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Roasted Squash and Kale Salad

This hearty fall salad combines roasted squash, chickpeas, pecans, and kale with a creamy dairy-free lemon dressing. It's flavorful, nourishing, and perfect for meal prepping!
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Prep Time:20 minutes
Cook Time:40 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

For Roasting

  • 1 lb kabocha or butternut squash1 cubed, peeled if desired
  • 1 cup cooked chickpeas
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ⅛ tsp pepper
  • ½ cup pecans or walnuts

Salad

  • 1 bunch kale stems removed
  • ½ cup purple or green cabbage shredded
  • 1 Persian cucumber thinly sliced
  • ½ cup pickled red onions2
  • ½ cup vegan feta

Dressing

  • 100 grams silken tofu or dairy-free plain yogurt
  • 20 grams (1½ tbsp) tahini
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tsp miso
  • 2 tsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 2 small cloves garlic minced

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°F.
  • Toss squash and chickpeas with olive oil, salt, and pepper and spread out on a baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the squash is tender.
  • If pecans/walnuts are unroasted: Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Push squash and chickpeas to one side of the baking sheet and add pecans to the other side. Bake 8-10 minutes until lightly roasted. Remove from oven and set aside to cool for at least 15 minutes.
  • Blend or whisk dressing ingredients together.
  • Rinse kale leaves well and tear into bite-size pieces.
    Tip: To rinse kale, add the leaves to a large mixing bowl and fill with water. Swirl and toss the leaves around in the water to loosen any dirt or bugs. Drain and repeat one or two more times, depending on how dirty your kale is.
  • Add kale and cabbage to a large mixing bowl and drizzle some of the dressing on top. Use your hands to massage the dressing into the kale and cabbage until they soften.
  • Add cucumbers, pickled onions, vegan feta, roasted squash, chickpeas, and pecans. Pour the rest of the dressing over and toss until well combined.

Notes

1) Squash: Feel free to try other winter squashes like acorn squash, honeynut squash, delicata squash, or koginut squash.
2) Pickled Red Onions: I make quick pickled red onions by soaking thinly sliced red onions in lemon or lime juice with a small pinch of salt. Let them soak at least 20 minutes, but the longer the better. I usually just keep a small jar of them in my fridge.