Kale salad with roasted squash, pomegranate, and a maple balsamic dressing from Lexi's Clean Kitchen.
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This beautiful Winter Harvest Salad, from Alexis Kornblum Davidson's cookbook Lexi's Clean Kitchen, is a hearty kale salad featuring seasonal roasted squash.
It brings together the flavors of fall and winter with roasted kabocha squash, massaged kale, toasted pecans, pomegranate seeds and an easy maple Dijon dressing.
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Ingredients you'll need
- kabocha squash
- extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- sea salt
- cinnamon
- kale
- pecans
- pomegranate seeds or dried cranberries
- balsamic vinegar
- Dijon mustard
- maple syrup
How to make it
Start by cooking the squash. Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Slice into half-moons and toss with oil to coat the squash evenly. Add a pinch each of fine sea salt and cinnamon, then spread the slices on the prepared baking sheet. Roast until the squash is very tender when pierced with a fork.
While the squash roasts, prepare the kale by removing the thick stems and chopping the leaves into bite-sized pieces. Transfer to a large bowl and massage with 1 tablespoon of olive or avocado oil using your hands for 1-2 minutes. Set aside.
In a dry small skillet over medium-low heat, add ½ cup of raw pecans. Toast for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly browned and fragrant.
To make the dressing, add all ingredients to a blender. This includes ⅓ cup of olive or avocado oil, ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar, 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons of pure maple syrup and a pinch of fine sea salt. Blend until smooth and emulsified.
To assemble the salad, divide the massaged kale between plates or a large serving bowl. Top with roasted squash slices, toasted pecans and pomegranate seeds. Drizzle with the maple balsamic dressing to taste. Enjoy immediately while flavors are at their peak!
Clean eating recipes
Lexi's Clean Kitchen: 150 Delicious Paleo-Friendly Recipes to Nourish Your Life - named for Lexi's blog - includes healthy versions of everything from breakfasts to main courses to drinks to desserts. I bookmarked the Classic Baked Chicken Nuggets, Pad Thai, and S'mores Pots de Creme to try first.
There are so many creative recipes to choose from (like Thai Meatballs, One-Pan Arroz con Pollo, and French Toast Sticks). And the recipes include allergy and special diet labels so you can see at a glance whether they are dairy-free, nut-free, vegan, and paleo-friendly.
This kale salad is perfect for fall and winter, and would be a great addition to any holiday meal. It's gluten-free, paleo, and vegan to please all of your guests!
Winter Harvest Salad
Ingredients
Roasted Squash
- 1 medium kabocha squash
- 2 tablespoons organic extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- pinch of fine sea salt
- pinch of cinnamon
Salad
- 6 cups destemmed and chopped kale
- 1 tablespoon organic extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- ½ cup raw pecans
- ⅓ cup pomegranate seeds or dried cranberries
- 1 batch Maple Balsamic Dressing recipe below
Maple Balsamic Dressing
- ⅓ cup avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
- pinch fine sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice the squash in half and scrape out the seeds. Cut the squash into ½-inch slices and toss with the 2 tablespoons of oil, salt, and cinnamon. Place the squash on the lined baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes, until fork-tender. Once done, let cool for 5 to 10 minutes. (There's no need to peel the skin of kabocha squash; it's edible!)
- While the squash is roasting, massage the kale with the 1 tablespoon of oil for 1 to 2 minutes, until evenly coated. Set aside.
- In a small sauté pan over medium-low heat, toast the pecans until lightly browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes, stirring often to ensure that they don't burn.
- Make the dressing: Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Assemble the salad: Divide the kale between two plates or place it in a large serving bowl. Top with the roasted kabocha squash, pomegranate seeds, and toasted pecans. Dress the salad with as much dressing as you'd like and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Winter Harvest Salad and Maple Balsamic Dressing recipes and photos reprinted with permission from Lexi's Clean Kitchen: 150 Delicious Paleo-Friendly Recipes to Nourish Your Life by Alexis Kornblum Davidson (Victory Belt Publishing Inc.).
More paleo salad recipes
Chicken Salad with Grapes and Walnuts
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