Harvest Kale Salad with Pomegranate, Roasted Squash & Walnuts

The fantastic fall temperatures in Austin lately have me thinking one thing: Holiday menu planning! I mean, who can blame me?! It's much easier to think Holiday meals when it's not 90-degrees outside, right?! Plus, one trip to the grocery story with it's abundance of fall squashes and cool-weather leafy greens, means only one thing: Harvest Kale Salad time.

I dreamed this Harvest Kale Salad up after a trip to my local store. The big leafy kale leaves reminded me of a Prep Dish subscriber favorite, Massaged Kale Salad with Blueberries & Almonds. And then I saw pomegranate arils (the seed part of the pomegranate) and butternut squash, and viola – the Harvest Kale Salad was born.

One thing I simply love about Harvest Kale Salad, just like the Massaged Kale Salad, is that you can make it several days in advance. Matter of fact, the longer it sits, the better it gets. The kale leaves really soften and absorb flavor as they marinade in the dressing. So perfect for a holiday side dish or to take to a holiday party.

It's also a flexible recipe. Feel free to swap out kale with collards, chard or spinach (if using spinach, maybe make day before at the earliest as this green wilts faster). Another great sub idea is to switch walnuts with pecans or hazelnuts.

What I do know for sure is that your guests are going to love my Harvest Kale Salad. Once you plate and present it's gorgeous, bright and very festive colors, your guests will only have oooohhhs and aaaahhhs. And I bet they ask for seconds!

Print Recipe

4 from 2 votes

Kale Salad with Pomegranate, Roasted Squash & Walnuts

Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

• 1 lg or 2 sm butternut squash
• ~3/4c olive oil
• 2 oranges
• 2 bunches curly kale (or sub arugula)
• 2 tsp course sea salt
• 1 c pomegranate arils (or sub 1 pomegranate, seeds removed)
• 1/2 c chopped walnuts

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 F.
• Peel and dice butternut squash into 1/2" pieces.
• Place diced butternut squash on a sheet pan, toss with 1-2tsp olive oil + S&P.
• Roast squash for 30-35 minutes or until tender, tossing halfway through cook time. Set aside to cool.
• Zest 1 orange.
• Make dressing by whisking together the juice of 2 oranges (~1/2c OJ) + 1/2c olive oil. Set aside.
• Remove kale leaves from stems. Cut leaves into smaller pieces (~2") and place into a large mixing bowl. Discard stems.
• Sprinkle kale leaves with 2tsp coarse sea salt and orange zest. Pour OJ and dressing on top.
• Using your hands, massage the dressing and salt into the kale leaves for 1-2 minutes. The leaves should shrink by 25-50% in size.
• Toss kale with pomegranate seeds, roasted butternut squash and chopped walnuts.

Notes

Prep Dish Tip: This salad can be made up to 5 days in advance. The longer this one sits, the better it gets!