Kale Salad with Butternut Squash, Toasted Pecans, and Feta
This recipe is everything you’d want in a kale salad: lots of kale, the sweet caramelization of roasted squash, the brightness of quick-pickled onion, the tang and saltiness of feta, and the crunch of toasted pecans.
Kale Salad with Butternut Squash, Toasted Pecans, and Feta
Photo Credit : Colin PriceThis recipe is everything you’d want in a kale salad: lots of kale, the sweet caramelization of roasted squash, the brightness of quick-pickled onion, the tang and saltiness of feta, and the crunch of toasted pecans. It is beautiful to look at and potluck-worthy!
From “Apple of Their Eye,” September/October 2019
Recipe excerpted from Ciderhouse Cookbook © by Jonathan Carr, Nicole Blum, and Andrea Blum
For the salad
Ingredients
1 small red onion, thinly sliced crosswise
½ cup cider vinegar
½ cup water
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon plus ½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ butternut squash, peeled and sliced crosswise into ¼-inch-thick half moons
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 bunches kale, stemmed and chopped ¾ cup toasted pecans
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
First, pickle the onion: In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, simmer the onion with the cider vinegar, water, sugar, and ½ teaspoon salt for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400°. Arrange the squash on a baking pan lined with parchment paper, making sure that the slices don’t overlap. Drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with remaining salt. Roast until the squash begins to brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.
For the dressing
Ingredients
¼ cup sweet cider or cider syrup
¼ cup cider vinegar
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½–¾ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1 small clove garlic, crushed
Instructions
Make the dressing: While the squash roasts, combine all ingredients in a Mason jar, screw on the lid, and shake well to emulsify.
Make the salad: Put the kale in a large mixing bowl. Add ½ cup dressing and vigorously massage it into the kale for about 15 seconds, or until leaves are nicely coated. Strain the onion, add to salad, and toss well.
Transfer to a serving platter and scatter the squash, pecans, and feta over the top. Drizzle with more dressing, if desired.
