Cranberry Kale and Delicata Squash Salad

There is so much heavy rich food at Thanksgiving, it is nice to sometimes have a lighter salad on the table to balance it out.  That is why I love this kale salad!  It is packed with flavor, and is delicious, but it is also pretty healthy thanks to all of the nutrients and fiber from the squash, kale and pumpkin seeds.  It is easy to make too, and could even be made a day ahead of time (just don’t mix in the squash until you are ready to serve). This would make a lovely addition to your holiday meal!

Author: Amy Lyons O’Neil

Amy has worked for Fresh and Natural Foods since 2006 contributing to the variety of healthful foods we offer. She graduated with a degree in studio art from Bethel University in 2007, but in her senior year of college, found that her passion was with the art of food. She later used her photography and culinary skills to create a vegan food and recipe blog, Fragrant Vanilla Cake. She has also written 3 cookbooks. She specializes in vegan and vegetarian recipes. Local, fresh and organic food has always been her focus in whatever she creates.

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Servings: 4-6 | Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Ready in: 1 hour (including cooling time for squash)

Ingredients

• 2 smaller delicata squash, cut in half, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• sea salt
• 1 large bunch (or 2 smaller bunches) organic kale, washed and torn into bite sized pieces
• 1/2 cup cranberries
• 1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
• Dressing:
• 2 Tbsp orange juice
• 2 Tbsp cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.
2. Toss the squash with 1 Tbsp olive oil and spread out on the sheet pan.
3. Sprinkle with sea salt and place in the oven. Roast until tender and starting to brown lightly, about 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool.
4. In a large bowl, combine the kale, cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and squash.
5. Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a smaller bowl, then pour over the salad in the bowl and toss to coat.
6. Serve!