This Kale Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash & Crunchy Granola is an easy and incredibly tasty light salad that has an unexpected crunch from the granola clusters.
I know most people are over kale and salads, for that matter. I on the other hand cannot remove myself from the massaged kale salad wagon or even the kale chip wagon, actually I’m still head over heels for kale. I also really like butternut squash, not only is it available year round for me and extremely versatile it’s also super tasty and good for you.
Butternut squash is full of vitamin A , C and a good source of magnesium as well as potassium. While I love to eat creamy butternut squash soup I also have an appreciation for roasted butternut squash in salads or just as is.
I’ve had a lot of people ask me if I leave the skin on the butternut squash. The answer is, yeah I do. It makes my job in the kitchen so much easier, my mom always left the skin on, when she made soups, so I am keeping with tradition and following in her footsteps.
I decided to roast the squash with the peel still intact, tossed in a little olive oil, maple syrup and salt until it was tender and golden brown. I then toss the cooled squash into some massaged kale, crispy roasted chickpeas, drizzled some orange ginger dressing and finished it off with a crunchy surprise, granola clusters. This salad is both protein rich, beautiful to look at and full of flavor and texture. The Orange Ginger Dressing is sweet, tangy and has a little bite thanks to the grated ginger which compliments the roasted squash beautifully.
For those of you who don’t know, massage kale is basically torn kale massaged (as in work the kale as if it was a loved one back haha) with a little oil and salt. I sometimes add a little citrus juice for extra flavor but this dressing packs such a punch it isn’t necessary.
Kale and Butternut Squash Salad with Granola crunchy, filling and slightly sweet with a little kick. Not only is this salad great tasting it’s also good for you.
WHAT YOU NEED FOR THIS
4 cups of kale, roughly chopped
2 cups of raw butternut squash, into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 tablespoons of maple syrup
3 tablespoons of olive oil, separated
2 teaspoons of salt, like real salt
1 cup of roasted chickpeas, find the recipe here
1 cup of granola of choice,
Orange Ginger Dressing:
1/4 cup of orange juice
2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
1/2 tablespoon of grated ginger
2 tablespoons of raw honey
1 pinch of salt
4 tablespoons of olive oil
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO
Preheat oven to 350.
In a large bowl combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the maple syrup, salt and butternut squash. Toss until the olive and maple syrup mixture coats all the butternut squash.
Place the butternut squash on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Roasted for about 20-25 minutes, until fork tender and golden brown.
In a small mason jar or jar with lid place all the ingredients for the dressing and shake until well combined. Set aside.
In a large bowl add the chopped kale with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Massage the kale to break down the kale for about 30 seconds to a minute. Set aside.
When the butternut squash is ready, remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes.
Assemble each salad: 1 cup of kale, 1/2 cup of butternut squash, 1/4 cup of roasted chickpeas, 1/4 cup of granola clusters, and dressing.
Thank you to Jessica’s Natural Food’s for accommodating me with this wonderful, generous package of free samples, all the opinions above are my own. Thank you for supporting Follow Our Passion.
