Butternut Squash, Kale, Pecan, Cranberry, Apple Salad

Butternut Squash, Kale, Pecan, Cranberry, Apple Salad with Maple-Lime Dressing – this healthy, gluten free salad combines lots of Autumn flavors and is a great side dish / appetizer during the Fall/Winter season!

Maple-Lime dressing is perfect for kale: it softens and balances its flavor. I really enjoyed this salad, and so did my husband who would usually not be into greens like kale. It’s all about the dressing and the right ingredients! Kale does not overwhelm this salad: it’s just one of many ingredients that work really well together!

Ingredients

Roasted Butternut Squash:

1/2 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed into 1-inch cubes (Yields about 2 cups of uncooked cubed butternut squash)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Remaining Salad Ingredients:

1 bunch chopped kale, thick stems removed (about 4 cups of packed chopped kale)
1 sweet red apple, cored and chopped
1 cup pecans, toasted
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Dressing

3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

Roasted butternut squash:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line the baking sheet with foil.
In a medium bowl, combine cubed butternut squash (peeled and seeded),1 tablespoon of olive oil, maple syrup, and cinnamon, and toss to mix.
Place butternut squash in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning once half-way through baking, until softened.
Remove from the oven.

Salad assembly:

In a large bowl, add chopped kale, chopped apple, lightly toasted pecans, dried cranberries, and cooked butternut squash.
In a small bowl, combine dressing ingredients, and whisk.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss carefully to combine.