Kale-Delicata Squash Quinoa Salad
Why I Love This Recipe
Featuring: Kale, delicata squash, parsley and garlic.
A delicious and hearty salad adapted from Oh She Glows (Angela Linden) that has a few steps but is definitely worth it! I love roasting the seeds of the delicata squash and adding them to this recipe. I often omit using the ingredients that are optional and people still rave about this recipe!
Ingredients You'll Need
For the lemon-tahini dressing:
1 large clove garlic
1⁄4 cup (60 mL) tahini
1⁄4 cup (60 mL) fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons (45 mL) nutritional yeast
1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 mL) sunflower oil (Angela Linden suggests sesame oil or coconut oil)
1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 mL) water
1⁄4 teaspoon (1 mL) fine-grain sea salt, or to taste
For the kale salad:
1-2 delicata squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
1 tablespoon (15 mL) sunflower oil (Angela Linden suggests sesame oil or coconut oil)
Fine-grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves torn into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces
1 cup (250 mL) quinoa (or millet), cooked according to instructions
½ cup (125 mL) diced fresh or red onions (optional)
½ cup (125 mL) chopped celery (about 1 large stalk) (optional)
½ cup (125 mL) fresh parsley leaves (optional)
2 tablespoons (30 mL) dried cranberries
2 tablespoons (30 mL) raw or toasted pumpkin seeds (I like to simply add the delicata squash seeds that I quickly roast while making the salad)
Directions
Make the dressing:
1. In a food processor, pulse the garlic to mince it. Add the tahini, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, oil, water, and salt and process until smooth.
Make the salad:
2. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Slice the squash crosswise into 1-inch-wide (2.5-cm) pieces (they should be the shape of a U) and place them in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle them with the oil and toss to combine. Season generously with salt and pepper.
4. Roast the squash for about 30 minutes, flipping once halfway through the cooking time.
5. Meanwhile, cook the quinoa (Ratio: 1 cup of dry quinoa to 1 ½ cups of water, cook for 15-17 minutes).
6. Place the kale in a large bowl and spoon 2 to 4 tablespoons (30 to 60 mL) of the Lemon-Tahini Dressing over top. Massage the dressing into the kale with your hands until evenly coated. Let the kale sit on the counter for at least 10 to 15 minutes so the dressing can soften the kale leaves.
7. To assemble the salad, place the dressing-coated kale on a large serving plate. Spread the cooked quinoa over top, followed by the onion, celery, parsley, roasted squash, cranberries, and pumpkin seeds. Drizzle on the rest of the dressing.
