Kale Butternut Squash Salad

5 from 1 vote

This delicious Kale Butternut Squash Salad is the perfect winter salad with delicious flavors like fresh kale, roasted butternut, spiced pecans, and a homemade dressing.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: Salad

Cuisine: salad

Diet: Low Calorie

Servings: servings

Author: Megan Olson

Ingredients

For the Salad:

2 bunches Kale stems discarded and leaves cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 cups Butternut Squash peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

For the Dressing:

1 ½ teaspoons Horseradish
2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

For the Pecans:

2 cups Pecans raw, unsalted
1 Egg White
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
¼ cup Zero Calorie Sugar like Truvia, Monkfruit or sugar of choice
1 teaspoon Paprika
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add butternut squash and spray with cooking spray.⅓
Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake 45 minutes at 350 F until roasted and tender.
While the butternut squash cooks, whisk the egg in a medium bowl until frothy. Then add the sugar, salt and spices. Add pecans and stir to coat with mixture.
Spread the pecans in a single layer on a separate baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven 25 minutes and flip once half way through.
While the pecans are roasting whisk together mustard, lemon juice and honey in a medium bowl. Drizzle the oil slowly into the mixture as you whisk until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste.
To assemble the salad, place sliced kale in a large mixing bowl, add butternut squash, pecans and dressing. Toss to combine and eat!

Notes

Add the kale to a bowl with some salt and olive oil after cleaning and chopping it. Use your hands to massage the leaves until they darken, get softer, and shrink in size. This makes the kale less tough and bitter and easier to digest.
Save some time and roast your butternut squash and pecans a day or two in advance. Then you can massage the kale, mix up the dressing, and your salad is ready to go.
Don’t store the fully dressed salad together, or it will turn slimy. Instead, only toss together what you need and store each component in the refrigerator separately.

Nutrition