Roasted Butternut Squash Spinach Kale Salad
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Spinach & kale are tossed with an avocado vinaigrette, roasted butternut squash & quinoa in this gluten free, vegan kale salad recipe. It’s my favorite salad to eat during the fall and winter months and it’s easy to make in only 35 minutes!
If one of your goals this year was to eat healthier, while still enjoying super flavorful food, then I have just the salad for you!
When it comes to healthy recipes, I love to get in the kitchen and create delicious new dishes that are healthy, while still full of flavor, and this salad is just that!
From the rosemary cinnamon roasted butternut squash to the avocado vinaigrette dressing, this is one kale salad that is anything but boring!
Ingredients for the salad
- Butternut Squash
- Red Onion
- Garlic
- Olive Oil
- Fresh Rosemary – dried rosemary can be used if fresh is unavailable. Simply use half the amount of dried as you would fresh.
- Ground Cinnamon
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- Cooked Quinoa – follow this post on how to cook quinoa 3 ways (Instant Pot, Rice Cooker or Stove!)
- Kale
- Baby Spinach
- Dates
- Pistachios
Ingredients for the dressing
- Avocado
- White Balsamic Vinegar – traditional balsamic vinegar will work just fine, the dressing will just have a different, darker color. Tastes the same, just looks a little prettier when you use the white balsamic!
- Lemon Juice – fresh squeezed!
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- Olive Oil
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Toss the butternut squash, red onion and garlic with the olive oil, rosemary, cinnamon, kosher salt and black pepper.
Place in an even layer on a baking sheet and into the oven for 15-20 minutes.
While the squash is roasting, add the quinoa to a small pot with ½ cup water, bring to a boil, reduce to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the lid, fluff with a fork and set aside.
Next, prepare the salad dressing by adding the avocado, white balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper to a blender, blend on low until smooth, drizzle the olive oil in the blender while on low. Continue blending until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
Remove any stems from the kale. Chop the kale and spinach together.
Toss the kale and spinach with ½ of the salad dressing.
Place the dressed kale and spinach in a large serving bowl.
Remove the butternut squash from the oven, let cool for 5-10 minutes, then place on top of the salad with the quinoa, dates and pistachios.
Toss everything together and serve with additional salad dressing on the side.
Seriously y’all, I can’t say enough good things about this kale salad! There are so many scrumptious flavors and delicious textures going on, I even dare to say that it’s my favorite salad of all time!!!
With all of the healthy and filling ingredients, this salad can easily serve 2 as a meal, or 4-6 as a side dish.
More healthy salads
If you’re looking for a few more healthy and flavorful salad options, I recommend checking out some of my other favorites!
- Greek Quinoa Salad
- Mexican Sweet Potato Salad
- Healthy Cobb Salad
- Crispy Goat Cheese Salad
- Healthy Chicken Caesar Salad
Roasted Butternut Squash Spinach Kale Salad
Ingredients
- 12 oz fresh butternut squash, cubed
- ½ cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ cup quinoa
- 3 cups kale
- 3 cups baby spinach
- ½ cup fresh dates, pitted & chopped
- ¼ cup pistachios
Avocado Vinaigrette Dressing
- 1 avocado, skin & pit removed
- ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Toss the butternut squash, red onion and garlic with the olive oil, rosemary, cinnamon, kosher salt and black pepper.
- Place in an even layer on a baking sheet and into the oven for 15-20 minutes.
- While the squash is roasting, add the quinoa to a small pot with ½ cup water, bring to a boil, reduce to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, remove the lid, fluff with a fork and set aside.
- Next, prepare the salad dressing by adding the avocado, white balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper to a blender, blend on low until smooth, drizzle the olive oil in the blender while on low. Continue blending until smooth and creamy, set aside.
- Remove any stems from the kale.
- Chop the kale and spinach together.
- Toss the kale and spinach with ½ of the salad dressing.
- Place the dressed kale and spinach in a large serving bowl.
- Remove the butternut squash from the oven, let cool for 5-10 minutes, then place on top of the salad with the quinoa, dates and pistachios.
- Toss everything together and serve with additional salad dressing on the side.
Nutrition Facts
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5 Comments on “Roasted Butternut Squash Spinach Kale Salad”
Question- can you prepare his ahead of time and serve cold or is it better to have the squash and quinoa warm? (which is best for flavor and texture?). Also if I make the dressing ahead of time, will it be okay? I don’t think the avocado will brown when mixed with lemon juice, right?
Hi Abby, I’ve eaten the salad both warm and cold and it’s honestly delicious either way, the flavor and texture won’t be affected if you serve it cold. You can also make the dressing up to a week in advance and store it in the fridge. Enjoy!
Two of my favourite ingredients: kale and butter nut squash! Good job 🙂
Looks great, Whitney!
Thanks so much Natasha!