Warm Kale Salad with Roasted Delicata Squash
This warm fall salad recipe is a terrific dinner salad or healthy side salad option! It’s easy and quick to make—ready within just 30 minutes. Made with quick-sautéed kale and roasted delicata squash, the tangy lemon-honey vinaigrette dressing ties this hearty, nourishing salad together perfectly.
When it’s chilly out, I crave warm and comforting food – so that usually doesn’t include salads!
But give me a warm salad, and I am all in.
As a Registered Dietitian, I love figuring out new and creative ways to enjoy different vegetables, especially the lesser loved ones.
While it is certainly a polarizing vegetable, when kale is prepared properly (such as in these kale salad recipes), it can be delicious!
This warm kale salad makes lacinato kale soft, tender, and flavorful.
Check out more dinner salad recipe ideas, including fall farro salad with butternut squash!
Step by step instructions
- Start by cutting delicata squash into half moon shapes and roasting in the oven until fork tender.
- While the squash cooks, remove kale leaves from the tough stems using a sharp knife. Break the kale into bite size pieces with your hands and put them into a mixing bowl.
- Use your hands to massage the kale until it is just beginning to soften.
- Prepare the dressing by mixing lemon juice, olive oil, shallot, honey, and a pinch of salt in a jar.
- Sauté the kale with some garlic in a sauté pan for just a minute or two. You want the kale to be soft and bright green, but not completely limp and wilted.
- Transfer kale to serving bowl and top with roasted delicata squash, pomegranate seeds, pepitas, sesame seeds, avocado slices, and parmesan cheese.
- Pour the dressing over everything and toss together. Serve while still warm.
How to massage kale
Massaging kale helps soften kale for a salad, which gives it a more appealing texture to eat.
Put pieces of kale in a mixing bowl. To massage the kale, rub the leaves between your fingers until you feel them just begin to soften. You can then move along with your kale recipe.
In this recipe, the kale will soften even more when cooked, but massaging it first helps give it the perfect tender texture that still has a nice bite.
Let me know if you love this recipe by leaving a comment or star rating below, and check out Instagram and Pinterest for more healthy lifestyle inspiration. Thanks for stopping by!
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Warm Kale Salad with Roasted Delicata Squash
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: serves 4
- Category: salads
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This warm fall salad recipe is a terrific dinner salad or healthy side salad option! It’s easy and quick to make—ready within just 30 minutes. Made with quick-sautéed kale and roasted delicata squash, the tangy lemon-honey vinaigrette dressing ties this hearty, nourishing salad together perfectly.
Ingredients
Warm Kale Salad
- 1 delicata squash, cut into 1/4th inch thick half moons and seeds discarded
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- Salt
- Pepper
- 2 bunches lacinato kale, removed from stems and torn into bite size pieces
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
- 2 tbsp pepitas
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
Lemon dressing
- Juice of half a lemon
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp shallot, minced
- Pinch of salt
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toss delicata squash slices in 1 tbsp olive oil and a generous shake of salt and pepper. Arrange on prepared baking sheet in a single layer.
- Roast delicata squash for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until soft and fork tender.
- Meanwhile, massage the kale for just a minute or so until it begins to soften.
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and add the garlic. Cook garlic for 30 seconds, then add the kale.
- Cook kale for 1-2 minutes, until it just begins to wilt and is bright green in color.
- Prepare the dressing byt adding all dressing ingredients to a small jar and shaking it up.
- Transfer the kale to serving bowl, and top with roasted delicata squash, avocado slices, pomegranate seeds, pepitas, sesame seeds, and parmesan cheese.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Enjoy warm!
Notes
Ingredient and dietary restriction substitution suggestions
- Make it vegan. Use vegan parmesan cheese or just eliminate the cheese. Use maple syrup in place of honey in the dressing.
- Use cubed butternut squash instead of delicata squash if it is not available.
- Use another type of kale. I used lacinato kale (also known as dinosaur kale or tuscan kale), but you can use curly kale or red Russian kale too.
Storing leftovers
This warm kale salad will keep in the fridge for up to three days when fully prepared. Store in an airtight container, and reheat in the microwave when ready to enjoy again.
You could also enjoy this salad cold as leftovers.
Nutrition Disclaimer
As a Registered Dietitian, I create nutritionally-balanced recipes using whole food ingredients to promote good health and well-being. Additionally, I am a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor. My nutrition philosophy encompasses an all-foods-fit approach, and I do not promote tracking calories, macronutrients, or other numbers. Nevertheless, I understand that this information can be educational and helpful for some people.
I cannot guarantee complete accuracy of the nutrition information provided here, as these numbers are estimates. Nutrition is individualized. If you have specific nutrition needs, please consult your physician or a Registered Dietitian.