Kale Salad with Delicata Squash, Goat Cheese and Dates
Roasted delicata squash with kale, radicchio, dates and walnuts – creamy goats cheese and balsamic dressing complete this Fall salad.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time30 minutes mins
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Calories: 551kcal
- 2 medium delicata squash
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 bunches lacinato kale
- 1 small head radicchio roughly chopped
- 4 ounces goats cheese crumbled
- 8 dried dates pits removed, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
- salt and pepper
Dressing
- 1 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Roast the Squash: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Lay the squash halves flat-side down on your cutting board. Slice into half-moon shapes about 1/4-inch thick. Arrange the squash on a baking tray, drizzle with the olive oil, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Roast for 35-40 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the squash is tender and golden.
Prep the Kale: Before you begin to chop the kale you'll want to remove the tough, fibrous stems. To do this, grab a kale leaf at the base of the stem with one hand then with your other hand, pinch the stem just above where the leaves begin and slide your fingers along the stem, pulling the leaves off as you go. Once you've removed all the stems, gather the leaves into a neat, even pile and slice into 1/4-inch ribbons.
Transfer the kale to a large mixing bowl, add the radicchio, squash, goats cheese, walnuts and dates. Pour in the dressing (recipe follows) season with salt and pepper. Divide between bowls – serve immediately!
Dressing
In a small bowl whisk together the dijon mustard, honey and balsamic vinegar. While whisking begin to slowly steam in the olive oil, whisking continuously until the dressing is emulsified. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
- Delicata Squash: Any winter squash can be substituted in this recipe just be sure to adjust the cook time to accommodate larger varietals.
- Kale: I typically reach for Lacinato kale (aka Dinosaur Kale) when making any kale salad. I like the texture better than the frilly/curly stuff. That said you can really use either – baby kale leaves work well too and don't require any prep. Arugula would also be nice in this salad.
- Radicchio: substitute: endive
- Dates: substitute: golden raisins, dried figs, cranberries or cherries
- Walnuts: substitute: pecans, almonds, pumpkin or sunflower seeds
- Goat Cheese: substitute: feta
Calories: 551kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 238mg | Potassium: 1559mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 16894IU | Vitamin C: 157mg | Calcium: 483mg | Iron: 5mg