispy textures in this vibrant Roasted Butternut and Crispy Rice Salad! With spiced squash, kale, apples, pumpkin seeds, and a creamy pumpkin dressing, it’s everything you need in a cozy, colorful bowl. Make it ahead for easy lunches or serve it fresh as a holiday side.
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Fall Roasted Butternut and Crispy Rice Salad

Crispy rice has gone viral for good reason, and honestly, I’m not mad about it. Turns out those golden, crunchy little bites are the perfect salad topper, bringing the same addictive energy as croutons but with way more personality. In this fall-inspired salad, crispy rice gets cozy with massaged kale, caramelized butternut squash fresh out of the oven, and crisp, juicy apples. It’s basically autumn in a bowl, but make it crunchy.

The mix of textures here is what makes it shine:

chewy greens, creamy roasted squash, refreshing apple slices, and that irresistible rice crackle in every bite. And while it looks like a chef-y salad you’d order at a trendy café, it’s simple enough to throw together at home for lunch, dinner, or to wow your friends at a dinner party. Bonus: kale brings the superfood cred, squash delivers fiber and sweetness, apples add brightness, and crispy rice makes sure nobody accuses this salad of being boring. If fall could write a love letter to salad season, this would be it!

close-up of a green salad with butternut and crispy rice

Fall Roasted Butternut and Crispy Rice Salad Ingredients

This salad is made with simple, seasonal ingredients that balance sweet, savory, and crunchy elements in every bite. Let’s get into it!

Roasted Butternut

  • Butternut squash: Naturally sweet and creamy, butternut squash is the star of fall cooking. It roasts beautifully with a soft interior and caramelized edges.
  • Olive oil (optional): Adds a little richness and helps the squash crisp up. 
  • Cinnamon, garlic powder, ground sage (or rosemary/thyme): When these flavors come together in the oven, the aroma is incredible! On the butternut, they bring a savory-sweet flavor that brings warmth and depth to the whole salad.

Crispy Rice

  • Cooked and cooled jasmine rice: Leftover rice is ideal when making crispy rice, as it crisps up better than freshly cooked rice. The neutral flavor lets the seasoning shine.
  • Coconut aminos: Adds umami and a touch of sweetness to the rice without overpowering.
  • Garlic powder: Season the rice simply and let it shine as the crispy, savory element of the salad.
butternut squash cut lengthwise with seeds still inside on a wooden board

Salad Base

  • Kale: I love kale as the base of a warm salad, as it’s sturdy enough to handle the warmer ingredients without wilting. Once massaged, it softens beautifully and holds up even after dressing.
  • Lemon juice and olive oil (optional): Help tenderize the kale and balance the richness of the other ingredients.
  • Honeycrisp apple: Adds crisp texture and juicy sweetness. Any firm, tart apple works well here.
  • Pumpkin seeds: Toasty and crunchy, they bring texture and a nutty flavor.
  • Medjool dates: Their caramel sweetness contrasts with the tangy dressing and savory elements. You can also use raisins or cranberries if you don’t have dates on hand.
fresh lacinato kale leaves on a wooden cutting board

Pumpkin Balsamic Dressing

  • Balsamic vinegar: Tangy and slightly sweet, it balances the richness of the tahini and squash.
  • Roasted tahini (or olive oil): Provides creaminess and body to the dressing.
  • Pumpkin puree: Adds seasonal flavor and natural sweetness.
  • Maple syrup: Rounds everything out with a hint of caramel-like depth.
  • Coconut aminos, Dijon mustard, cinnamon: A flavor-forward blend that ties the entire salad together.

How to Make This Delicious Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Crispy Rice

This salad comes together in four easy steps. While the squash and rice roast, you can prep the rest of the ingredients so everything’s ready at once.

peeled butternut squash cut into large sections on a cutting board

How to Cut Butternut Squash for Roasting

Start by peeling the squash with a sharp vegetable peeler. Slice it in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and cut it into even ½-inch cubes. Keeping the pieces uniform helps them roast evenly and brown beautifully in the oven. Click here to learn how to cut a squash.

How to Make Crispy Rice

Spread day-old, cooked jasmine rice onto a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Toss it with coconut aminos, garlic powder, and salt. Roast at 400°F for about 30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and crisp on the edges. Crispy rice is what makes this salad irresistible, don’t skip it!

baked crispy rice on a baking sheet with parchment paper after its come out the oven

Roast the Butternut Squash

Toss your cubed squash with optional olive oil and your spice blend, sea salt, black pepper, cinnamon, garlic powder, and dried herbs like sage or rosemary. Spread it out on a separate rimmed baking sheet and roast alongside the rice until tender and golden, about 30 minutes.

How to Assemble the Fall Salad

Massage the chopped kale with lemon juice and a touch of olive oil until softened. Click here if you want more in-depth instructions on how to perfectly soften your kale.  Add the apple, dates, and pumpkin seeds to a large bowl along with the massaged kale. Once your rice and squash are done, let them cool slightly, then add them to the salad. In a jar or bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients. Pour the pumpkin balsamic dressing over the salad and toss well to coat. Serve immediately or refrigerate and toss just before serving.

bowl with crispy rice, roasted butternut squash, chopped dates, pumpkin seeds, and kale

Ways to Customize Your Fall Roasted Butternut Squash and Crispy Rice Salad

There are plenty of easy ways to adapt this recipe to suit your preferences or use what you have on hand. Instead of kale, you can swap in baby spinach or peppery arugula for the base. Make the salad even heartier by adding crispy chickpeas or tofu. If you’re out of butternut squash, kabocha, or delicata squash would work beautifully. And if crispy rice isn’t your thing, try using farro, quinoa, or wild rice!

close-up of crispy rice bowl with roasted butternut squash, apple, dates, pumpkin seeds, and kale

Why You’ll Love This Fall Crispy Rice Salad

This crispy rice salad isn’t just beautiful, it’s bursting with flavor and texture in every bite! The crunchy rice, chewy dates, crisp apples, and creamy roasted squash create an incredible contrast that keeps every forkful exciting. What more could you want from a salad? It’s utrient-dense, packed with fiber, antioxidants, and healthy fats from whole food ingredients. Also, it just feels like autumn in a bowl and I cannot imagine any better way to start the season!

bowl with mix of greens, roasted butternut and crispy rice

Frequently Asked Questions For This Crispy Rice Salad

Can I make this crispy rice salad ahead of time? Yes! You can roast the squash, crisp the rice, and prep all the components a day in advance. Keep everything separate and store the dressing in a sealed jar. Toss everything together just before serving for the best texture.

Can I layer this salad? Yes, you can! If you want to bring this deliciousness to a function, layer it up. Start with the dressing and your most hearty ingredients at the bottom, leave the greens and crispy rice for the top, flip and toss when you’re ready!

Other Salad Recipes You’ll Enjoy

If you loved this cozy, crunchy fall salad, try these other Jackfruitful Kitchen favorites:

Maple Curry Roasted Cauliflower with Crispy Rice

Crispy Rice Cucumber Salad

Crispy Rice Paper Dumplings

Jackie Akerberg

Author of the Clean Vegan Cookbook, Food Blogger and Recipe Developer from Des Moines, Iowa. 

Jackfruitful Kitchen has proudly been featured in Forks Over Knives, Vegan Bowls, Vegan Food and Living, and DSM Magazine.

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kale salad bowl with roasted butternut squash, pepitas, and chopped vegetables
Jackie Akerberg

Fall Roasted Butternut and Crispy Rice Salad

5 from 2 votes
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Fall flavors meet crispy textures in this vibrant Roasted Butternut and Crispy Rice Salad! With spiced squash, kale, apples, pumpkin seeds, and a creamy pumpkin dressing, it’s everything you need in a cozy, colorful bowl. Make it ahead for easy lunches or serve it fresh as a holiday side.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Course, Salad
Calories: 306

Equipment

  • Oven

Ingredients
  

Roasted Butternut Ingredients
  • 1 small butternut squash, cubed
  • 1 tbsp olive oil, optional
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp ground sage, rosemary or thyme
Crispy Rice Ingredients
  • 2 cups cooked and cooled jasmine rice*
  • 1 tbsp coconut aminos
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp salt
Salad Ingredients
  • 1 bunch kale, chopped and massaged
  • ½ lemon, juiced
  • ½ tsp olive oil, optional
  • 1 honey crisp apple, chopped
  • ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
  • ¼ cup medjool dates, chopped
Pumpkin Balsamic Dressing Ingredients
  • 3 tbsp balsamic
  • ¼ cup roasted tahini, or olive oil
  • ¼ cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp coconut aminos
  • ½ tsp dijon mustard
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp sea salt

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Spread the butternut squash on one baking sheet and drizzle with optional olive oil and sprinkle with spices. Toss to combine.
  3. Spread the rice on the other baking sheet and drizzle with coconut aminos and sprinkle with garlic powder and sea salt. Mix well and spread into an even layer.
  4. Transfer both baking sheets to the oven and bake for 30 minutes, tossing each halfway through to ensure even baking until golden and crisp.
  5. Add the kale to a bowl and drizzle with lemon juice and optional olive oil. Massage with your hands for 15 seconds until tender. Add to a serving bowl with apple, pumpkin seeds, dates, crispy rice and squash.
  6. Add all the ingredients for the dressing to a jar and stir to combine. Season to taste. Toss right before serving.

Notes

*It's best to use leftover day-old rice for this recipe, but if you're making fresh, spread the cooked rice on a plate and cool in the fridge until room temp.

Nutrition

Serving 1servingCalories 306kcalCarbohydrates 53gProtein 6gFat 10gSaturated Fat 1gPolyunsaturated Fat 3gMonounsaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0.002gSodium 781mgPotassium 735mgFiber 6gSugar 16gVitamin A 17078IUVitamin C 54mgCalcium 159mgIron 2mg

*Macros are provided as an estimate for convenience. Your final numbers will vary depending on ingredient brands, substitutions, and how you portion the recipe.

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4 Responses

  1. 5 stars
    Really delicious salad. Took it to a potluck and everyone raved about it. Fairly easy to make. Several things can be made ahead.

    Reply

  2. 5 stars
    This salad is phenomenal! The pumpkin puree gives the dressing a rich, creamy texture. The dates and apple give the salad a hint of sweetness which is balanced by the squash and pumpkin seeds. Such a great amalgamation of flavors and textures. 10/10!

    Reply
5 from 2 votes

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