This massaged kale salad is topped with roasted delicata squash and broccolini, pomegranate seeds, crunchy pistachios, and goat cheese!
This hearty salad makes a great addition to your Thanksgiving or Christmas menu! You might also enjoy this persimmon salad or these other holiday side dishes.
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Ingredient Notes
You just need a few simple ingredients for this hearty winter salad!
- Delicata Squash - Delicata squash is a winter squash with a similar flavor to acorn or butternut squash. It has a very thin, edible skin that gets nice and crispy when roasted. But you can substitute acorn squash if you prefer!
- Kale - I prefer to use hearty greens like kale for this salad, because it complements the roasted veggies.
- Broccolini - I'm partial to broccolini, but regular broccoli works well too!
- Pomegranate - Fresh pomegranate seeds add the perfect amount of sweetness to this hearty salad.
- Goat Cheese - I love the way the goat cheese mellows out the tartness from the fresh fruit.
- Shallots - Shallots have a delicate flavor that pairs great with the kale, but you could also use red onion!
- Pistachios - I love adding pistachios to the salad for a little crunch! But you can leave them out if you prefer.
My favorite thing about this salad is that you can easily swap out the ingredients for whatever you like!
My Favorite Homemade Vinaigrette
I've included my favorite super easy vinaigrette that I make for almost all my salads! Just throw all the ingredients in a mason jar and give it a good shake! I recommend making the dressing a day or two in advance, so that the flavors have time to fully meld!
But if you prefer, you could also use a simple store-bought vinaigrette or balsamic for this pomegranate spinach salad!
You can also substitute pomegranate molasses in place of the apple cider vinegar/honey!
How to Make Delicata Squash Salad
Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Thinly slice the delicata squash into rings, then scoop the seeds out of the center of each ring and discard.
Arrange the squash and broccolini on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake at 425°F for about 15 minutes, then remove the broccolini and set aside.
Bake the squash for another 10-15 minutes, or until fork tender.
Massaged Kale
Roughly chop the kale and place in a large bowl.
Drizzle with olive oil and salt and then use your hands to massage (or scrunch) the kale for about 30 seconds until the fully coated.
Let rest for about 20 minutes and the oil and salt will soften the kale.
Add all of the dressing ingredients to a mason jar and seal tightly. Shake vigorously to combine. Let sit for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld together.
Toss together the massaged kale, roasted veggies, and the rest of the salad ingredients and lightly drizzle with the dressing.
That's it! This roasted delicata squash salad is best eaten the same day.
Recipe Notes
The massaged kale and salad dressing both need to rest for 20-30 minutes. Which is conveniently, how long the veggies take to roast!
Recipe FAQ's
You can prepare the individual ingredients up to a day in advance, but I wouldn't assemble or dress the salad until right before serving.
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Recipe Card
Roasted Delicata Squash & Kale Salad
Special Equipment
Ingredients
Roasted Veggies
- 2 medium delicata squash, thinly sliced
- 1 cup broccolini , cut in 2 inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- pinch salt and pepper
Massaged Kale
- 5 cups kale, chopped
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- pinch kosher salt
Salad
- 1 large pomegranate , about 1 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
- ½ cup pistachios, roasted and salted
- 4 ounces goat cheese
Vinaigrette
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey, substitute pomegranate molasses
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspooon fresh thyme
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Roasted Veggies
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Thinly slice the delicata squash into rings, then scoop the seeds out of the center of each ring and discard.
- Arrange the squash and broccolini on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake at 425°F for about 15 minutes, then remove the broccolini and set aside.
- Bake the squash for another 10-15 minutes, or until fork tender.
Massaged Kale
- Roughly chop the kale and place in a large bowl.
- Drizzle with olive oil and salt and then use your hands to massage (or scrunch) the kale for about 30 seconds until the fully coated.
- Let rest for about 20 minutes and the oil and salt will soften the kale.
Salad
- Add all of the dressing ingredients to a mason jar and seal tightly. Shake vigorously to combine. Let sit for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld together.
- Toss together the massaged kale, roasted veggies, and the rest of the salad ingredients and lightly drizzle with the dressing.
- That's it!
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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