Butternut Squash Salad with Kale and Tahini Dressing
Hello, fall! Here in Colorado temperatures are finally starting to cool off a little and so it’s time to change up the menu. This delicious butternut squash salad is the perfect fall meal. Most of my garden is trying to recover from the snow we had last week (yup, snow in early September), but the kale and mint are still very alive and taking over. They were the inspiration for this yummy plant-based salad. Plus I absolutely love butternut squash!
Kale
I use Lacinato kale for this salad, but really any variety will do. Lacinato is what we have growing in the garden so that’s what we’re eating! Kale is one of the most nutrient-dense plant foods out there. A great source of vitamin A, K, C, B6, manganese, calcium, copper, potassium, and magnesium—kale is a superstar superfood. Another great thing about kale is that it keeps well in salads and doesn’t wilt. This salad, with dressing, will last well up to two days in the refrigerator.
Golden beets
I love, love, love golden beets! We eat them raw, slightly pickled, or roasted. They are delicious anyway, and so good for you. Beets are loaded with antioxidants and anti-inflammatories in addition to fiber, folate, vitamin C, iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium. We started eating golden beets because they are far less messy and do not stain, which is key if you have kids.
Cranberries
Natural grocers (my favorite grocery store in Colorado) sells dried cranberries sweetened with apple juice that I absolutely love. They aren’t dried as much as other brands and still retain a more round fresh cranberry shape and they are a little juicier. Plus they are less sweet. Look for low-sugar cranberry options to keep that real tart flavor and avoid extra sugar.
What’s a pepita?
Pepitas are pumpkin seeds from specific types of pumpkins that produce seeds without the white hulled shells. Pepitas are green and smaller than regular pumpkin seeds, and super delicious. In addition, pepitas are a mighty nutritious food full of antioxidants, iron, zinc, magnesium, and healthy fats. I especially love them roasted as they are in this recipe.
Tahini Hack
Don’t waste money on the pre-made tahini sauce in the grocery store? Tahini is super simple to make at home. Just grind up some sesame seed in a spice grinder (or do what I do, borrow the coffee grinder) and add some olive oil. Seriously, that’s it. You can use any kind of sesame seeds and your favorite oil. Look for sesame seeds in the bulk section of your grocery store to make this even more affordable. I like to grind up a big batch of sesame seeds and store them in the refrigerator. Then I just scoop some out as needed and add a little olive oil. Like all nuts and seeds, sesame seeds are really nutritious and full of fiber, protein, and calcium. As always, you can add your own favorite veggies to this tasty salad and make it your own. Make a large batch of quinoa and the mint tahini dressing and you can quickly throw together this salad for lunches during the week. Yum!
Butternut Squash Salad with Kale and Tahini Dressing
A plant-based butternut squash and quinoa salad loaded with beets, kale, dried cranberries, and roasted pepitas tossed with a mint tahini dressing. A delicious whole foods fall meal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 2 meal size servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: Plant-based
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1/2 cup of raw pepitas
- 1/2 cup of quinoa
- 1/2 of cooked chickpeas (canned chickpeas work just fine)
- 1/2 cup of cooked butternut squash, cubed
- 1 large golden beet, peeled and cut into cubes
- 4 cups of kale, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup of dried cranberries
- 3 green onion sprigs, finely chopped
Mint tahini dressing
- 2 tablespoon ground sesame seeds
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 shallot, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to your liking
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa according to the instructions on the packaging.
- Roast the pepitas. Add the olive oil to a saute pan and kick the heat up to high. Add the pepitas and stir frequently to prevent burning. Pepitas will start to brown quickly, within about 2-4 minutes. Once pepitas start popping, pour them into a bowl to cool and set aside.
- Mint tahini dressing. Add the ground sesame seed, olive oil, and lemon juice to a small mixing bowl. Mix together until well incorporated. Add the shallots, mint, parsley, salt, and pepper. Give it a final stir and it’s ready to serve.
To Assemble
- Add all ingredients to a large bowl: the quinoa, chickpeas, butternut squash, beets, kale, dried cranberries, green onions, and roasted pepitas. Toss with the mint tahini dressing.
Notes
Will keep in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Cheers, Erica
