Warm Delicata Kale Salad

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This recipe needs no words.  The delicious aroma and amazing taste will speak for itself.  I’ve been eating this dish everyday for lunch (and sometimes again for dinner) for the last few weeks now and I figured it was the perfect dish to continue our celebration of Vegan MoFo.  I use Delicata squash in the recipe because I love it’s extra creamy flavor but any squash variety will work well.  The squash is roasted first to bring out all it’s delicious flavors – don’t skip this step!  The dressing for this salad is amazing and can be used for other salads, pasta dishes or drizzled over brown rice.  Enjoy!

~Sarah

Ingredients:

• 1 Delicata squash, seeds removed and cut into small chunks
• 2 bunches kale, stems removed
• heaping 1/2 cup sliced red onions
• 3 1/2 tbsp toasted sesame oil, divided
• 2 tbsp molasses
• 1 tbsp reduced sodium tamari, soy sauce or coconut aminos
• 1 tbsp coconut nectar
• 1 heaping tbsp sweet white miso
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preparation: 

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, toss the squash with 1 tbsp of the sesame oil.  Spread the squash on a lined baking sheet in a single layer and roast for 40 minutes or until golden brown, turning over with a spatula after 20 minutes.
3. In the meantime, in a small bowl, whisk together the molasses, tamari, coconut nectar, miso, orange juice, lemon juice and 1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil.
4. Once the squash is roasted, remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes.
5. While the squash is cooling, heat the remaining tablespoon of sesame oil in a large skillet on medium high heat (if you have a wok this is a great time to use it).
6. Once the oil is heated add the red onions and stir once or twice.  Let cook for about 2 – 3 minutes.  Add the kale and stir every few seconds to keep the kale moving around.  Cook for 1 minute or until the kale is bright green and slightly wilted.  If your skillet isn’t large enough to hold all the kale then work in batches until it’s all cooked down.
7. Add in the squash and the dressing and stir a few more times until everything is well coated.  Remove from the heat and serve immediately.

Nutritional Info:

Makes 4 – 6 servings.

Nutrients per serving:  Calories: 168, Cal. from Fat: 76, Total Fat: 8g, Sat. Fat: 1g, Carbs: 20g, Fiber: 3g, Sugars: 8.5g, Protein:3.5g, Sodium: 269mg, Chol: 0mg

Notes:

The squash can be roasted beforehand and stored in the fridge until ready to use.  The dressing can also be made in advance as well.  Once the dressing and squash have been prepared you can easily make this meal in less than 10 minutes.  It’s a great choice when you need a healthy meal without a lot of prep time during the week.

This dish is best served immediately although you can refrigerate the leftovers and reheat in a skillet before serving.