Prep time
10 minutes
Cook time
50 minutes
Course
Main
Skill level
Beginner
Season
Fall, Winter
Serves
4
I eat squash and kale frequently throughout fall and winter, and a salad combination is one way to beat the overly-indulgent, holiday-gut blues. I took advantage of an abundance of pie pumpkins for this recipe, but you can also make this salad with the wide availability of delicious squashes this time of year. Some of my favorites for roasting include acorn, delicata, butternut, and kabocha squashes. If you go with pumpkin, make sure you’re using a variety that is good for eating, because carving pumpkins taste terrible.
Use any variety of kale that you like, but I prefer red Russian in raw salads because of its mild flavor and delicate texture. Not to mention, its dark green and purple hues are so visually pleasing. This salad would make an attractive side dish on any holiday table.
Ingredients
- 1 large pie pumpkin (or squash)
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- 4 servings red Russian kale
- Dried cranberries, to taste
- Candied pecans or walnuts, to taste
- 4 oz. feta cheese
Glaze
- 2 tbsp. butter, melted
- 2 tbsp. honey
- 1 tsp. hot sauce, or to taste
Balsamic Salad Dressing
- 6 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tbsp. good balsamic vinegar
- 1 small shallot, minced
- ¼ tsp. sea salt
Also works with
Preparation
-
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove and discard the stem from the pumpkin. Slice pumpkin in half and scrape out any seeds and stringy pulp, and cut into 2.5- to 3-inch thick wedges. Lightly coat pumpkin flesh with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a rimmed cookie sheet in a single layer and roast for 45 to 60 minutes, or until tender.
-
To make the glaze, combine melted butter, honey, and hot sauce. Halfway through roasting the pumpkin, glaze the slices and return to the oven. When the pumpkin is completely tender, glaze again before serving.
-
Remove stems from kale and chop into bite-size pieces. Wash and dry. Combine dressing ingredients in a mason jar with a lid. Shake to emulsify and season to taste. Toss kale with desired amounts of dressing. Serve salad with roasted pumpkin, dried cranberries, candied nuts, and crumbled feta cheese.
Roasted Pumpkin and Kale Salad
Prep time
10 minutes
Cook time
50 minutes
Course
Main
Skill level
Beginner
Season
Fall, Winter
Serves
4
I eat squash and kale frequently throughout fall and winter, and a salad combination is one way to beat the overly-indulgent, holiday-gut blues. I took advantage of an abundance of pie pumpkins for this recipe, but you can also make this salad with the wide availability of delicious squashes this time of year. Some of my favorites for roasting include acorn, delicata, butternut, and kabocha squashes. If you go with pumpkin, make sure you’re using a variety that is good for eating, because carving pumpkins taste terrible.
Use any variety of kale that you like, but I prefer red Russian in raw salads because of its mild flavor and delicate texture. Not to mention, its dark green and purple hues are so visually pleasing. This salad would make an attractive side dish on any holiday table.
Ingredients
- 1 large pie pumpkin (or squash)
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- 4 servings red Russian kale
- Dried cranberries, to taste
- Candied pecans or walnuts, to taste
- 4 oz. feta cheese
Glaze
- 2 tbsp. butter, melted
- 2 tbsp. honey
- 1 tsp. hot sauce, or to taste
Balsamic Salad Dressing
- 6 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tbsp. good balsamic vinegar
- 1 small shallot, minced
- ¼ tsp. sea salt
Also works with
Preparation
-
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove and discard the stem from the pumpkin. Slice pumpkin in half and scrape out any seeds and stringy pulp, and cut into 2.5- to 3-inch thick wedges. Lightly coat pumpkin flesh with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a rimmed cookie sheet in a single layer and roast for 45 to 60 minutes, or until tender.
-
To make the glaze, combine melted butter, honey, and hot sauce. Halfway through roasting the pumpkin, glaze the slices and return to the oven. When the pumpkin is completely tender, glaze again before serving.
-
Remove stems from kale and chop into bite-size pieces. Wash and dry. Combine dressing ingredients in a mason jar with a lid. Shake to emulsify and season to taste. Toss kale with desired amounts of dressing. Serve salad with roasted pumpkin, dried cranberries, candied nuts, and crumbled feta cheese.