Roasted Butternut Squash Fennel Kale Salad

(This Roasted Butternut Squash Fennel Kale Salad is inspired by this recipe from Cookie + Kate, so check her version out here.)
Step by Step Instructions:

To say I devoured this delicious Roasted Butternut Squash Fennel Kale Salad is an understatement, so here’s what you’ll need to do the same: Dried Cranberries, Butternut Squash (I buy the pre-cut to save time), Kale (I love the bagged kind), Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), Salt, Maple Syrup, Dijon Mustard, 1 Lemon, 1 Fennel Bulb, 2 Eggs, 1 Apple (I used Fuji but Pink Lady or your favorite variety is perfect), Pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds), and Ground Pepper.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, and then line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper.

Fennel is easy to work with, so just slice off the top and bottom and remove the outer layer or two.

Cut the fennel in half top to bottom, and then slice the half down the middle as you see here.

Then slice the fennel into about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick slices.

Add the sliced fennel and then about a cup of cubed butternut squash to the baking sheet. If your squash is in various sizes, then chop them into more regular-sized pieces.

Drizzle a tablespoon of EVOO over the veggies and season with a pinch of salt and 2-3 twists of the pepper grinder and toss to combine. Then bake for 20 minutes.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat, and once the pan is warm, then add the pepitas in a single layer.

Stir regularly for 3-5 minutes or until the nuts start to turn golden brown and begin making popping sounds. Then transfer the nuts to a bowl until you’re ready for them.

I buy the pre-cleaned and chopped kale, and I grabbed about 3 cups worth and removed any large stems and then cut the leaves into bite-sized pieces.

Then add a tablespoon of EVOO over the kale and massage the oil into the kale for 1-2 minutes. This technique helps to make the kale more tender and less bitter, and you’ll notice the leaves turn a pretty dark green.

Then zest a lemon until you have about a teaspoon of zest.

In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup of EVOO, 1 T. maple syrup, 2 t. dijon mustard, the lemon zest, 2 T. lemon juice (about half a lemon), and then a pinch of salt and several 3-4 turns of ground pepper.

Then whisk the dressing together until it’s well combined and set the bowl to the side.

Once the veggies are roasted, then let them cool slightly while you finish up.

Now dice an apple into bite-sized pieces, and then sprinkle with a little lemon juice to keep the apple from turning brown.

Finally roughly chop 1/3 cup of dried cranberries.

Now make the Roasted Butternut Squash Fennel Kale Salad by adding the apples, pepitas, roasted veggies, and dried cranberries to the bowl of kale.

Then pour about half the dressing over the Roasted Butternut Squash Fennel Kale Salad. Toss to combine, so the dressing lightly coats the salad.

You likely won’t need all of the dressing, so you can keep it for future salads.

Right before serving, use your favorite method to then poach one egg per serving. If you’re only making one serving, then just poach one egg. I used this cool method I learned about from PureWow here, and it took a bit of practice but if you just cook the egg for 3 minutes you should be all set. Serve up the salad, and then toss with the poached egg and break the yolk for perfectly lovely Roasted Butternut Squash Fennel Kale Salad!

Print

Roasted Butternut Squash Fennel Kale Salad with Lemon Maple Dijon Dressing

Prep 15 mins

Cook 20 mins

Total 35 mins

Author Kelli @ Can Cook, Will Travel

Yield 2-4 servings

This salad will be a perfect meal during the cooler months with its roasted veggies and hearty ingredients. You'll love the flavors and how crazy good it tastes!

Ingredients

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 cup Butternut Squash, cubed
• 1 Fennel bulb, sliced
• Salt & Pepper, to taste
• 2 T. EVOO
• 3 cups Kale, chopped with stem removed
• 1/4 cup Pepitas
• 1 Apple (I used a Fuji apple but pick your favorite)
• 1/3 cup Dried Cranberries, roughly chopped
• 2 Eggs, poached (1 per serving)

Lemon Maple Dijon Dressing Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup EVOO
• 1 T. Maple Syrup
• 2 t. Dijon Mustard
• 1 t. Lemon Zest
• 2 T. Lemon Juice (about half a lemon)
• Pinch of Salt
• Freshly Ground Pepper (several turns on the pepper mill)

Instructions

1. Roasting Veggies: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with a Silpat. Then chop up your squash and fennel, add them to the lined pan and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Toss the veggies and then place them in a single layer and bake 20 minutes or until they’re tender.

    

2. Pepitas: Heat a nonstick pan with no oil over medium heat then add the pepitas to the warm skillet. Stir regularly for 3-5 minutes or until the nuts start to turn light brown and you can hear them pop a little. Then transfer the nuts to a bowl and set aside until you’re ready for them.

    

3. Kale: While the veggies bake, chop up the kale and then drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Use your hands to massage the oil into the kale for 1-2 minutes, so that the kale becomes tender.

    

4. Dressing: Add the dressing ingredients to a bowl and then whisk together until they’re well combined.

    

5. Remaining Ingredients: Then dice up the apples into bite-sized pieces. And I prefer to squeeze a little lemon over the apples once they’re diced to keep them from turning brown. Then roughly chop the dried cranberries.

    

6. Egg: The final step is to poach the egg using your favorite method. This time I used the method you’ll find here, because I wanted to try a new way and it worked great!

    

7. To finish, add the slightly cooled veggies, pepitas, apples, and cranberries to the bowl of kale, and then pour about half of the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Serve right away and add a poached egg to each serving of salad, and then enjoy! You may be left with extra dressing, so store it for more salads if you’d like!

Notes

Quick Tip #1: To keep this dairy free I liked the creamy yolk of the egg and buttery texture of the roasted squash. But adding goat cheese for some dairy would be divine, I'm sure!

Quick Tip #2: This salad is perfect to customize and add what you like, so ingredients like goat cheese, diced chicken, avocados, tomatoes, and more are perfect additions.

Courses Main Meal

Cuisine Healthy

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1/2 Salad (for a Main Meal)

Amount Per Serving
Calories 623
% Daily Value
Total Fat 36 g		55%
	Saturated Fat 6 g	30%
	Unsaturated Fat 28 g
Cholesterol 186 mg		62%
Sodium 259 mg		11%
Total Carbohydrates 73 g		24%
	Dietary Fiber 21 g	84%
	Sugars 34 g
Protein 16 g		32%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

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