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I am a firm believer that a salad should never be boring! Not only that, it should never leave you still feeling hungry. And most importantly, a great salad should highlight the best ingredients of the season. And if my calculations are correct, this kale butternut squash salad checks all of those boxes! The star of this salad is a very autumn roasted butternut squash, but it gets better. Full of fun gems like dried cranberries, feta, and candied walnuts, plus some quinoa for protein AND fiber, this filling and seasonal salad comes together with a maple honey mustard dressing. It not only screams Fall, it will also leave you feeling happy and satisfied.
Roasted Butternut Squash
Let’s start with the only element of this salad that requires cooking, the butternut squash. Now of course you can buy a whole squash and break it down yourself. More power to you because it is a bit time consuming for this recipe. I prefer to cheat a little here and buy the pre-peeled, pre-cut squash at my grocery store (fresh, not frozen!). Either way, you will want about 1½ cups butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes.
Place the squash on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp garlic & herb seasoning blend (I used Kinder’s) or any of your other other favorite seasoning blends, ¼ tsp nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat and spread into an even layer. Place the sheet pan into a 400℉ oven and roast for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown, tossing halfway. Once cooked to your liking, remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Maple Mustard Salad Dressing
While the squash cools, it is time to assemble the simple salad and dressing. My favorite part of this recipe is assembling it right in the dish it will be served in! So in this case, pull out a large salad or serving bowl to begin. We will actually start with the dressing first. To begin, add ¼ cup maple syrup, 2 tbsp honey mustard or dijon, and ¼ cup apple cider vinegar to the bottom of the bowl. Season with
Whisk to combine, and then slowly drizzle in 1/3-1/2 cup of olive oil as you continue to whisk vigorously. Continue this for about 1 minute or until all of ingredients are combined and the dressing begins to emulsify (the oil is no longer separating). This dressing is the prefect accompaniment to the kale butternut squash salad, complimenting the bitter kale and highlighting the sweetness of the squash.
Kale Butternut Squash Salad
Once the dressing is seasoned to your liking, dumb in an entire bag of kale! That’s right, right on top of the dressing, add in 1 bag (about 10 oz) of washed and trimmed kale. In this case, I used tuscan kale which is a bit darker and slightly more bitter in flavor to counteract the sweet dressing and squash. Here is where it get’s messy! With clean hands, gently massage the kale- gently squish and rub the kale between your hands. This sounds silly, but this tenderizes the kale and helps break down the fibers so it is easier to eat and digest.
Once your kale is massaged (and thus coated in the dressing at the bottom of the bowl), it is time to add the fun salad mix-ins! First comes the roasted butternut squash. Add it all right on top of the kale! The add in about 2 cups of cooked quinoa. Quinoa is full of fiber and protein, so this salad can stand alone as a complete, fulling meal. For a variety of flavor and texture, also add in 1/4 cup each of crumbled feta and dried cranberries, plus about 1/3 cup of roughly chopped walnuts or pecans. For added flavor, use candied or toasted nuts!
Toss the entire salad together to combine and serve immediately! Not in the mood or prepping ahead? Because we used a hearty green like kale, you can absolutely make this ahead (with the dressing and all!), and store it in the fridge overnight before serving. Whether this dish makes it to the Thanksgiving table as a stellar side dish, or this just serves as the lunch that helps you power through the day, this kale butternut squash salad is a perfect addition to any table this Fall.
Want More Hearty Salad Recipes?
- Balsamic Steak Gorgonzola Salad
- Grilled Asparagus Salad
- Grilled Vegetable Orzo Salad
- Grilled Salmon Salad
- Shrimp Cobb Salad With Sweet Onion Dressing
- Chicken Kale Caesar Salad
Kale Butternut Squash Salad
Ingredients
Roasted Butternut Squash
- 1½ cups butternut squash peeled, seeded, cubed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp garlic & herb seasoning blend (I used Kinder's) or other favorite seasoning blend
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- salt and pepper to taste
Maple Mustard Salad Dressing
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tbsp honey mustard or dijon
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
Kale Salad
- 10 oz tuscan kale stems removed, roughly chopped
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ⅓ cup candied or toasted walnuts or pecans roughly chopped
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
- roasted butternut squash
Instructions
Roasted Butternut Squash
- Preheat the oven to 400℉
- Place your cubed butternut squash onto a large sheet pan lined with parchment.1½ cups butternut squash
- Drizzle with olive oil, seasoning blend, nutmeg, and salt and pepper. Toss to coat and spread into an even layer.2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp garlic & herb seasoning blend (I used Kinder's), ¼ tsp nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste
- Place the sheet pan into the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown, tossing halfway. Set aside
Kale Salad
- In a large salad bowl, start by assembling the salad dressing. Pour in maple syrup, mustard, and apple cider vinegar.¼ cup maple syrup, 2 tbsp honey mustard or dijon, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- Sprinkle in seasonings (red pepper flakes, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. Next, slowly drizzle in the olive oil as you continue to whisk vigorously until all ingredients are combined and the dressing begins to emulsify (the oil is no longer separating)½ tsp red pepper flakes, 1½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ⅓ cup olive oil
- Once the dressing is mixed and seasoned to your preference, toss one bag of tuscan kale (about 10oz) right on top in the bowl.10 oz tuscan kale
- Using your hands, gently massage the kale in the bowl to tenderize it and coat with dressing.
- Next, add cooked quinoa, cranberries, walnuts, feta and roasted squash to the bowl2 cups cooked quinoa, ¼ cup dried cranberries, ⅓ cup candied or toasted walnuts or pecans, ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese, roasted butternut squash
- Toss to coat and combine throughly. Serve immediately or let chill in the fridge up to 2 days.
