Posted October 13, 2023 by: Admin #Kitchen

Made with fresh kale, fennel, roasted squash, crisp apple, and creamy goat cheese, this autumnal salad is the ideal dish for the fall season. Not only is it remarkably simple to prepare, but it also maintains its quality in the fridge for several days once assembled. In fact, the robust ingredients in this salad can withstand the dressing, and it only gets more flavorful with time.

A crucial element of any exceptional salad is a truly outstanding dressing. While anyone can combine an array of fresh vegetables and fruits, the right dressing can elevate an ordinary salad to greatness. I used to rely on store-bought dressings for convenience, ease of use, and generally satisfying taste. You can find a wide array of dressings in any grocery store, making it relatively easy to find one you like.

However, when I began paying closer attention to my food choices, dressings and sauces were one of the first areas I scrutinized. It wasn’t until I started reading labels and monitoring the sugar content in my salad dressings and condiments that I realized how much added sugar I consumed daily. For instance, a couple of scoops of peanut butter in the morning, some store-bought dressing at lunch, a pre-made marinade for dinner, and the grams of added sugar accumulated significantly. Thankfully, crafting a delicious homemade salad dressing is quite straightforward; you just need a bit of know-how.

For this autumnal harvest salad, I aimed to create a dressing that encapsulated a distinct Canadian essence and employed natural sugar instead of refined sugar. Therefore, I opted for the classic choice of maple syrup. Just a drizzle of maple syrup elevates this traditional oil and vinegar-style dressing, imparting a delightful sweetness to balance the flavors. Not only is this autumnal harvest salad perfect for serving a crowd, but with its hearty ingredients, it also refrigerates well for days, growing even more delectable with time.

Autumn Harvest Salad with Maple Vinaigrette

One of the best aspects of this autumn harvest salad is that you can prepare it in advance and store it in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.

Ingredients

Salad:

• 1 bunch of curly kale
• 1 fennel bulb
• 1 small butternut squash
• 1 apple (Gala or Honeycrisp)
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup pecans
• 1/4 cup goat cheese (optional)
• Olive oil
• Sea salt

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• A pinch of black pepper

Instructions

• Start by roasting the butternut squash. Preheat the oven to 400°F and, while it’s warming up, prepare the butternut squash. Peel and halve it, remove the seeds with a spoon, and cut it into cubes.
• Place the cubed butternut squash on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt. Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the squash is tender and can be pierced with a fork. Once cooked, set it aside to cool. (This step can be done in advance.)
• While the squash is roasting, prepare the salad. Wash the kale leaves and pat them dry. Remove the tough ribs, chop or tear the leaves into bite-size pieces, and transfer them to a large bowl. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt over the kale and massage it into the leaves until they become darker in color. Set it aside until you’re ready to assemble the salad; this will make the kale more tender.
• Prepare the dressing by adding the ingredients to a small bowl or jar and whisking to combine.
• Once the squash has cooled, complete the rest of the salad. Slice the fennel as thinly as possible using a knife or mandoline, and chop the apple into thin, bite-size pieces while leaving the skin on.
• Add the roasted squash, fennel, and apple to the kale in the bowl, then top with pumpkin seeds, pecans, and goat cheese.
• Drizzle the salad with the dressing and toss to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
• Enjoy!

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 serving
• Calories: 240 calories
• Sugar: 8 grams
• Fat: 19 grams
• Carbohydrates: 16 grams
• Fiber: 4 grams
• Protein: 6 grams