Warm Butternut Squash and Kale Salad
Servings: 1 salad
Ingredients
Roasted butternut squash
- 2 cups cubed butternut squash (fresh or frozen; I used 16 oz frozen organic butternut squash)
- drizzle of avocado oil
- large pinch of salt and pepper
- optional: sprinkle of thyme, onion granules, and/or garlic granules
Sautéed kale
- 4 heaping cups of fresh chopped kale
- 1 tablespoon tamari (coconut or liquid aminos will also work with slight flavor variation)
- 2 small cloves of garlic, minced
For the rest of the salad
- ½ cup cooked brown rice (or other grain of choice)
- 1 heaping tablespoon hummus
- handful of apple slivers
- handful of arugula (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare brown rice according to package instructions (I like to do this step the day before to make life easy, but it can cook while the butternut squash is roasting as well). I recommend cooking 1 cup of uncooked brown rice, resulting in about 2-3 cups cooked rice for easy leftovers.
- Line a baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper and preheat the oven to 400 °F. Then, peel and cube butternut squash if needed.Time saver tip: use organic frozen butternut squash that is already cubed.
- Add butternut squash to the lined baking sheet and drizzle with avocado oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic, and any other suggested seasonings (I use garlic and thyme). Using your hands or a spatula, toss to coat. Place into the oven (middle rack) for 30 minutes, or until a fork easily pierces through the cubes.
- When the butternut squash has about 10 minutes left, prepare the rest of the salad ingredients. For the kale: First mince garlic. Then, chop the kale and add to a warm skillet on medium to low heat. Drizzle with avocado oil and let cook for a minute then add garlic and tamari sauce. Stir frequently and once the kale has wilted, remove from heat. Add warm brown rice to a bowl and mix with hummus (this helps to make sure the salad doesn't taste dry, but without needing any salad dressing). Alternatively you can keep them separate and add a few dollops of hummus to the top of the salad. Slice apples and set aside.
- Remove butternut squash from the oven and assemble the salad as desired. I add kale to the bowl first, then top with brown rice and hummus, add ¼ cup of butternut squash and then top with apple slices and a handful of arugula (optional). Enjoy!
Notes
Store extra butternut squash in the fridge for 2-4 days. To reheat, place in the microwave or toss in a skillet until warm.
If you are making this salad for two people, double the amount of kale ingredients and split evenly between the salads.
The sautéed kale should not be stored, as it will become soggy.
Using fresh butternut squash instead of frozen? Check out this post for helpful tips on how to peel and cut it.
This recipe was inspired by LuluGreen's hummus bowl.