This salad can be enjoyed in a number of combinations throughout the fall to spring season. Use any type of winter squash and any crisp apple variety.
Because butternuts can store for up to 6 months, you can eat them all fall and winter long. This vegetable’s tough skin makes it a perfect storage crop. Butternuts are loaded with Vitamin A—hence their orange color—along with Vitamin C, magnesium, and potassium. Winter squash are native from the eastern United States to as far south as Argentina and are one of the companion plants in the Indigenous Three Sisters gardening method.
Salad Ingredients
- 4-6 kale leaves, de-stemmed and chopped
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 1/2 cup nuts, such as pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, almonds
- 2 small apples, sliced or cubed
- 1/2 cup crumbled cheese such as feta, goat cheese, or parmesan
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
Dressing Ingredients
- 1 tbs balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbs mustard
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1/2 tbs local honey or maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp of both salt and black pepper
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and oil a baking sheet. Add cubed butternut squash and season with salt, oil, and spices. Feel free to add others according to your taste! Roast until tender, about 20 minutes. Remove and let cool.
- Whisk together all dressing ingredients and set aside.
- Chop kale, nuts, and apples and combine with cooled butternut squash. Top with cheese of choice and drizzle on dressing.