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The following recipe and photography were provided by local blogger Abby Thome of The Thome Home.
If there is one salad to feature on your Thanksgiving table this year, it is this one. It’s both visually stunning and full of phenomenal flavors!
Sweet, caramelized roasted butternut squash layered with crispy smoked bacon, sweet dried cranberries and candied pumpkin seeds creates a salad with infinite texture and “zing.” Top with crumbled goat cheese and my house-made maple Dijon vinaigrette, which is so good I may have to jar and sell it!
Trust me, if you serve this salad, you’ll see the bottom of the serving bowl in no time as guests race to fill their plate!
- Total time:
- 0min
- Servings:
- 8
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 2 bunches of organic kale, washed and finely chopped
- 1.5 lbs. butternut squash, roasted (see below)
- 1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 8 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
- Candied pumpkin seeds (see below)
- Maple Dijon vinaigrette (see below)
For the Roasted Butternut Squash
- 1.5 lb. butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
- Pinch of kosher salt and black pepper
For the Candied Pumpkin Seeds
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 egg white
- 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1/8 tsp. cinnamon
- Pinch of kosher salt
For the Maple Dijon Vinaigrette
- 3 Tbsp. shallot, minced
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
Instructions
For the Roasted Butternut Squash
- Preheat oven to 375˚F.
- On a greased baking sheet, toss the butternut squash chunks together with the olive oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper.
- Bake at 375 ˚F for one hour until the butternut squash is fork tender and the sides have caramelized.
- Set aside to cool.
For the Candied Pumpkin Seeds
- Preheat oven to 300˚F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, toss the pumpkin seeds with the egg white, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.
- Bake at 300 ˚F for 20-25 minutes.
- Let cool completely, then break apart into chunks.
For the Maple Dijon Vinaigrette
- In a large bowl, whisk all ingredients together until well combined.
- Pour into a Mason jar and store in the fridge. When ready to serve shake the jar to recombine.
For the Salad
- Finely chop the kale and add to the bottom of a serving dish. Pour in a few Tbsp. of the maple Dijon vinaigrette and, using clean hands, massage the dressing into the kale to tenderize.
- Add the roasted butternut squash, dried cranberries, crumbled bacon and candied pumpkin seeds on top of the dressed kale and finish with crumbled goat cheese.
- Right before serving, pour the rest of the dressing onto the salad and toss to combine.
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