Massaging is a simple technique that doesn’t take very long but does make a world of difference in kale salads.
By Chris Scheuer
“Massaged” Kale and Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
Massaging is a simple technique that doesn’t take very long but does make a world of difference in kale salads.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups diced butternut squash (about ½ inch dice)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt, to taste
- 4 strips applewood bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces
- ¼ cup finely diced red onion
- 5 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ¼ cup apple cider (apple juice will also work)
- sea salt, a generous pinch
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 bunches kale, any type of kale will work, I usually use Tuscan kale
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt or kosher salt
- 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup pomegranate arils or seeds
- ? cup roasted, salted pepitas
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400?F. Line a sheet pan with foil.
- Toss butternut squash, olive oil and sea salt on prepared pan and roast until tender, approximately 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While squash is roasting, prepare dressing; cook bacon pieces until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and discard all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat..
- Sauté onion in bacon fat for 1 minute. Add cider vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, cider, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and and continue cooking for 5 minutes or until reduced and slightly syrupy. Remove from heat.
- For the kale, strip; leaves from the stems. You can either cut the stems up and use them in your salad or discard them. I usually discard them but some people like the extra crunch.. Wash and dry the kale (I use a salad spinner), then tear the leaves into small pieces and place in a large bowl.
- Sprinkle kale with salt, and drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil. Massage with your fingers (just like you would for a back massage!) until it begins to wilt, darken in color and the volume is reduced to about half, around 4-5 minutes.
- If dressing has cooled off, rewarm for a minute or so. Toss massaged kale with a few tablespoons of the dressing. Transfer to individual serving plates, if desired. Sprinkle with the roasted butternut squash, bacon, pomegranate arils and pepitas. Pass extra warm dressing at the table.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Salad
