Butternut Squash and Kale Salad with Toasted Breadcrumbs
Oct 10, 2025 03:30 AM
Butternut Squash and Kale Salad with hearty kale as a base has lots of sweet and savory notes with toasted breadcrumbs and sweet roasted squash. A honey-lemon dressing ties it all together.
Well hello, fall.
We went on a quick getaway to Asheville, NC this week. There are hints of color in the trees and the locally brewed pumpkin beer is out in full force. (I’m doing my best to sample all of it.) It’s that kind of fickle early fall weather where you head out for the evening in shorts and need a jacket as soon as the sun sets.
Farmers markets have one foot in both seasons which means that at one we passed through yesterday there were plump, perfect peaches sitting alongside every sort of squash. Farmers market heaven, in my opinion.
And yesterday was the equinox. The official shift into a new season. And therefore the official justification to drink all the pumpkin spice lattes (as. if. I hadn’t had more than my share already) and put squash in everything.
This Butternut Squash and Kale Salad is a bit of an ode to my family. In a matter of weeks my sister requested one and two people asked if I had a go-to recipe. This, friends, is my new go-to recipe. A sweet, tart Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette balances (I’d say almost completely hides) the bitterness of the kale. The butternut squash gets all tender and sweet in the oven, as squash does. And toasted breadcrumbs add a savory crunch throughout the whole thing.
It’s the kind of salad that might even convert those who aren’t sold on this trendy green.
Ingredients:
Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 1 Tablespoon Honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil
Butternut Squash and Kale Salad
- 2 cups cubed Butternut Squash
- 1 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 bunch Kale
- 2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Grated zest from 1/2 Lemon
Toasted Breadcrumbs
- 1 Tablespoon Butter
- 1/2 cup Panko (or other breadcrumbs)
Prep Time:
15 minutes
Cook Time:
25 minutes
Total Time:
40 minutes
Write a comment
No comments