Name: Autumn Kale Salad
Yield: Serves 4–6
Ingredients: 1/2 head garlic; 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon for roasting garlic; 1 small delicata squash, unpeeled and thinly sliced, seeds removed; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; Pinch of freshly ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar; 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 1 teaspoon honey; Pinch of cayenne pepper or hot paprika (optional); 1 large head lacinato kale, thickest ribs removed; 1/2 cup golden raisins; 1/2 cup hazelnuts or almonds, toasted and chopped; Shaved Parmesan cheese (optional)

The salad below celebrates the colors and flavors of fall, adding a hint of sweet raisins to contrast the slightly bitter kale greens. If you can’t source delicata squash, a small butternut squash can work in its place. Be sure to peel the butternut squash before roasting.

Ingredients

Serves 4–6

1/2 head garlic

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon for roasting garlic

1 small delicata squash, unpeeled and thinly sliced, seeds removed

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon honey

Pinch of cayenne pepper or hot paprika (optional)

1 large head lacinato kale, thickest ribs removed

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup hazelnuts or almonds, toasted and chopped

Shaved Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preparation

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Trim about 1 inch off the head of the garlic, exposing the cloves. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of the olive oil on the garlic skins and rub it in. Wrap the garlic in aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet in the oven. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the individual cloves are completely soft. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Step 2
At the same time as you roast the garlic, roast the squash. Place the squash pieces in a small bowl and coat with 2 tablespoons of the oil, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and the black pepper. Spread out the squash on a large baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the pieces are browned and cooked through. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Step 3
In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 4 tablespoons oil, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and the cayenne (if using). Squeeze out the roasted garlic into the dressing. Stir well, breaking up the garlic. Set aside.
Step 4
Wash and dry the kale thoroughly and slice it into thin strips. Place it in a large bowl and add the dressing a bit at a time, using your hands to massage the kale leaves gently until the volume is reduced and they look softened and shiny. You may have leftover dressing. Add the raisins, nuts, and squash pieces and toss.
Step 5
Serve the salad at room temperature. Top with shaved Parmesan, if desired

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From The Gefilte Manifesto: New Recipes for Old World Jewish Foods by Jeffrey Yoskowitz and Liz Alpern, © 2016 by Gefilte Manifesto LLC. Buy the full book from Amazon. Reprinted with permission from Flatiron Books.

Leave a Review

Reviews (9)

What can I replace the honey with to make this for a vegan guest?
- Beth Handa
- 9/19/2022
Easy to make but flavour a little bland. I might have used the wrong kind of kale because it did not wilt down as well as I expected. Used cranberries instead of raisins and walnuts for a Thanksgiving side dish.
- Peggyanne5
- Toronto Ontario Canada
- 10/10/2021
So easy to make and really tasty
- Anonymous
- Portland, OR
- 9/11/2021
My daughter-in-law, Conner, made this salad for our 2019 Thanksgiving feast and my daughter and I both begged for the recipe. Next to the turkey, her Autumn Kale Salad was the star of the event. I "stole" more than my share of the leftovers, and can't wait to make it myself. I always plant kale for my chickens (makes the yolks orange instead of pale yellow, and delicious), but next year, all the extra kale will go into salad for me and my family. YUM!
- edie42
- Washington
- 11/30/2019
Love this salad!! It's fabulous and super easy. The dressing is delicious!
- kunjan
- Portland, OR
- 10/21/2019
Delicious! Loved the roasted squash and roasted garlic in the dressing. Forgot the shaved Parmesan at the end and it was still fabulous
- CathyVee
- Montreal Quebec
- 10/18/2019
This was amazing! I've never dared to make kale salad before, worried it would be tough. But the instructions were perfect, definitely "massage" the dressing in as they describe. The kale wilts down a bit when you do that so, unless you have a huge bowl, you might need to do it in batches. I made the dressing exactly as written (definitely roast the garlic... yummy!) You'll have lots of leftover dressing FYI. I used sweet potato instead of squash and cranberries instead of raisins. No parmesan for us. Can't wait to go home tonight to have the leftover! (I never save leftover salad but this one I did!)
- karenede
- Brooklyn, NY
- 10/2/2019
O My! What a treat this salad is! It's seasonal, it's luscious and the ingredients all sing! I did not change a thing.
- dottie60
- Boston
- 10/19/2016
This recipe was a hit with the whole family. Lovely colour and balanced flavours. Substituted kuri squash (a variety that also has a thin edible skin) and russian red kale as that is what was in the garden. My step mom suggested craisins as an alternative to raisins for next time. Highly recommend this yummy fall salad!
- zeta
- Victoria, BC Canada
- 10/7/2016