Roasted Squash and Pomegranate Kale Salad
In need of another side for your holiday meal? Try this delicious salad with roasted delicata squash and pomegranate. Couldn’t be more festive and the citrus dressing makes the perfect accompaniment to the dish. Plus, it’s so simple and quick and you can prepare most ingredients ahead of time and just roast the squash before serving.
Even if you’re just in need of salad for any fall meal, this is the perfect salad. I like to add grilled chicken to make it a complete meal. I love the crunch from the roasted pepitas and the tartness of the pomegranate arils. The delicata squash makes the perfect squash for an easy meal because you don’t have to worry about peeling them. The skin is tender enough to eat and they’re sweet enough where all you need is a little avocado oil, salt and pepper to bring out their naturally delicious flavor.
Roasted Squash and Pomegranate Kale Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried or fresh basil
- ½ teaspoon dried or fresh parsley
Salad
- 1-pound curly kale, leaves stripped from stems and torn in bitesize pieces
- 1 delicata squash, cut in half lengthwise to remove seeds and sliced about ½” thick
- 1 tablespoon avocado or melted coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 5 oz baby arugula
- 1 pomegranate, arils removed
- 4 oz roasted pepitas
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400⁰F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and place squash slices evenly on the sheet. Drizzle with oil then sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes turning halfway through.
- Combine all ingredients for dressing and set aside. Place kale pieces in a bowl and drizzle about 1/3 of the dressing around the sides of the bowl and toss kale pieces in the dressing. Allow to marinade for about 5-10 minutes while you prepare other ingredients.
- Slice pomegranates in half and using the back of a wooden spoon, hit the back of the pomegranates to remove the arils. Add them to the bowl with the kale. Add the arugula and pepitas and toss.
- Allow squash to cool to slightly warm before adding to the salad. Can toss with additional dressing, or serve on the side.
