Roasted Delicata Squash Salad
Enjoy all the flavors of the season with this Roasted Delicata Squash Salad! It’s packed with tender, caramelized roasted delicata squash, hardy kale, pomegranate, feta cheese and crunchy pepitas. Toss it in sweet, tangy apple cider vinegar dressing for a salad that’s perfect for lunch, dinner, or your holiday table!
Fall salads are my favorite salads. That thought went through my head as I ate this Roasted Delicata Squash Salad immediately after shooting the photos.
The sweet, nutty flavor and velvety texture of the maple roasted delicata squash is perfectly complemented by the bitterness of the kale, sweet tart pomegranate, salty feta and crunchy pepitas.
In my opinion there’s no better dressing for it than my sweet, tangy apple cider vinegar dressing. It is the perfect salad dressing for fall!
This salad is right up there with my favorite fall salad recipes, including my butternut squash quinoa salad and kale apple salad.
It’s festive, packed with flavor, and it captures the flavors of the season perfectly.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- This delicata squash kale salad is literally fall in a bowl. It’s a delicious combination of sweet and savory flavors, textures and it’s incredibly festive!
- It’s a versatile salad that’s perfect for lunches, dinner and even your holiday table.
- Components can be prepped in advance to make salad assembly go even more quickly.
- It’s easily customized with your favorite ingredients and it can be changed up to suit special diets.
Recipe ingredients
- Delicata squash. The squash is tossed with a simple mixture of olive oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper and roasted until irresistibly tender and caramelized. It has a sweet, nutty flavor that makes this salad truly special. See my collection of delicata squash recipes for more information on this winter squash!
- Kale. Curly kale is perfect for this recipe for its hardy texture…it can really stand up to the other ingredients. You’ll need one bunch, which yields roughly 8 cups of torn kale. For nice, tender kale, massage it following the instructions in my massaged kale salad recipe. I don’t recommend using pre-chopped kale as it includes the tough, fibrous inner stems that are hard to chew. If you want a time saver, baby kale is your best option.
- Pomegranate. You can purchase pomegranate arils as a time saver, but I highly recommend checking out my post on how to deseed a pomegranate as you’ll save money doing it yourself!
- Feta cheese. Sub with goat cheese or omit the cheese to make this salad vegan.
- Pepitas. I love the sprouted sea salt pepitas from Costco. You can also purchase raw pepitas and toast them over medium heat for 5-6 minutes until fragrant. Sub with your favorite nuts or sunflower seeds.
- Dressing. My sweet, tangy apple cider vinegar dressing is the perfect way to dress this salad. You can also try my honey champagne vinaigrette or your favorite store bought dressing.
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to make delicata squash kale salad
This salad includes a few components, but they’re all very easy and they can be done in advance.
Pro tip: Prep the kale and dressing, deseed the pomegranate and roast the delicata squash in advance to make salad prep go even more quickly.
See the recipe card below for full instructions.
- Prep the delicata squash, then toss it with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper and roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
- Prep the kale, then massage the leaves with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large bowl until tender.
- Place the delicata squash, pomegranate, feta cheese and pepitas in the bowl.
- Toss with enough of the dressing to coat (you probably won’t need it all).
Recipe FAQs
Yes! The skin of the delicata squash is completely edible once it’s been roasted, so there’s no need to peel it.
The peel adds a slightly chewy texture which is a nice contrast to the velvety soft flesh.
If delicata squash is not readily available, you can substitute it with butternut squash or pumpkin. If using those, you will need to peel them. See my posts on how to peel and cut butternut squash and how to cut a pumpkin for more information.
When using curly kale or Tuscan kale, tear the kale leaves into bite sized pieces around the tough inner stems. The tough stems should not be used as they are very fibrous and chewy.
From there, wash the kale leaves well, blot them dry and place in a large bowl. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and massage the kale leaves for 1-2 minutes until tender.
This salad can be made ahead of time as kale won’t wilt down. Assemble the entire salad up to a few hours ahead, then toss with the dressing just before serving.
Serving suggestions
This delicata squash kale salad makes a great vegetarian meal on its own, but it’s also wonderful served up the following ways:
- Serve with cooked quinoa to make it even heartier. It’s perfect for meal prep lunch or dinner!
- Top it with sliced air fryer chicken breast for added protein.
- It makes a great holiday side dish alongside slow cooker ham or dry brine roast turkey.
- Make it dairy-free and vegan by omitting the cheese.
- Change it up with your favorite greens, cheese, nuts or seeds and dressing.
Recipe notes
- Pro tip: Prep the kale and dressing, deseed the pomegranate and roast the delicata squash in advance to make salad prep go even more quickly.
- I highly recommend massaging the kale for a nice tender texture. Sub with baby kale as a time saver.
- Sub the feta cheese with goat cheese or omit the cheese altogether to make this salad vegan.
- Store leftover salad in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
More salad recipes you’ll love
Did you try this recipe? If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram
Roasted Delicata Squash Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb. delicata squash
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bunch curly kale yields about 8 cups torn kale
- 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 cup pepitas see note 4
- apple cider vinegar dressing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the delicata squash on a cutting board. Cut off the top and bottom of the squash, then stand it upright and cut it lengthwise down the middle. Scoop out the seeds by scraping them out with the tip of a spoon, then cut into 1/2" half moons. Place the squash on a large rimmed baking sheet.1 lb. delicata squash
- Combine the 1 tablespoon of olive oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper in a small bowl, then pour over the delicata and toss it until well coated. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until tender and caramelized. Remove from heat and set aside. Cut the squash into smaller pieces as desired once cool enough to handle.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- Tear or chop the kale, then discard the tough inner stems. Wash the kale, drain and blot dry. You will have roughly 8 cups of kale. Place the kale in a large bowl and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Massage it until tender following the instructions in my massaged kale salad recipe.1 bunch curly kale
- Place the delicata squash, pomegranate, feta cheese and pepitas in the bowl with the kale and toss with enough of the dressing to coat. Serve and enjoy!1/2 cup pomegranate arils, 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, 1/2 cup pepitas, apple cider vinegar dressing
Notes
- Pro tip: Prep the kale and dressing, deseed the pomegranate and roast the delicata squash in advance to make salad prep go even more quickly.Â
- I highly recommend massaging the kale for a nice tender texture. Sub with baby kale as a time saver.
- Sub the feta cheese with goat cheese or omit the cheese altogether to make this salad vegan.
- I love the sprouted sea salt pepitas from Costco. You can also purchase raw pepitas and toast them over medium heat for 5-6 minutes until fragrant. Sub with your favorite nuts or sunflower seeds.
- Store leftover salad in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
