This Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Kale and Roasted Garlic Dressing is the answer to the question, “What can everyone eat and enjoy?”
I stumbled on this recipe on a blog called A Pinch of Yum. I made it my own, tweaking the ingredients. I substituted agave syrup for the called for sugar. And I added touch of sesame oil for a deeper umami flavor.
Roasted Butternut Squash Salad is the perfect salad to serve warm or cold and it belongs on your Holiday tables! Each flavor component complements the next. Your tastebuds will be very happy. This recipe is plant based and vegan. So, everyone can enjoy a bountiful and flavorful dish.
Ingredients
For the salad:
- •454 grams (1 pound) peeled, cubed butternut squash*
- •1 whole head of garlic
- •Drizzle of olive oil
- •15 ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed then patted dry
- •Avocado oil spray
- •Salt and pepper to taste
- •1 Fuji or other sweet apple, diced
- •120 mol (½ cup) dried cherries
- •120 ml (½ cup) raw pumpkin seeds
- •710 ml (3 cups) curly kale, thinly sliced
For the dressing:
- •Juice of 1 lemon
- •30 ml (2 tablespoons) agave syrup
- •5 ml (1 teaspoon) sesame oil
- •120 ml (½ cup) olive oil
- •5 ml (1 teaspoon) kosher salt
- •2.5 ml (½ teaspoon) black pepper
*Peeled cubed butternut squash can sometimes be bought prepared from the supermarket.
Preparation
For the salad:
Preheat the oven to 218°C (425°F).
Prepare a baking sheet by spraying with avocado oil.
Add cubed squash and chickpeas to the baking sheet.
Spray liberally with avocado oil. Season with salt and pepper, then toss until everything is well coated.
To prepare garlic for roasting, cut a thin cap off the top of the whole bulb. Wrap loosely in foil, then drizzle with olive oil, then twist the top to seal.
Place on the baking sheet to roast with squash and chickpeas.
Roast 20 minutes, mix and re-distribute squash and chickpeas.
Return to the oven and continue roasting until caramelized, about another 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Remove garlic cloves from bulb, mash, and set aside.
For the dressing:
Whisk together lemon juice, agave syrup, sesame oil and olive oil.
Season with salt and pepper.
Finally, add the mashed garlic. Mix well.
In a large bowl, combine the kale and about a quarter of the dressing.
Massage the kale until softened, deep green in color and glistening (about 1 minute).
Add the roasted squash and chickpeas, cherries, pumpkin seeds and diced apple.
Add the remaining dressing and toss again.
Serve mounded high and beautifully.