Not your average salad. This detox butternut squash kale salad is the perfect way to switch things up with a flavors you will want to enjoy on repeat.
I know just earlier I was so busy talking about fudgy coffee brownies and now I am over here putting a salad in your face. What the heck, right? Well, yeah, I don't have an answer for you except that this salad is pretty freaking delicious and a great prequel to the brownies.
Honestly though, I've been needing a detox salad in my life and this butternut squash kale salad fits the bill really well. It's full of flavor and texture, plus seriously filling. It's the kind of salad you'd make regularly along with dinner or to pack with your lunch for the workweek.
This butternut squash kale salad is perfect for making ahead. You can prep the salad and the vinaigrette ahead of time and mix when you are ready to eat. As with all kale salads, I highly recommend massaging the kale to make it more tender and easier to digest.
The recipe comes from The Dinner Plan cookbook. It was one of the few salads in the book and the one that immediately jumped out at me, mostly because it is labeled as a detox salad. And after all the holiday food and tons of cheese and brownies after the New Year, I knew I needed to admit my body required a bit of detoxing.
The recipe calls for pumpkin seeds or pepitas. I only had the shelled version on-hand at home, but if you can, please use the shelled pepitas in this recipe. If you are looking for just a nice butternut squash kale salad without necessarily detoxing, I recommend adding in dried cranberries too. For a bit more protein, grilled chicken would be an amazing addition.
Butternut Squash Kale Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups cubed butternut squash I used the prepacked kind
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon tumeric
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- salt
- pepper
- ¼ cup neutral flavored oil I used avocado
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 shallot minced
- 1 lbs kale stemmed, de-ribbed, and cut down
- 1 pint Brussels sprouts cut into slivers
- handful of toasted pepitas
- 1 avocado diced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 F,
- Spread the butternut squash on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, tumeric, cumin, salt, and pepper. Arrange the squash so it is in an even layer, Roast for about 15 minutes, or until you can easily turn the squash. Flip, then roast for an additional 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- While the squash is roasting, whisk together the neutral oil, apple cider vinegar, yogurt, maple syrup, and minced shallot. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- In a large bowl, toss together the kale, Brussels sprouts, and pepitas together. If you are making this recipe ahead of time, stop at this point, keeping the components separate until you are ready to eat. Do not cut the avocado until you are ready to eat.
- To eat/serve right away, dice the avocado and toss in the mix along with the roasted butternut squash. Drizzle in some of the dressing, a bit at a time. Toss until just coated.
MariaMay says
lovely post
Sarah says
This salad looks perfect for those days when I know I need more greens and a good jump start on clean eating again. Thanks for sharing!
Vicki Finn says
Hello gorgeous salad! I don't like traditional salads - I never did. I love brussels sprouts and this salad was super delicious! The addition of pepitas and the sweet sauce was amazing. I can't wait to make this again.
Melissa says
Delish! I'm always looking for new lunch time salads. This will be great in the fall!
Denay DeGuzman says
Kale is fabulous! I loved making this quick and easy Butternut Squash and Kale Salad. It was so yummy!
Sandra says
Delicious! Also, thank you for mentioning the prepackaged squash, I never knew it existed. You changed my life! Well, changed it a little bit, anyway. 🙂
Chrstina says
I loved the combination of kale and brussels sprouts! And the squash really added great texture!
Wendy | Around My Family Table says
I'm literally drooling just thinking about this salad. I love LOVE kale and this sounds amazing. Thanks for sharing.
Cerys says
After a glut of kale and butternut squash this year from the garden I was hunting for recipes and found this one. It was amazing as said above I added in some cranberries and a little chicken as I wanted less of a detox and more of a using up the excess produce and it was delicious. I've printed out the recipe and added to the recipe book for garden gluts next year too.