Kale Salad with Butternut Squash is a fall salad for you that is perfect for the holidays.

Kale Salad with Butternut Squash in a big bowl set on green napkin with forks

Kale Salad with Butternut Squash:

In this salad recipe, chopped kale is tossed with roasted butternut squash, blue cheese, pomegranate seeds and a honey-cider vinaigrette. It’s such a simple salad, but it’s so good that I could eat the entire thing! And it’s so pretty and colorful that I love to serve it over the holidays.

The Everyday Squash Cook cookbook cover

The Everyday Squash Cook

This recipe comes from The Every Day Squash Cook by Rob Firing, Ivy Knight and Kerry Knight. I’m completely enamored with this cookbook! It’s full of recipes that utilize all kinds of varieties of squash.

Here are a few of the pages I have tagged to make very soon: Butternut “Bacon,” Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Pumpkin and Brie, Spaghetti Squash Soup with Coconut Milk and Ginger, Roast Chicken Stuffed with Squash and Wild Rice, Spinach Salad with Acorn Rings and Warm Bacon Vinaigrette, Creamy Acorn Squash Polenta, Zucchini Refrigerator Pickles, Squashsicles, Butternut Brownies, and Zucchini- Walnut Loaf with Lemon Glaze.  Doesn’t it all sound AMAZING??

Kale Salad with Butternut Squash in a large bowl set on green napkin with forks

If you’re kind-of afraid of kale or if you think you don’t like it… give kale a chance! If you’re not happy with the texture of raw kale, toss the salad with the dressing and give it some time to “marinate.” The dressing will soften the kale, and you can then taste the salad and declare, “I love kale!”

Kale Salad with Butternut Squash in a big bowl
The roasted squash and the sweet and tangy dressing are a perfect pairing with the kale. The strong, wonderful flavor of blue cheese and the sweet pomegranate seeds round it all out. Have I told you how much I love this salad?!

Substitution suggestions:

  • Substitute feta cheese for the blue cheese 
  • Substitute dried cranberries for the pomegranate seeds
  • Substitute chopped red leaf lettuce for the chopped kale

pinterest collage image for kale salad with butternut squash

I’m going to add chicken to this and call it a main dish salad for dinner tonight. I’ll make it again for Thanksgiving, and I’ll make it again for Christmas because of its extreme festive-nature. 

Here are a few more recipes using kale that you might like to try:

If you happen to be following the Weight Watchers WW plan, you will find a link to the WW Points on the recipe card below.

bowl of kale salad with butternut squash
5 from 1 vote

Kale Salad with Butternut Squash

Beautiful fall salad!
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
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Ingredients

VINAIGRETTE:

SALAD:

  • 3 cups trimmed and thinly sliced kale
  • 1 cup cubed and roasted butternut squash (follow the Tips below)
  • ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
  • ¼ cup pomegranate seeds or dried cranberries

Instructions 

MAKE THE VINAIGRETTE:

  • Combine all of the vinaigrette ingredients in a jar, seal with a lid and shake to combine. Set aside.

MAKE THE SALAD:

  • In a large bowl, toss together the kale, squash and blue cheese. Toss with the vinaigrette. Divide the salad among serving bowls and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds or dried cranberries? before serving.

Notes

  • If you are preparing this recipe as GLUTEN-FREE, I'd sub feta cheese for the blue cheese unless you're sure that your blue cheese is gluten-free. Be sure to use a brand of Dijon mustard that is know to be GF too.
  • To roast the squash: Preheat the oven to 400. Cut, seed and peel your butternut squash. Carefully cut the squash crosswise into ¾-inch slices, and then cut those slices into cubes. Lightly coat the squash with olive oil and a big pinch of salt. Spread squash evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn cubes over and roast or an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until tender.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 148kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 6mg, Sodium: 153mg, Potassium: 416mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 8805IU, Vitamin C: 69mg, Calcium: 137mg, Iron: 1mg, Purple WW Smartpoints: -6

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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13 Comments

  1. Sarah says:

    This looks amazing except we don’t love pomegranate seeds. Is there a substitute that would work with the same Holiday Party Dinner Menu? Thank you so much!

    1. Lori Lange says:

      How about dried cranberries?

  2. Joanne says:

    I’m basically a squash addict so I need need need this salad AND this book!

  3. Kelly - Life Made Sweeter says:

    This is such a gorgeous salad, Lori! I love the kale and butternut squash combo! This is the perfect fall salad!

  4. Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy says:

    That dressing sounds divine and of course, I’m all over that squash and blue cheese 😉

  5. marcie says:

    I love kale, and the flavor is so great with sweet butternut squash. This salad is beautiful!

  6. Jean says:

    Pinned! This looks amazing. I love flavor combo.

  7. sheila says:

    I need this cookbook! there can never be too much squash as far as I’m concerned! this salad looks amazing. YUM! I want some for lunch.

  8. KalynsKitchen says:

    I love this idea, so festive!

  9. Tori@Gringalicious.com says:

    MMmmmm! This looks fantastic. I am a huge fan of kale and I love the simplicity of this recipe!

  10. Jenny Flake says:

    Great looking recipe!!!