One of the more interesting trends I’ve noticed around New York City this fall and winter is the creative use of winter squash in unconventional dishes. While squash has always had a place in soups (butternut squash bisques, for example) and rich braises and stews, this year I’ve found it appearing in hearty winter salads. This new trend is a boon for vegetarians, because the inclusion of sweet-and-savory roasted winter squash in an appetizer salad can turn a light bite into the basis of a full-blown vegetarian meal.

Two recent meals demonstrate this delightful trend perfectly. A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of dining at Beppe, an upscale Italian restaurant in the Gramercy neighborhood. The menu offered a roasted squash salad, which was complemented by a few leaves bitter radicchio, a handful of crunchy spiced pumpkin seeds, and a blanket of gooey stracciatella cheese. This salad was flavorful and incredibly filling, the squash and the cheese providing an ample winter meal for the price of an appetizer.

Last week I dined at Bar Blanc, a new fine-dining destination in the West Village. I selected the fall squash salad, which came with baby arugula, a tiny bit of goat cheese, two buttery croutons, and chunks of creamy roasted squash. This salad was incredibly delicious—one of the best restaurant dishes I’ve had in a while—and once again the filling squash allowed the small salad to become a full meal (with the addition of dessert, of course).

While not every restaurant has jumped on the squash bandwagon, winter squash is one of those key ingredients any vegetarian should have on his or her “watch” list. It’s a keyword that stands for filling, delicious, healthy dishes, and it will lead you in the direction of creative and comforting winter delights.