Hi Everyone! So, since I’ve made this salad three times in the past couple of days now, I thought it was about time to share it with you all! If you’ve been following my blog for the past couple of weeks, you may know that I’ve been on a serious salad kick this fall (don’t worry, there’s been plenty of comfort food and dessert to supplement all the salad eating! Ha!) and I have another salad recipe to share with you today! Salads are one of my favorite things to make, not only because they are good for you (unless topped with too much bacon that will cancel out all the nutrients in the rest of the ingredients!) but because you can get so creative with them, and because it’s one of the best ways to eat seasonal ingredients! This is a super hearty salad; the baby kale and Swiss chard leaves are a great source of iron, the quinoa and chicken make it really satisfying and the sweet roasted butternut squash works so well with the juicy pomegranate seeds (don’t they just look like little jewels sprinkled over the salad?!) If you’re looking for a great salad recipe, I think you might like this one!
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KALE SALAD WITH QUINOA, POMEGRANATE SEEDS & ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH
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YOU WILL NEED
SALAD
Baby Kale leaves
Baby Swiss Chard leaves
Cooked quinoa
Roasted butternut squash
Pomegranate seeds
Shredded chicken
VINAIGRETTE
(1 Portion)
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 tbs balsamic vinegar
Honey
Salt & Pepper
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DIRECTIONS
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1. First, prepare the butternut squash. Peel and halve it lengthwise, then scoop out all the seeds and cut it up into about 1 inch cubes. In a large bowl, toss it with about a teaspoon or so of olive oil, and season it well with salt and pepper. Preheat your oven to 400 deg F, and spread the butternut squash cubes on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for about 30 minutes, until soft.
2. In the meantime, prepare the rest of your ingredients. Shred or slice your (poached or roasted) chicken (of course you can leave the chicken out to keep the salad vegetarian), and cook your quinoa according to the directions on the packaging (you want about 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of cooked quinoa per salad portion). Make your salad dressing by whisking together 2 parts olive oil with one part balsamic vinegar, drizzle in some honey for some sweetness and season with salt and pepper (I almost always use this vinaigrette, you can change up the proportions of the ingredients to suit your taste).
3. Now it’s time to assemble your salad! In a large salad bowl, gently toss your greens with the vinaigrette (I used baby kale leaves and Swiss chard leaves, but you could also use spinach). Add in the chicken, butternut squash and quinoa and plate the salad, then sprinkle with (a generous amount!) of pomegranate seeds!
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And for more salad ideas, check out my other salad recipes!
Left: Fall Quinoa Salad (recipe HERE), Middle: Fall Salad with Roasted Acorn Squash (recipe HERE), Right: Pear, Goat Cheese and Walnut Fall Salad (recipe HERE)
Happy Cooking, Everyone!
Cool recipe! My husband has been asking about eating more kale (how often does that happen?!), but he doesn’t want it cooked. He’s also been a little unsure about quinoa, even though I assure him it’s great! This salad looks like a delicious way to get him some kale and try try quinoa. Visiting from Create it Thursday!
Thanks! I hope you and your husband enjoy the salad! I like using baby kale because it has a milder kale taste, and people who aren’t big fans of kale like it more! As for the quinoa, if you add it in warm and it soaks up some of the salad dressing, it tastes better (or cooking it in chicken stock adds extra flavor!) Hope you enjoy it! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
This salad looks delicious! I love the ingredients and the addition of pomegranate seeds…thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much, Jodee! The pomegranate seeds are really what makes the salad! Thanks for stopping by!
I love everything about this salad, the colors are so beautiful, and it’s a complete meal! I know what you mean about salads at this time of year, sometimes I just need a break from comfort food!
Thanks so much, Sue! I love colorful salads too, it just makes them that much more appetizing! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Yum! I would leave out the chicken since I’m vegan. I’ll have to try this! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Sue! Hope you love this salad too, it’s super hearty and delicious, I keep making it over and over! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Beautiful salad! I would want to eat this everyday! Yum!!! Pinning!!!
Thanks so much, Rachel! I’ve made it so many times now, because it’s so hearty and delicious, but still healthy! Which is always a plus! 😉
This looks like a fantastic salad and I can’t wait to make it. Hope you are having a great day and thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Congratulations!
Your recipe is featured on Full Plate Thursday this week. Hope you have a great weekend and enjoy your new Red Plate.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Thank you so much for featuring my salad, Miz Helen! Glad you liked it 🙂 Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
This looks and sounds amazing! Great photos as well. Thanks for sharing. You are one of the features at the Make it Pretty party at The Dedicated House. Here is the link to this week’s party:
http://www.thededicatedhouse.com/2014/11/make-it-pretty-monday-week-120.html Hope to see your prettiness again at the bash! Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse