One of the silver linings of the pandemic is having more time to spend cooking. I usually prepare most of the same foods every week due to time constraints, but having more leisure time means I can experiment with new dishes. Cooking is also a great way to break up a day spent at home on your laptop. The benefits of cooking extend beyond the nutritional ones. Research shows that “the more people cook at home, the healthier their diet, the fewer calories they consume, and the less likely they are to be obese or develop type 2 diabetes.” Wow!
Kale Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash, Beets and Goat Cheese
Kale Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash, Beets and Goat Cheese is a vegetarian dish that can be made vegan by replacing the goat cheese with vegan cheese. This hearty salad is a meal in itself. Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean we have to be relegated to eating simple salads – although they are great as accompaniments to a barbecue.
I have never bought pepitas before this recipe and I’m happy to say, I like them. Pepitas are a type of pumpkin seed.
You’ll be pleased to note that many of the ingredients in the Kale Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash, Beets and Goat Cheese pack a nutritional punch. For instance:
- Kale: Kale contains dietary fiber, thiamin, riboflavin, folate, iron, magnesium and phosphorus, and a very good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B6, potassium, calcium, manganese and copper.
- Beets: Beets are a great source of fiber, folate (vitamin B9), iron, potassium, manganese, and vitamin C.
- Butternut Squash: Butternut Squash contains vitamin E, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B-6, potassium, folate, pantothenic acid, and manganese.
- Pepitas: Pepitas are a good source of magnesium, manganese, iron, zinc, and copper. We need to make sure we’re getting enough magnesium because it helps improve mood and sleep.
A Note on Kale
Some of you might find kale a bit hard to chew. Because I was sharing this salad with my mom who is not a huge fan of kale, I steamed the kale for one minute before massaging it with olive oil. I found the steaming really helped to make it more tender without totally eliminating the benefit of eating raw.
Let me know in the comments section if you make this Kale Salad and what you thought of it.
You might also be interested in making, “Roasted Cauliflower and Onion Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing“.
Kale Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash, Beets and Goat Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 bunch kale
- 2 beets
- 1 cup Butternut squash cubed - I used frozen Butternut Squash already cubed. Make sure you thoroughly thaw it.
- 1 onion
- 3 oz. goat cheese
- 3 Tablespoons pepitas
- 5 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon White Wine Vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove minced
- fresh ground pepper to taste
- aluminum foil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- Cut leaves from beets, then wash and pat dry. Place each beet on a 3" square of aluminum foil. Drizzle 1 Tablespoon of olive oil on beet, then wrap and fold each end. Place beets on baking pan and roast for 1 hour.
- Remove aluminum foil from beets and chop into 1" pieces.
- Remove skin from onion and then chop into quarters.
- Place cubed Butternut squash and onion on a baking pan. Drizzle 2 Tablespoons of olive oil on squash and onion and place pan in the oven. Roast for 20-25 minutes at 425F checking at the 20-minute mark to see if they are done. You may need to remove the onions from the oven and let the squash roast for 5 minutes longer.
- While vegetables are roasting, prepare dressing by combining 1/4 cup of olive oil, 1 Tablespoon of white wine vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, 1 minced garlic clove and black pepper to taste in a jar with a lid. Shake to combine and then refrigerate dressing until use.
- Wash kale and tear kale leaves into 2" pieces, ensuring to discard stems. (I steamed the kale for 1 minute to make it more tender, but you don't have to do this.) Massage 2 Tablespoons of olive oil into kale.
- Place kale in a large salad bowl and add Butternut squash, beets, onions, 4 Tablespoons of pepitas and 3 ounces of goat cheese. Pour dressing on top and toss well.
This looks really good though I would need to do it sans the goat cheese unless the salad comes with an epi-pen!
But overall, I love all the ingredients in this Kale Salad, especially the roasted butternut squash and beets. I have never heard of pepitas either but now I am intrigued and will be on the look for them because Darcee loves pumpkin seeds, so they may be a healthier swap depending on cost.
You could definitely omit the goat cheese from this salad – no need for an epi-pen!! – and I think it would still be delicious! I had never bought pepitas before although I did have them in some dishes at a few restaurants. They are really good! Cheers, Lori
I never thought of putting beets or squash in a salad, but that sounds really good! I also love your tip about steaming the kale slightly to improve the texture.
Beets and squash in a salad are so good! Re steaming the kale, it just makes it a bit more tender. Cheers, Lori
Quite a different salad recipe for me. I can’t find Kale here maybe I can try to replace something else with it. This one looks healthy recipe too.
I think it would work with fresh baby spinach leaves as well. Cheers, Lori
Wow-what a yummy Kale Salad it looks delicious and healthy I would love to try this at home
Yes, this one is not only super healthy, but delicious as well! Cheers, Lori
This looks really yummy! Very timely since we’re about to harvest some fresh kale from our gaden. Hope I get to score some goat cheese tomorrow so, we can try this. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
That’s great that you are growing kale in your garden! I hope you find that goat cheese 🙂 Cheers, Lori
Oooh this sounds yummy! I’m a huge fan of kale and beets! Love that you’re loving pepitas they are so good for us! Healthy fats and lots of nutrients!
I love kale and beets too! Yes, I’m glad that I found pepitas delicious since they are so healthy! Cheers, Lori
Leave it to you to actually make something healthy and with kale looks delicious. I’m usually not a fan, but I might actually have to try this one out.
Thanks! I made this for my mother who doesn’t love kale, but she enjoyed it! Cheers, Lori
This looks delicious and yummy!! I am not very fond of Kale but my husband and his mother loves it. This would be loved by my family. I don’t think i could find goat cheese easily here around me
You could always replace the goat cheese with another type of soft cheese. Cheers, Lori
I’m a huge fan of kale and this looks delicious! Love the colorful photos!
Thank you. I love kale too! Cheers, Lori
I recently discovered the delicious taste of butternut squash. This salad will be so enjoyable during these hot summer months.
I’ve been on a major butternut squash kick lately so I’m for sure trying this!
I’m obsessed with fresh kale salad lately. I’m glad I stumbled upon your recipe, because this is a fresh idea what to make next. I will definitely give this recipe a try. Sounds delicious.
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