This roasted Acorn Squash & Pomegranate Kale Salad with a light White Wine Pomegranate Vinaigrette is the perfect winter dish. All the ingredients to a delicious salad are included – nuts, cheese, a complex carb, and a delicious vinaigrette pairing! Make it a meal by adding a protein source.
I had first sought out to make this salad with delicata squash, but I could not find it anywhere at my local grocery stores! I could have scoured the farmer’s markets in my area in hopes of finding one, but of course, I want anyone to be able to reproduce this recipe easily. Making multiple stops at different stores/markets is not my idea of easy!
Instead, I went with acorn squash for a few reasons:
- It has a similar taste to delicata squash
- You can roast it in a similar way
- They both have edible skins!
Acorn squash, also called pepper squash, is a winter vegetable available in early fall through the winter season. It is rich in many nutrients, including fibr
more mild taste than butternut squash, with a lightly sweet and nutty flavour.
Acorn squash is very easy to roast and work with. I find cutting into it when it’s uncooked is much easier than with butternut or spaghetti squash.
Ingredients to make Acorn Squash & Pomegranate Kale Salad
- 1 large bunch of Kale
- 1 Pomegranate – Check out my blog post on how to easily de-seed a pomegranate!
- Feta Cheese
- Pecans- feel free to sub different nuts here, pistachios or walnuts would work great!
- 1 Acorn Squash
Ingredients for the White Wine Pomegranate Vinaigrette
- Pomegranate juice – I used a bottle of pomegranate juice here. Im sure you could make your own juice with the leftover pomegranate seeds, but it sounds like a messy process to me! You can freeze the leftover juice in ice cube tray moulds, simply defrost a few next time you make this vinaigrette again!
- White wine vinegar
- Olive oil
- Dijon Mustard
- Garlic cloves, minced
- salt & pepper
- Simply add all ingredients to a small bowl and mix together.
If you try out this salad let me know what you think by leaving me a review and star rating. Enjoy!
Acorn Squash & Pomegranate Kale Salad
Ingredients
- 2 acord squash sliced and roasted
Salad
- 1 cup pecans, toasted with a pinch of salt
- 8 cups kale, re-stemmed and chopped into bite sized pieces
- Drizzle olive oil and pinch salt
- 1 cup pomegranate arils
- 4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
White Wine Pomegranate Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp pomegranate juice
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/8 tsp salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
Roast the Acorn Squash
- Start by roasting the acorn squash. Preheat the oven to 375F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.Rinse the acorn squash under cold water to clean the skin.
- Slice in half lengthwise as shown above. Scoop out the seeds and pulp. You can save the seeds to roast separately if you'd like!
- Next, slice the squash into half-inch strips horizontally (across the short side) as shown above.
- Once the acorn squash is sliced, drizzle with some olive oil. You don't need too much here, about 2 tsp worth of oil. Rub in with your fingers to ensure all sides are coated with oil, then add a pinch of salt and pepper and mix together.
- Lay flat on the 2 baking sheets. You don't want to overcrowd them- this ensures they crisp up well. If they are overcrowded on the baking sheet they will steam rather than roast.
- Bake for 25 minutes, then remove from the oven and flip each piece over. Return to the oven for an additional 15-18 minutes until each side is golden and soft when pierced with a fork. The skin is edible and it will be soft enough to eat. I like to leave it on, but you can peel it off if you'd like. Cut each piece in half through the middle. Set aside.
Roast the Pecans
- Place the pecans on a baking sheet. Roast them in the oven for 5 minutes at 375F (you can put them in the oven for the last 5 minutes of the squash cooking!). Remove and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Mix together.
Make the Salad
- De-rib the kale and rip up the leaves into bite-sized pieces. In a large bowl, drizzle with about 1 tsp of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Massage the kale with your hands for about 30 seconds-1 minute until the leave appears to have a deeper green colour and reduced in volume.
- Top with the pomegranate seeds, crumbled feta, pecans and acorn squash pieces.
Make the Vinaigrette
- Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a small mixing bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
- Either mix the vinaigrette into the salad or serve on the side if you anticipate leftovers. Enjoy!
Notes
Stored in the refrigerator, the vinaigrette will keep for up to 1 week. The olive oil will harden in the fridge. Allow the vinaigrette to sit at room temperate for 30 minutes before serving for the oil to liquefy again.
Leave a Reply