This Kale Butternut Squash Salad features squash, baby kale, toasted hazelnuts, dried cherries, and crumbled goat cheese topped with crispy bacon and tossed with a maple vinaigrette.
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Why Make This Recipe
- Tastes Amazing!: Every ingredient in this dish adds color and flavor to this delicious salad.
- Perfect for the Holidays: We love this salad as a bright and light entry on the holiday table.
- Easy to Make-Ahead: All of the components in this recipe can be made ahead of time, then assembled when you are ready to serve!
🥗 Ingredients
- Butternut Squash: Honeynut squash is an easy substitution for this dish, but you could also replace with acorn squash. (And with acorn squash, you don’t need to peel before slicing and roasting.)
- Baby Kale: We love the packaged, pre-washed baby kale you can sometimes find in grocery stores for this recipe. You can substitute regular kale, but you’ll need to pull the leaves from the stems and tear into small pieces or ribbons. You could also replace with arugula or baby spinach.
- Bacon: Regular (not thick-sliced) bacon works best for this recipe since we will use the microwave to cook the bacon. If you have thick-cut bacon, you might want to use another method, or at least add more minutes to the cooking time. Of course, for a vegetarian version of this salad, just leave it out!
- Hazelnuts: Trader Joe’s sells pre-roasted and skinned hazelnuts, which is a huge time saver! If you only have raw hazelnuts, see toasting instructions in Expert Tips. You can also replace the hazelnuts with toasted pecans, walnuts, almonds, or pistachios.
- Dried Cherries: Feel free to substitute dried cranberries, craisins, or even pomegranate seeds.
- Red Wine Vinegar: You could replace this with cider vinegar or white wine vinegar.
- Maple Syrup: The maple in this vinaigrette is a lovely combination with the squash and bacon, but you can substitute with honey if you’d like.
🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Peel a large butternut squash with a sturdy vegetable peeler. Cut squash in half and scoop out seeds. Slice squash into ⅓-inch thick half moons.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss squash with 1.5 tablespoons olive oil, season lightly with salt and pepper, then spread out on the baking sheet in a single layer.
Roast squash slices in 450 degree oven, until fork-tender and lightly browned on one side, about 20-25 minutes.
Meanwhile, line a large plate with two layers of paper towels. Lay out 4.5 ounces bacon slices on paper towels and cover with an additional paper towel. Microwave for about 1 minute per slice (check to make sure they are not overcooked, and add more time if they are undercooked). Remove from microwave and let cool.
Chop bacon in small pieces. Chop ⅓ cup toasted, skinned hazelnuts roughly.
To make the vinaigrette, whisk 2 teaspoons dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, and 2 teaspoons maple syrup together in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in 6 tablespoons olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To assemble salad, add 5 ounces baby kale to a large salad bowl or platter and toss with 2 tablespoons of dressing. Top with butternut squash slices. Garnish with bacon, hazelnuts, ½ cup dried cherries, and ½ cup crumbled goat cheese. Serve remaining dressing on the side.
🧐 Recipe FAQs for Butternut Squash Salad
If possible, store the dressing separately from the salad. We love storing salad dressing in small mason jars in the refrigerator. It will last at least a week or two. Put the salad into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Yes, this salad is great for make-ahead! The maple vinaigrette can be made several days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. The squash can be roasted at least a day in advance, also kept in the refrigerator. The bacon is best made the day you want to serve it, but you could easily cook it several hours before you want to serve. Keep all salad components separate if possible until you are ready to serve.
Yes. For a vegan version of this salad, just leave out the goat cheese and the bacon. It’s still an entirely delicious salad without those two components (or serve them in separate topping bowls if you are serving vegan eaters and meat eaters). For a vegetarian version, keep the goat cheese and leave out the bacon. And, you could turn this into a main course-worthy vegan or vegetarian salad by tossing in some cooked quinoa or farro as well.
👩🍳 Expert Tips
Let your bacon and roasted butternut squash cool before adding to the salad. Otherwise, they will wilt the baby kale leaves and melt the goat cheese crumbles.
To toast your own hazelnuts, heat the oven to 375 degrees and add the hazelnuts to a rimmed baking sheet. Toast nuts for 10-15 minutes, until you can smell them, and the skins are starting to peel off. Pour the hazelnuts in the middle of a clean dish towel and pull up the sides to twist together. Rub the hazelnuts against each other within the pouch of the kitchen towel, then open the towel. Pick out the toasted nuts, pulling off any extra skin. Not all of the skin will be removed, which is not a problem.
This is an extremely versatile salad, and would go well with a lot of different salad dressings. If you prefer, you could try my Apple Cider Vinegar Salad Dressing, my Sesame Ginger Dressing, or my Meyer Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette.
Wondering what to serve with this salad? It’s a stunner as a Thanksgiving salad, and would be delicious alongside this Cauliflower Stuffing, these Honey Roasted Carrots and Parsnips, or this Spiced Pumpkin Soup. Or how about adding this Southern Mash to your holiday menu as well?
Of course, this roasted squash salad would be delicious any time of year. You could serve it alongside a soup like Creamy Tuscan White Bean Soup, Tuscan Tortellini Soup, or Chicken Soup with Rice. Or, for a vegetarian meal, leave off the bacon in the salad, and serve with Potato Leek Soup or Carrot Ginger Soup.
Other Delicious Fall Salads
Summer gets all the salad love, but fall may actually be our favorite time of year for salads. Try this Broccoli Bacon Salad next. Or, try one of these—they make delicious holiday sides as well!
If you try this Roasted Butternut Squash Salad recipe, we would love to hear from you! Please rate this recipe and leave a comment below—your feedback is invaluable to us. And please follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or subscribe to our newsletter. We'd love to inspire you with more delicious, healthy, and seasonal recipes!
📖 Recipe
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Kale Butternut Squash Salad
Equipment
![Regular Mouth Mason Jar 8 oz [Set of 6] Canning Jars With Airtight lids and Bands - For Canning, Fermenting, Pickling - Glass jar, Microwave & Dishwasher Safe - Bundled With SEWANTA Jar Opener](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51hIoKbXodL._SL500_.jpg)
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1 butternut squash (around 2 pounds)
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 4 ½ ounces bacon slices
- ½ cup toasted skinned hazelnuts (2.5 ounces)
- 5 ounces baby kale rinsed and dried
- ½ cup dried cherries (2.9 ounces)
- ½ cup crumbled goat cheese (2 ounces)
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Kosher salt to taste
For the Maple Dressing
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Peel squash with a sturdy vegetable peeler.
- Cut squash in half and scoop out seeds. Slice squash into ⅓-inch thick half moons.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toss squash with olive oil, season lightly with salt and pepper, then spread out on the baking sheet in a single layer.
- Roast squash slices in the oven, until fork-tender and lightly browned on one side, about 20-25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, line a large plate with two layers of paper towels.
- Lay out bacon slices on paper towels and cover with an additional paper towel.
- Microwave for about 1 minute per slice (check to make sure they are not overcooked, and add more time if they are undercooked). Remove from microwave and let cool.
- Chop bacon in small pieces.
- Chop hazelnuts roughly.
- To make the vinaigrette, whisk mustard, vinegar, and maple syrup together in a medium bowl.
- Slowly whisk in olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- To assemble salad, add baby kale to a large salad bowl or platter and toss with 2 tablespoons of dressing.
- Top with butternut squash slices.
- Garnish with bacon, hazelnuts, cherries, and goat cheese.
- Serve remaining dressing on the side.
Notes
If possible, store the dressing separately from the salad. We love storing salad dressing in small mason jars in the refrigerator. It will last at least a week or two. Put the salad into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Make-Ahead:
The maple vinaigrette can be made several days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. The squash can be roasted at least a day in advance, also kept in the refrigerator. The bacon is best made the day you want to serve it, but you could easily cook it several hours before you want to serve. Keep all salad components separate if possible until you are ready to serve. Expert Tips:
To toast your own hazelnuts, heat the oven to 375 degrees and add the hazelnuts to a rimmed baking sheet. Toast nuts for 10-15 minutes, until you can smell them, and the skins are starting to peel off. Pour the hazelnuts in the middle of a clean dish towel and pull up the sides to twist together. Rub the hazelnuts against each other within the pouch of the kitchen towel, then open the towel. Pick out the toasted nuts, pulling off any extra skin. Not all of the skin will be removed, which is not a problem.
Nutrition
Instagram Users: Now that you've made this kale squash salad recipe, tag us @vanillabeancuisine or #vanillabeancuisine because we'd love to see your results!
More About Molly
Cooking healthy(ish) meals with seasonal ingredients is my passion. Trained as a French pastry chef, I spent over 10 years as a personal chef. Here you'll find well-tested recipes that you and your family will love!
Philly says
Can you swap the kale for spinach and the goats cheese for feta cheese please?
Molly Pisula says
Yes, go for it! Those would make lovely substitutions.
Shelby says
The toasted hazelnuts + squash in this salad gives it such a comforting flavor!
Relle says
This sounds amazing. Can't wait to try it.
Glenda says
Love these vibrant Fall colors and flavors! One of my favorite holiday salads!
Sharina says
I love the crispy bacon topped and maple vinaigrette tossed on this tasty kale butternut squash salad! This salad recipe is a must-try! Thanks Molly, I will surely have this on repeat.
Chef Molly says
So glad you enjoyed it. Crispy bacon FTW!
MacKenzie says
I made this for brunch last Saturday and this salad turned out so beautiful and flavorful. The colors are amazing
Chef Molly says
Thanks so much for letting me know. The colors are my favorite part! (Besides the taste of course!)
Chef Mimi says
I’m preparing a similar salad for Thanksgiving lunch, but with no cheese. I’ll be serving cheeses right before. It’s always too much to have hors d’oeuvres before thanksgiving dinner! But I wanted to tell you that I made your maple dressing! It will be a hit.
Chef Molly says
So glad to hear that! And yes, the best thing about this salad is that you can remove 1 or 2 ingredients, and it's still fantastic. No cheese, no problem!