Food & Cooking Recipes Salad Recipes Lacinato Kale Salad With Roasted Squash 4.1 (48) Roasted vegetables, toasted nuts, and goat cheese make this kale salad shine. Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 45 mins Total Time: 1 hr 35 mins Servings: 8 Yield: 12 cups Jump to recipe This lacinato kale salad is a hearty, make-ahead friendly dish that works just as well for entertaining as it does for a weeknight. Studded with roasted butternut squash and shallots and tossed in a lemon-based vinaigrette, it's full of sweet and tangy flavors that hit all the right notes. After tossing the leaves with the dressing, you'll want to let them sit for at least 30 minutes, which helps soften the taste and texture of the hardy greens. Take this time to toast and chop your hazelnuts and shave or crumble some aged goat cheese, which you'll add to the salad alongside the roasted vegetables. Serve this dish as a side with roasted chicken, salmon, or even a Thanksgiving turkey and be sure to hang onto any leftovers—they'll be just as delicious the next day. The Right Way to Store Kale So It Stays Fresh for Longer Credit: Marcus Nilsson Lacinato vs. Curly Kale We love the flavor and texture that lacinato kale brings to this autumnal salad. Also known as Tuscan or dinosaur kale, it has dark green. bumpy leaves (hence the dinosaur comparison) and a deep, earthy flavor. It's slightly less bitter and vegetal than curly kale, which is bright green in color and much more leafy. Prepping lacinato kale is a cinch as, unlike with curly kale, you don't need to strip the leaves from the stems; instead, just cut off the bottom two inches (where the stem is tougher), and slice it into ribbons. Do You Need to Massage Kale? If you're prepping kale for a salad, it's usually a good idea to massage the leaves with dressing or even just a bit of olive oil and salt. Doing so helps to make the fibrous leaves more tender and therefore easier to digest and chew. If you'll be sautéing, simmering, or roasting kale instead, there's no need to massage it first as it will become tender during the cooking process. Peeling Butternut SquashIf you're hesitant about cutting into your butternut squash—they can be quite hard and unwieldy, after all—here's a quick trick: Slice off the top and bottom and poke it all over with a fork (there's no need to peel it first). Pop it in the microwave for two to three minutes or until slightly softened, then use a paring knife, a vegetable peeler, or your hands to remove the skin before cutting the flesh into cubes. Directions Heat oven; roast squash: Preheat oven to 350°F. Place squash on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and pepper; toss well. Roast until golden brown, tossing halfway through, about 45 minutes. Roast shallots: Meanwhile, place shallots on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and drizzle with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast until brown, tossing halfway through, about 30 minutes. Make dressing: In a large salad bowl, combine lemon juice, flaxseed oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper. Slice kale and toss with dressing; let sit: Cut 2 inches off bottom of kale, and slice leaves crosswise into 3/4-inch ribbons (you should have 12 cups loosely packed kale); add to salad bowl. Toss kale with dressing, squeezing until leaves are soft. Let stand for at least 30 minutes. Toss with remaining ingredients: Add vegetables, cheese, and nuts to kale. Toss well to combine. More Kale Recipes to Try: Dr. Weil's Kale Salad Baked Kale Chips Butternut-Squash and Kale Gratin Spaghetti With Shrimp, Kale, and Burst Tomatoes Stracciatella Soup With Kale and Lemon Kale-and-Apple Salad Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.