Autumn Salad
About This Recipe
Thanksgiving is all about the sides for me. I love all the different roasted root vegetable dishes that I prepare, my apple stuffing, and of course my creamy whipped potatoes with copious amounts of butter and cream. The turkey is the star of the show but for my vegetarian friends and family, I like to make sure my buffet menu is bountiful with non-meat selections as well. This Thanksgiving I am adding this simple salad with warm seasonal notes, my Autumn Salad with Maple and Balsamic Dressing. I prepare it as a vegetarian dish but it can easily be vegan by omitting the feta cheese.
Ingredients & Instructions
MAPLE-BALSAMIC DRESSING:
½ cup Balsamic vinegar
⅓ cup Maple syrup
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Place vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper in a bowl.
Add olive oil in a slow steady stream while briskly whisking and whisking.
Blend until dressing is smooth and emulsified. This could be done in a blender if preferred.
SALAD:
1 pound peeled sweet potatoes or butternut squash, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 package of baby kale, de-stemmed
¼ cup of glazed walnuts (can be home-made or store bought like I used)
¼ cup dried cranberries, reconstituted in water or apple juice
⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese
¼ of a red onion thinly sliced
1 Honeycrisp apple thinly sliced
1 tsp cumin spice
2 tsp curry spice
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tbsps oil
Place cubes of butternut squash or sweet potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with cumin, curry, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and cook for 25 minutes.
While butternut squash/sweet potatoes are roasting, rinse and de-stem kale. If not using baby kale, rip leaves into smaller pieces. Place in bowl and gently massage the kale.
Slice apple into thin slices or cubes, your preference. I leave skins on for added nutrition.
Slice red onion into thin slices.
Reconstitute the dried cranberries by placing them in a small bowl covered with water or apple juice for a minute or two. Drain.
Assemble salad with kale, roasted butternut squash cubes, sliced onions and apples. Sprinkle with cranberries, glazed walnuts, and feta cheese crumbles.
Drizzle on dressing.
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