Sheet Pan Butternut Squash Salad with Kale
Author -Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients
Butternut squash salad with kale:
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (240g, or one 15-ounce / 425g can)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon onion salt (substitute 1/2 teaspoon fine salt + 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, or simply substitute 1/2 teaspoon fine salt)
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch / 2.5cm cubes (about 1 1/4 pounds / 570g after preparation)
- 1 large apple, cut into 1-inch / 2.5cm cubes
- 1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced lengthwise
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bunch curly kale, stemmed and torn or chopped into bite-sized pieces
Dressing:
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated on a microplate (to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment or foil, or use rimmed, nonstick baking sheets.
- Rinse the chickpeas in a small colander or through a sieve. Drain them well. Transfer the chickpeas to one rimmed baking sheet and use tea towels or paper towels to roll them around and pat them as dry as you possibly can. The more dry the chickpeas become, the crispier they'll be! Make sure there's no extra liquid left on the baking sheet once you're done drying the beans; if you see any, use the towels to wipe it off.
- Drizzle the chickpeas with 1 tablespoon of the avocado oil and use your hands or a spoon to coat them evenly. Sprinkle them with the onion salt, garlic powder, and a few turns of black pepper. Mix again.
- Transfer the cut butternut squash, apple, and onion to the other baking sheet. Drizzle with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons avocado oil, then sprinkle with salt and a few turns of black pepper. Mix the vegetables on the sheet to coat them evenly.
- Transfer both baking sheets to the oven. Roast for 30-35 minutes, or until the chickpeas are crispy and browning and the squash is tender and browning at the edges. Stir all of the ingredients on their baking sheets once halfway through the baking time.
- While you roast the squash and chickpeas, whisk together all vinaigrette ingredients until they’re emulsified. Transfer the kale to a large mixing bowl. Add half of the vinaigrette to the kale, reserving the rest; you'll use it for drizzling when you serve the salad. Use your hands to “massage” the vinaigrette into the kale, until the kale is well-coated and tenderized.
- When the squash is ready, add the dressed kale and roasted chickpeas to the sheet pan with the squash and onions. Mix everything well. Taste the mixture and adjust salt and pepper as needed. You can add extra dressing here, too; otherwise, you can serve the remaining dressing table side, so that each person enjoying the salad can add a little to taste.
- Serve the salad or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.