With the start of fall I am fulling embracing all things fall-food related, pumpkin, squash, apples, etc. For my next post in my September series of recipes on the Free People blog BLDG 25, I am sharing a beautifully vibrant salad full of some of my favorite Mediterranean flavors. This spaghetti squash salad is so simple and so delightful, it is hard to believe that the entire thing is basically just veggies. If you haven’t yet experimented with a spaghetti squash, get on that ASAP, especially while they are in season.

While the beautiful colors outside are starting to show themselves and summer has all but faded away, this salad is a wonderful celebration of all of it. Embracing the last bit of summer with fresh local tomatoes and of course, the fall with the delicious and versatile spaghetti squash. This salad is great vegan or if you aren’t vegan or dairy-free, it is wonderful with a small bit of crumbled goat cheese feta over top.

This recipe was originally shared on the Free People blog, BLDG 25.

[print_this]Mediterranean Spaghetti Squash Salad – Gluten-free + Vegan

serves 4-6

• 1 medium-sized spaghetti squash
• 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1 banana pepper (or bell pepper), diced
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives (or black olives), chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh herbs, roughly chopped – I used a blend of oregano, mint and parsley
• 4 oz feta cheese (optional)

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon raw sugar or other sweetener

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Using a skewer or the tip of a knife, puncture a handful of holes all over the squash, on all sides, to keep it from bursting while baking.

Place the whole squash in a glass pan and bake for 1 hour, until the flesh is soft. Allow to cool until you can easily handle it and slice in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and fibrous strings from the center of the cooked spaghetti squash. Using a fork around the edge of the spaghetti squash, gently scrape to shred the pulp into strands. It will happen very easily.  Place the spaghetti squash in a large serving bowl, and place in the fridge to cool.

Meanwhile, whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Once the squash has cooled to about room temperature or colder (I just make the squash the night before, place it in the fridge to cool overnight and toss the salad together the next day), add all of the other ingredients to the squash and toss well to combine. Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss to combine.

Serve topped with additional fresh herbs and some crumbled feta cheese, if you wish! [/print_this]