Servings: 4 Servings
Roasted Butternut Squash Kale Salad
Roasted butternut squash and pecans make this amazing kale salad a delicious treat!
Ingredients
Orange Vinaigrette:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Maple-Toasted Pecans:
- 1/3 cup raw pecan halves or pieces
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup or more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spread the chopped butternut squash on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Toss everything together to ensure the squash is well-coated. Roast for 20 minutes, stir, then roast another 5 to 10 minutes, until golden-brown and cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- While the squash is roasting, in a small skillet cook the bacon over medium high heat until it reaches desired level of crisp (about 2 to 3 minutes per side). Place on a cutting board and all to cool, then chop into pieces.
- Add all of the ingredients for the orange vinaigrette to a small blender. Blend until completely combined (note: you can also whisk the ingredients together in a bowl if you don’t have a small blender).
- Place all ingredients for the maple-toasted pecans in a small skillet and heat over medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until toasted and sticky, stirring often. Be sure to monitor the nuts closely, as they burn easily.
- Wash, dry, and chop the kale leaves and place them in a large serving bowl. Drizzle with lemon juice and use your hands to massage the juice into the kale leaves for 1 to 2 minutes, until you can feel the kale leaves are more tender (this process breaks up some of the fibers in the kale and makes it easier to chew).
- Add the pomegranate arils, roasted butternut squash, chopped bacon, and maple-toasted pecans. Drizzle in desired amount of orange vinaigrette and toss everything together to combine. Serve alongside your favorite entrée.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Serving, Calories: 355kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 27g, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 11g