Kale Salad with Butternut Squash, Brussel Sprouts, and Roasted Red Pepper
Salad always seems to get a bad rep. It’s either categorized as the “boring, healthy kick” food, smashed into a boring Tupperware container to be sadly consumed for lunch in place of a delicious burger and fries. Or, categorized as your attempt of making the healthy choice only to realize that once you consume all of the toppings and dressing you might as well have had that burger in the first place. Poor salad, it just can’t win.
This kale salad is striving to break the salad stereotype. The butternut squash, roasted red peppers, and brussel sprouts are added to the salad while still warm which slightly wilts the firm kale. The veggies are hearty and filling so the salad feels more like a meal than a side dish. And, of course, I threw on some croutons because croutons make all salads taste better (you know its true). The eggs add some protein, or you could also add chicken or salmon in its place.
The colors are vibrant, the flavors distinct, and the ingredients are filling. It does not disappoint.
Kale Salad with Butternut Squash, Brussel Sprouts, and Roasted Red Pepper
Makes 2 large salads. Adjust individual ingredient portions to your liking.
Ingredients
- 4 cups curly kale, stems removed and chopped
- 1/2 cup butternut squash, cubed
- 1 cup brussel sprouts, cut in half (or quartered if large) (about 1/4 lb)
- 1/4 tsp tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp chili powder
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 – 1 cup cubed artisan bread (sourdough, Country, Italian, etc)
- 1 roasted red bell pepper, peeled and diced (either homemade or jarred)
- Bacon vinaigrette (Either homemade or store bought. If making homemade, I recommend the My Recipes recipe.)
Directions
- Remove the stems from the kale and chop into small, bite size pieces. Divide the kale between two large bowl. Sprinkle with several pinches of salt and toss the kale to combine. (The salt will help tenderize the kale.)
- In a small sauce pan, add two uncooked eggs in their shells and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-heat. As soon as the water starts to boil, remove the pan from heat. Let the eggs cook in the water for 10-12 minutes. After the timer expires for the eggs, drain the water and run cold water over the eggs. Let the eggs cool.
- Combine 1/4 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp cinnamon and 1/8 tsp chili powder in a small bowl.
- Cut and peel the butternut squash. Cut into 1/2 inch cubes (roughly – they don’t have to be perfect). (If you don’t know how to cut a butternut squash…head to YouTube and there are videos.)
- Heat 1/2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup of squash to the pan and toss in oil. Add the spices.
- Stir the squash often to cook on all sides until a fork pierces the cubes easily, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the squash from the skillet.
- Cut the ends off the brussel sprouts and then cut them in half (quarter if the sprouts are very large). Add the sprouts to the hot skillet cut side down. Let them sear for 3-4 minutes on one side before stirring. Continue to cook 4-5 more minutes until cooked through. Remove them from heat.
- Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes. Drizzle the cubes with olive oil and toss with salt and pepper. Add the bread to a hot skillet to toast on each side until lightly browned and crunchy. (Or put under the broiler in the oven or toaster oven for a few minutes on each side.)
- Dice 1 roasted red bell pepper into bite size pieces. (I used a store bought jar of peppers for this recipe, but you could roast your own.)
- To each bowl of kale, add equal portions of the squash, brussel sprouts, croutons, roasted red pepper, and 1 sliced egg per salad.
- Toss with bacon vinaigrette and serve.
You could substitute the curly kale in this recipe for a different type of green; however, I do find that the firm, curly kale texture holds up well against the hearty ingredients.
Substitute the bacon vinaigrette for a balsamic vinaigrette.
Use the Extra Ingredients
Incorporate the leftover squash into pasta or roast it for a side dish. It can last for a handful of days in the refrigerator as already chopped cubes or an unpeeled half a squash. Check out my Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato and Black Bean Mole Enchiladas or Butternut Squash Risotto for recipe ideas.
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