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    Autumn Kale Salad

    November 17, 2022 by Sara Tercero 10 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This Autumn Kale Salad is the perfect Fall recipe! It features sweet delicata squash, apples and pecans and has an herby maple and dijon dressing. This one is what I like to call a "meal salad" as it is hearty and balanced enough to be the main attraction. The starchy squash is very filling as well as the plant-based proteins from the crispy chickpeas, pecans and pumpkin seeds. Apples, cabbage, kale and arugula bring the fiber to this party. This salad is incredibly nutritious, delicious and beautiful enough to grace any Holiday table. Bonus is it is a gluten free recipe as well. As a matter of fact, this will be one of my Holiday side dishes this year for Thanksgiving.

    Autumn Kale Salad

    Should I make plant-based Holiday dishes?

    Nowadays, plant-based diets are rising in popularity. Chances are that one or more of your Holiday guests will be some form of plant-based whether they are vegan, vegetarian or plant-forward omnivores. The traditional American Holiday fare of the same old roasted meats and mashed veggies drowned in butter and cream just won't cut it anymore. Most people know that this out-dated way of eating is not very healthy and certainly not as delicious as eating dishes with textural variety, color and flavor. This year try something new and add some color to your table. The plant-loving guests will love you for it and the others will be thrilled by the variety. This Autumn Kale salad will be the star on your table because she is as pretty as she is delicious.

    What is delicata squash?

    Delicata squash is a seasonal Fall/Winter squash. It is yellow to orange in color and has green stripes. It is a very pretty squash. You have probably just walked right past this gem because it is nestled in with all of the melee of squashes in the Fall. It is hard to tell which of them are decorations and which are for eating. This stunner of a squash is definitely edible. In fact the entire squash is edible including the skin! This squash is similar to a butternut in taste but is starchier and more hardy. Butternut breaks down and gets mushy whereas delicata keeps its integrity and even gets a little crispy on the outside.

    Ingredients for Autumn Kale Salad

    This salad is perfect for Fall but can be eaten year round with a few small tweaks. Since delicata squash is only available in the Fall and Winter, at other times of the year you may substitute roasted sweet potatoes or butternut squash. Another option would be to use Brussels sprouts or cauliflower.

    • delicata squash
    • chickpeas
    • smoked paprika
    • salt
    • maple syrup
    • olive oil
    • lemon
    • dijon mustard
    • black pepper
    • fresh thyme
    • fresh mint
    • dinosaur kale
    • arugula
    • red cabbage
    • apple
    • pecans
    • pumpkin seeds

    How to Make Autumn Kale Salad

    This salad is a really easy recipe to make. I love a good sheet pan recipe like this. By simply throwing ingredients onto a sheet pan and roasting them while chopping the salad ingredients and making the dressing simultaneously saves so much time.

    • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
    • Combine delicata squash, chickpeas, smoked paprika, salt and maple syrup. Spread on a single layer on a sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes turning once halfway. Let cool.
    • Make dressing by combining olive oil, maple syrup, lemon, dijon mustard, black pepper, mint and thyme. Blend until smooth.
    • In a large bowl add kale, arugula, cabbage, apple, roasted squash and chickpeas plus pecans and pumpkin seeds. Pour dressing over and toss well until coated

    Other Seasonal Vegan Recipes

    • Curry Chickpea and Pecan Salad
    • Roasted Delicata with Maple Tahini
    • Squash and Chickpea Masala
    • Creamy Autumn Fettuccine
    Autumn Kale Salad with arugula, apple, pecans, and chickpeas in a wooden serving bowl.

    Autumn Kale Salad

    This colorful salad is full of seasonal favorites like apples, delicata squash and pecans. It is dressed with a sweet and tangy, herby maple and dijon dressing that is so tasty. This is the perfect Holiday salad.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Course dinner, holiday, lunch, Salad
    Cuisine American, california, fusion
    Servings 4
    Calories 355 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    For Crispy Chickpeas and Delicata Squash

    • 1 delicata squash cut in half moons
    • 15 oz chickpeas drained
    • 1 tsp smoked paprika
    • ½ tsp salt
    • 1 tbsp maple syrup

    For Dressing

    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    • 2 tbsp maple syrup
    • 1 lemon juiced
    • 2 tsp dijon mustard
    • 1 ea fresh black pepper to taste
    • 3 sprigs fresh thyme leaves only
    • 10 leaves fresh mint

    For Salad

    • 2 cups dinosaur kale
    • 2 cups arugula
    • 2 cups red cabbage shredded
    • 1 large apple sliced
    • ¼ cup pecans
    • ¼ cup pumpkin seeds

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
    • Combine delicata squash, chickpeas, smoked paprika, salt and maple syrup. Spread on a single layer on a sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes turning once halfway. Let cool.
    • Make dressing by combining olive oil, maple syrup, lemon, dijon mustard, black pepper, mint and thyme. Blend until smooth.
    • In a large bowl add kale, arugula, cabbage, apple, roasted squash and chickpeas plus pecans and pumpkin seeds. Pour dressing over and toss well until coated.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 355kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 10gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.003gSodium: 642mgPotassium: 929mgFiber: 11gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 3671IUVitamin C: 69mgCalcium: 170mgIron: 4mg
    Keyword chickpeas, delicata, greens, kale, pecans, pumpkinseeds, salad, seasonal
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    « Roasted Delicata with Maple Tahini
    Pumpkin Chili Mac »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Zachah Koufalis

      November 17, 2023 at 12:01 pm

      5 stars
      This salad was delicious. The dressing has a nice mix of sweet and minty. The maple syrup on the beans and squash compliments the taste.

    2. Sara Tercero

      November 19, 2023 at 7:17 pm

      So happy you liked it!

    3. Kim G

      January 09, 2024 at 1:16 pm

      5 stars
      Wow, flavor and texture explosion! Trying for more veggies in 2024 and so happy to have found you on IG! This was my first of your recipes and even my husband said "that was one of the best salads I have ever had!". Thank you and I look forward to trying many more of your recipes!

    4. Sara Tercero

      January 09, 2024 at 1:49 pm

      Wow this is quite a recommendation!! Thank you.

    5. Jean Haedrich

      October 03, 2024 at 12:04 am

      Boring salads are gone! This is such a great one!! The flavors are spunky and fresh. The mint is the subtle wow factor that is unexpected. I love the squash, garbanzo beans, pecans and pumpkin seeds. We gobbled it up. I didn't have arugula so doubled the kale. I also added two more tbsp of olive oil, another 1/2 lemon squeeze, and 1 more tbsp of maple syrup to amp up the dressing a bit. It was Fall on my plate. This one is a keeper. Thank you!!

    6. Sara Tercero

      October 13, 2024 at 11:13 am

      So happy you enjoyed! Thanks for the feedback!

    7. Johanna Singh

      October 26, 2024 at 7:36 am

      Can anyone please tell me if this is an eaten warm meal? I can't tolerate cold food outside of July and August.
      It looks delicious though

    8. Sara Tercero

      October 28, 2024 at 11:50 am

      This is a cold salad but you can certainly eat it warm or room temp if you prefer.

    9. Amy

      January 22, 2025 at 8:15 pm

      5 stars
      Sara, this was absolutely delicious!! I love the “meaty” texture of the delicate squash and garbanzo beans. The dressing is amazing on it and ties it all together. Even my teenage boy loved it. I used all curly kale (massaged) for the greens, and fresh parsley and cilantro for the herbs in the dressing instead of mint and thyme only because that’s all I had in house. I can’t wait to try this again exactly as written. Thanks for being such a great salad maker… I love salads!

    10. Sara Tercero

      January 23, 2025 at 8:29 am

      Wow Amy what a beautiful message. Thank you so much for the glowing feedback, I am so happy everyone loved it!

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    About BetterFoodGuru

    image Sara Tercero

    Hi, I am Sara Tercero, the Chef behind BetterFoodGuru. It is my mission to prove that plants are delicious and to help others cook and eat their way to health and happiness. My recipes are inspired by global flavors and my love for eating the rainbow. Reach out on social media or leave a review with feedback!

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