This hearty salad is loaded with roasted butternut squash, kale, and lentils - all drizzled in a homemade tahini dressing. Yum!
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I love salads for a quick and easy weeknight meal. But let's face it - those wimpy summer salads just don't cut it on these chilly nights.
So I set out to make the ultimate fall or winter salad - loaded with roasted veggies and a creamy dressing. This Butternut Squash Kale salad sure fits the bill. It's hearty, healthy, and super filling.
And obviously delicious too.
This dinner-worthy Butternut Squash Kale Salad is:
- Loaded with flavor from roasted butternut squash.
- Packed with protein from fresh kale and lentils.
- Topped with a creamy lemon-tahini dressing.
- Easy enough for a weeknight meal!
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten-Free
Tips, Tricks, & Variations
The roasting time for the butternut squash will vary a bit depending on your oven's true temperature and how small you chop the pieces. It's ready when the squash is fork tender and beginning to turn golden brown.
While butternut squash is my favorite winter squash, this recipe works well with acorn squash or kabocha squash too.
You can mix things up by replacing the lentils with another grain or legume like wild rice or quinoa.
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 small bunch kale, tough stems removed and leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
- ⅓ cup tahini
- ⅓ cup water
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh preferred
- 1 cup cooked lentils, prepared according to package directions
- 1 cup pita chips, optional, broken into bite sized pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, toss butternut squash with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper. Transfer to baking sheet and roast about 30 minutes, or until fork tender, stirring halfway through cooking time.
- While squash is baking, place kale in large mixing bowl. Drizzle with one tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Using your hands, massage the kale leaves until they soften and wilt, about 3-5 minutes. (Kale will taste mild when it's done.) Set aside.
- Whisk together the tahini, water, lemon juice, and remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
- Divide kale, butternut squash, lentils, and pita chips into servings bowls or plates and serve with tahini dressing.
Katie (The Muffin Myth) says
This looks great! I looks similar to another kale and lentil dish from Real Simple with steamed kale, lentils, and a tahini dressing. I've made that one a few times, but I think that steaming the kale is an unnecessary step if you do the dressing massage thing. I like the idea of bulking the salad up with squash. And yes, I'm officially sick of winter! We've had snow on the ground, and a lot of it, since mid November. I was so excited for it to show up for the contrast to the darkness, but now we're getting our daylight back and I'm ready for spring!
Carolyn says
I made chocolate peanut butter eggs the other day, because I am dreaming of spring so much. But it's frigid here now! Your salad looks like a nice way to stay healthy this winter!
Sommer@ASpicyPerspective says
HA! That's what the weather has been like here.. smiles, frowns, smiles, frowns.
At least this gorgeous dish would cheer me up on nasty weather days!
Maria Tadic says
I'm totally ready for winter to be over...I so want spring time farmer's markets! Ugh...can't wait!
Kalyn says
This looks so good, great combination.
Kait says
This looks delish! I'm so ready for spring as well! 🙂
Kelly @ Texas Type A Mom says
You had me at butternut squash! I love that stuff and will happily try anything with it in there. I needed a new recipe to try with kale - this looks great!
Brenda Williams says
My husband shares all your recipes on facebook! This one sounds yummy!
Kiersten says
Well, tell him thank you for me! 😀
Genevieve says
Oops, I had been missing your latest posts in my reader, but I just updated my feed so its fixed now! I actually haven't cooked any squash in quite a while - I should get my fill in before winter officially ends! I love anything with a tahini dressing...I think I've used a similar dressing on squash, kale, lentils, and pita chips before but never at the same time - makes total sense!
Elizabeth Atwood says
Yummy! I'm a huge fan of butternut squash. I never thought to put it in a salad.
Katie says
I'm going to pass this recipe along to my sister-in-law - it's right up her alley.
Kiersten says
Thank you!
Em @ Love A Latte says
this recipe has all my favorite foods - yum!!! I want to make this asap. Great site! 🙂
Kiersten says
Thank you! 🙂
Robin {Mom Foodie} says
A lot of my favorite ingredients in this one & loaded with nutrients 🙂
Cathryn says
I made this tonight, using spinach instead of kale. It was fab!! Thanks.
Kiersten says
Thanks for your comment--I'm glad it turned out well! 🙂
Melissa Klotz says
How yummy! I love all the elements in this salad and I'm always trying to find a way to use my jar of tahini!
Kiersten says
I LOVE tahini. It's my favorite thing to put on salads. 🙂
kathy osteen says
Been in a wheelchair a few months and have to get creative with simple and tasty dishes. My latest is so easy and I keep it in fridge now all the time. Make terryaki sauce with soy sauce and brown sugar and powdered ginger. Add sauce to a drained can of black beans and store in a container. If I'm busy and I need a quick bite or two of something satisfying I eat a couple of tablespoons. And also a good way to get beans in you which I'm not overly fond of-don't really care for chile.
Kiersten says
I love teriyaki sauce, but never thought to try it with black beans. Sounds like a nice, quick lunch idea!
Jill says
How do you get the lentils cooks so they are still firm? Mine are always so mushy after I cook them.
Sarah says
After making this twice, I feel compelled to say it is absolutely delicious! I'm not even vegetarian but I follow a lot of your recipes because I need tasty ways to eat healthier/ heck of a lot more veggies. Until I made this last week for the first time, I'd never eaten either kale or a butternut squash before. I know...
Anyway, I just made this for the second time this week because I dreamed about it. I needed it. I'm currently eating it and so very, very happy. My husband said he didn't want any and I'm excited because MORE FOR ME!
Seriously, amazing.
Valerie Wang says
What type of lentils do you recommend using? I only have regular green ones right now but heard others are less mushy when cooked and I think sound like would be more tasty paired with this salad.