This recipe is an easy make-ahead, large batch dish that can be assembled in about an hour and that will feed you for DAYS. I recently made this on a Sunday for dinner. We ate large portions as our entrees that night and I still had several large containers of leftovers to use for lunches and as side dishes for later in the week. I found this recipe on Peas and Crayons, but modified it by adding the quinoa and several other ingredients. You could easily punch up the spices by subbing cayenne for red pepper, or add shallots to your roasting butternut squash.
Butternut Squash & Kale Salad with Chickpeas and
Cranberries
Ingredients
3 lbs. butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1” cubes
4 teaspoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
7-8 cups chopped curly kale, stems removed
1/3 cup olive oil
¼ cup tablespoons orange juice (I juiced 4 mandarin oranges)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 cups cooked and cooled quinoa
2 15-oz canned chickpeas
2 cups fresh cranberries
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ cup roasted, shelled pistachios
7-8 radishes, thinly sliced
6-8 green onions, thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste
Method
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Toss the butternut squash cubes with 4 teaspoons of olive
oil. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or foil and divide the
squash between the two sheets. Season with salt and pepper and bake for about
15-20 minutes.
Next, wash and dry your chopped, de-stemmed kale. Place
clean kale in a very large bowl. Whisk the dressing ingredients and drizzle
over the kale. Massage for a few minutes with your hands. Then, add the cooked
quinoa, give it a good toss, and then set aside.
Mix the spices together in a small bowl and set aside. Drain,
rinse, and blot the chickpeas dry with a few paper towels. Remove the butternut
squash from the oven after 15-20 minutes. Then, add the chickpeas and
cranberries to the baking sheets, evenly dividing as you turn the butternut
squash over. Sprinkle the sheets with the spice mix and give the sheets another
good toss to mix the ingredients up. Return to the oven for an additional 20-25
minutes. The squash will continue roasting away as the chickpeas crisp up and
the cranberries lightly roast and burst.
Once everything is ready, pull your goodies from the oven
and add to the bowl with the kale. Add the radishes, green onion, and season
with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.
