Whether turkey or Tofurky take center stage at your holiday feast, side dishes are really what make a meal memorable. While you’re piling sweet potatoes, green bean casserole and cranberry sauce high on your plate, don’t forget to leave room for this amazing salad, bursting with fall flavor. Acorn squash and onions are simply roasted with rosemary and tossed on kale and then drizzled with a bold, homemade tahini-apple dressing for a simple, but almost ethereal vegetable dish. Add a bit of protein, like chickpeas or fried egg, for a full meal, but we think this salad is perfectly satisfying as is.
Acorn Squash & Kale Holiday Salad
Serves 4
Ingredients
Salad
½ lb. lacinato or black kale, stems removed and torn into pieces
1 large acorn squash, halved lengthwise/deseeded, cut into ½” half moons
4-5 onions, peeled/quartered
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. whole dried rosemary or fresh rosemary
¼ cup dried cranberries
1 tsp. sea salt
Ground black pepper
Tahini-Apple Dressing
¼ cup unsweetened apple juice
¼ cup tahini, stirred well
1 Tbsp. whole grain mustard
1 tsp. mild curry powder
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
½ tsp. sea salt
Ground black pepper
Directions
- To make salad, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. On baking sheet, combine onions, squash, rosemary and salt and pepper with olive oil. Roast vegetables for about 50 minutes. Add kale on top of other vegetables (do not mix) and roast for 5 more minutes until kale is wilted.
- To make dressing, in medium-sized bowl, combine all ingredients and whisk together until smooth.
- Serve salad on bed of kale, topped with squash/onion mixture. Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with dried cranberries.