Winter Squash Salad with Kale & Pomegranate Seeds

Full disclosure: I am obsessed with this salad. I started making it a week or so ago and have now eaten it almost every day. It is that good. (And super-healthy and dinner-party beautiful!) It was inspired by a salad I ate last winter at Emporio, a great Italian restaurant in our neighborhood. I loved their combination of kale, roasted winter squash, pomegranate seeds and Pecorino shavings and figured it would be easy enough to recreate at home. As it turned out, it was (with a few tweaks of course!). Between the squash roasting and the ingredient prepping, it is a little bit time consuming, but the end result is well worth the effort.



This salad is a perfect canvas to experiment with different types of winter squash. I used acorn and Delicata squash the other day, but you could really use any type–butternut or Kabocha would also be nice. The acorn squash skins are particularly tough so I'd recommend roasting them in halves, and cutting them into smaller pieces after they are baked. The Delicata have thinner (edible) skins, so I went ahead and cut them into half-moon pieces before roasting them.

While your squash is roasting, you can prep all your other ingredients: clean and chop the kale, remove the pomegranate seeds (see below for tips on how to do this), toast the pine nuts, make the vinaigrette, and shave the Parmesan. I love to serve this buffet-style on a big platter and let guests serve themselves, but you could also serve this on individual plates as a beautiful first course.



The gorgeous colors in the dish, and the sweet/salty/earthy flavor combinations, make it an ideal side dish for the holidays. I plan on serving it next Thursday as a welcome healthy addition to the Thanksgiving spread!

ROASTED SQUASH WITH KALE, PINE NUTS, & POMEGRANATE SEEDS

Serves 8

2 pounds assorted winter squash (acorn, butternut, delicata, or kabocha)
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 bunch Lacinto kale
2 to 3 tablespoons pomegranate seeds*
2 to 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts**
2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan shavings for garnish

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Using a sharp knife, cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. If using acorn or butternut squash, roast the squash in two halves and cut into pieces after it is baked. For Delicata or Kabocha squash, cut the squash into half moon pieces. Brush the squash pieces with one tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast for about 45 minutes or until soft. (You may need to remove the half moon pieces before the acorn or butternut squash halves.) When cool enough to handle, cut the large pieces of squash into half-moon pieces.

While the squash is baking, prepare the other ingredients. Rinse the kale, remove the stems, and cut into bite-size pieces. Place the kale in a colander and let air dry.

*You can buy pomegranate seeds in some grocery stores in the produce section. OR you can extract the seeds yourself from a whole pomegranate. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the pomegranate in half, then in quarters. (Be sure to wear an apron, as the pomegranate juice will stain light clothes.) Fill a medium bowl halfway with cold water and using your fingers, separate the seeds from the membrane and let drop into the water. The seeds will sink to the bottom and the membrane will float to the top. Once you get all the seeds out, remove the white membrane and pour the water and the seeds into a strainer. Dry them off with paper towels and keep in an airtight container for 2 - 3 days.

**To toast the pine nuts, cook them in a dry skillet over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes until lightly toasted and nutty smelling. Keep a close eye on them, swirling the pan and/or stirring often, as they can quickly burn. OR roast in a 350°F oven for 6 - 7 minutes until lightly browned, stirring them once or twice to make sure they cook evenly. After either method, dump the pine nuts onto a plate to stop the cooking. Let cool.

Whisk the Balsamic vinegar with the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a small bowl until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the kale in a large bowl and toss with half the vinaigrette until evenly coated.

To assemble the salad, arrange the squash slices on a large platter–you can leave the skin on and people can cut it off themselves (though you can eat the Delicata squash skin, FYI)–and drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette. Layer with the kale and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds, pine nuts, and Parmesan shavings (use a vegetable peeler and a chunk of Parmesan).