This Butternut Squash and Apple Kale Salad makes a great simple fall or winter salad. The crunchy pecans, crisp apples, sweet raisins, and roasted warm butternut squash creates what I consider the best Autumn harvest salad recipe.
Why this Roasted Butternut Squash Salad Recipe is Amazing: This is an easy and filling salad you will crave even when the weather is cold outside. It's sweet, salty, & savory in every yummy bite.
This salad is a superfood but you will never guess it by how great it tastes. It's loaded with healthy kale, pecans loaded with antioxidants, and a delicious honey dressing. Plus Butternut squash is a great low-calorie & low-carb vegetable with tons of nutrition and fiber.
Like my recipe for Strawberry Arugula Salad there is no resisting the colorful presentation. Ok, now we cook!
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Ingredients
For the salad, the ingredients used include golden raisins, raw kale, cubed butternut squash, Honeycrisp apples, and salted pecan halves. These ingredients are easy to find & pack a ton of nutrients.
It is all finished with a homemade honey dijon dressing that is so good. It whips up in a minute & worth the bit of effort.
Here are important notes for some ingredients:
- Fresh Kale - baby kale is best but any cut up curly (dino or darkibor/winterbor) or Italian (Tuscan or Lacinato) kale varieties work & store-bought bags pre-washed save time.
- Butternut Squash - precut or cut your own (see below)
- Apples - cut into bite-sized pieces, best to use a sweet-tart variety like Honeycrisp or Fuji.
- Golden Raisins - regular raisin will work too.
- Pecans - salted & roasted
- Honey - to sweeten & helps thicken the dressing
- Dijon Mustard - tangy & helps the dressing emulsify
- Apple Cider Vinegar - the tart kick for the dressing
- Cayenne Pepper - heat to balance the sweet flavors
- Olive Oil - dressing base
- Salt & Pepper - optional to taste
See the recipe card for full list, quantities, & any substitutions/variations.
How to Peel and Cut a Butternut Squash
For this recipe, I recommend cubes the size of playing dice. This way they are big enough to hold together after roasting them and easy to eat with a fork. If they are too small they will turn a bit mushy or fall apart as you toss the salad or try and eat it.
To start off make sure you have a sturdy cutting board and a sharp chef's knife. A very sharp knife is needed for getting through the tough exterior of the butternut squash. Some of the best knives cost less than $100 so every kitchen should have one.
Here are the steps to cut butternut squash into small cubes.
- Cut off the top and bottom so each end is straight & flat.
- Use a sharp vegetable peeler or a sharp chef's knife to remove the peel from all sides.
- Stand the squash upright.
- Cut the butternut squash into rounds, cutting horizontally.
- Spoon or remove seeds and squash threads/fibers.
- Next, the rounds are then cut into strips and then cut into the dice-sized cubes needed for this recipe. See the image below.
- Then dice the remaining flesh.
- Done!
They will not be perfect cube shapes but as long as they are about the same size in thickness and width, they will cook the same and be just as tasty.
How to Make Butternut Salad
This salad is really good while the squash is still warm & worth the effort in roasting it in the oven. Here is all you need to know.
Here are the easy steps for making this recipe:
- Roast the Butternut Squash
- Make the Honey Mustard Dressing
- Toss the Salad
See the step-by-step instructions with photos below plus the recipe card at the end of the post.
1- Roast the Butternut Squash
Add the cubes to a sheet pan and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast the cubes in a single layer on a sheet pan in the oven for 30 minutes at 400°.
2 - Make the Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
In a small mixing bowl, add the ingredients for the vinaigrette and whisk. Taste test & add salt & pepper if desired.
The dressing thickens and creates a creamy emulsion thanks to the Dijon mustard. It's what helps it cling to all the ingredients for bold tangy flavor in every bite.
3 - Toss the Salad
To make the butternut squash, apple, and pecan kale salad, you will need a large serving platter or salad bowl. There is no need to massage the chopped fresh kale for this recipe. Simply add the kale to the serving platter or bowl.
Top with the remaining salad ingredients; roasted squash, diced apples, & crunch nuts. Drizzle the homemade vinaigrette dressing over the top of everything.
Serving Suggestions
Finally, toss to coat. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
Serve immediately for best results. This is great for potluck parties, a hearty lunch, or as a side dish at dinner.
What to Serve with Butternut Squash Salad : It's perfect at Thanksgiving or Christmas with a big 20-Pound Turkey or roast. This also goes well with Air Fryer Pork Chops or a bowl of Slow Cooker Potato Leek Soup.
For another great salad recipe with fresh seasonal ingredients, check out my delicious summer recipe for GRILLED PEACH, AVOCADO, AND GOAT CHEESE ARUGULA SALAD.
Recipe Tips & Behind the Scenes
Here's my recipe for success - including what I learned when testing, fun stories, recipe history, and more.
- #1 Tip - Make everything bite-sized for easy eating.
- Pre-washed & cut fruits and vegetables are a timesaver.
- Instead of kale, try arugula or spinach.
- Dried cranberries (craisins) are a good alternate to raisins.
- For a nut-free version that still has crunch add pepitas/pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds as a substitute.
- Add Protein - add shredded chicken, diced turkey, cooked shrimp, or garbanzo beans for a complete meal.
- Storing/Make Ahead - This hearty salad can last for hours once dressed without wilting or getting soggy.
- Did you know kale freezes well. Follow my steps on how to freeze kale. Use it later in stews or soups as a substitute for cabbage in my keto cabbage roll soup.
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FAQ
Raw squash does not work in this recipe; it needs to be cooked. You can buy it already cooked or cook it another way such as steaming or air frying until tender.
Any variety of kale will work in this recipe. Remember to remove the thick membranes and finally chop big leaves so they are bite-sized. Lacinato kale is the most common kind found in stores and works great.
Butternut Squash, Apple, and Kale Salad
Ingredients
- 8-10 oz Kale washed, trimmed, and cut
- 4 C butternut squash dice-sized cubes
- 2 medium Honeycrisp apples cored and diced
- ½ C pecan halves salted
- ¼ C golden raisins
- olive oil, salt & pepper for roasting the butternut squash
Honey Dijon Vinaigrette
- ⅓ C olive oil
- ¼ C apple cider vinegar
- 1 TB dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoon honey
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Cut the butternut squash into dice-sized cubes as shown above.
- Add butternut squash to a sheet pan and sprinkle with about ½ Tb of olive oil and some salt and pepper. Toss to coat and arrange into a single layer. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes and mix at least once while cooking to get multiples sides golden. They are done when they are fork-tender but not too soft. Let cool.
- Core and dice the apples and gather the rest of the ingredients for the salad.
- In a small mixing bowl, add the ingredients for the vinaigrette and whisk.
- On a large platter or in a large mixing bowl, add the kale, butternut squash, apples, pecans, and raisins. Drizzle the dressing over the top and toss gently to evenly coat. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Divide onto 6 serving plates to enjoy. This also works as a main course salad for about 4 people.
Notes
- Use prewashed & precut vegetables & fruits to save time.
- Make everything bite-sized.
- Use baby spinach or arugula instead of kale.
- Sweet-tart apples work best.
- This salad holds well for a few hours without wilting or getting soggy, great to make a bit ahead of time or for potlucks.
Nutrition
More Fall or Winter Salads
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Caroline Parrott says
Short Order Cook,
I notice the recipe does not mention to massage the kale? Have you heard of that? I have been seeing that note in several raw kale recipes lately and wonder if it makes it easier to chew or enhances the flavor or something? Just curious. This recipe looks so good and screams Fall.
Angela says
Thanks for the question. I tend to NOT massage my kale when I also dice or rip it apart. By the time I have washed, dried, and ripped them up for a salad, they have been handled enough that they are not too tough. When I plan to use large kale leaves say to use in a wrap for sandwiches, then I do massage it a bit to help it become more flexible to work with and tender to bite through. I hope that helps and that you enjoy the salad!
Caroline Parrott says
It does! Perhaps I will try on Thanksgiving! Thank you.
Cindy Mailhot says
Looks yummy.
Karie says
Looks delicious and something fun and new to try.
Kelly says
Sounds pretty good! I actually forgot about Kale, maybe because once upon a time I used to eat it so much and had to take a break lol but after reading this I think it's time to start purchasing again. I love roasting foods in the oven so that's another plus. Thanks
Angela says
Yes, get kale soon and try this lovely salad. You will love it and the roasted veggies in it.
Charlene says
This looks like the most delicious fall salad! Can’t wait to try it!
Candy Keefer says
This looks like a perfect fall recipe! Can't wait to try it out. Thank you.
Angela says
You are welcome - Happy Fall!
Alexis Farmer says
This looks awesome! I love butternut squash.
Angela says
Me too, all about the butternut squash (not a pumpkin fan at all!!)
Darby says
This looks AMAZING!!! I want to try to make it for my fiance and I next week for our lunch!
Angela says
I hope you both enjoy it.
Bonnie says
This looks really good....and I don't generally eat kale 😉
Angela says
Give Kale a Chance! All I am saying...ok, I will stop singing now! haha
Kendra says
This sounds fantastic! I currently have a surplus of kale from my garden at the moment, so this would be perfect.
Angela says
Enjoy all that homegrown kale with the yummy butternut squash and apples!
Denise says
This does look SO yummy! 😋 I will change the Kale to Spinach though lol Thank you for sharing another good salad to try and has a lot of color to it too 👍🏼
Angela says
You are welcome, enjoy!
elaina says
Yummy! I was just looking for new salad recipes to use with kale from our garden.
Angela says
Great, so glad you are growing kale and now have a wonderful new recipe.
Tricia Snow says
The flavors sound amazing in this salad! It is perfect for fall!
Jessica says
I have one go-to kale salad I love to make and eat, but I really need to try some new ones. This sounds so delicious and perfect for fall, I'm adding it to my recipes-to-make list!!
Angela says
I hope this becomes your next go-to kale salad recipe.
Barbara says
This looks so yummy!
Marielle says
I'd like to use squash more in my cooking. This looks like a tasty salad. Thanks for sharing! I pinned for later! I'm visiting today from Friday Favorites link up. Have a great weekend Angela!
Angela says
Thanks for the comment and pinning - I hope you enjoy the salad. Have a lovely weekend too, Marielle.
Miz Helen says
Thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with us at Full Plate Thursday,507! We featured your post this past week and hope you will come back to see us real soon!
Miz Helen
Angela says
Thank you so much Miz Helen!
Dee | Grammy's Grid says
Looks good! Thanks so much for linking up with me at my #UnlimitedMonthlyLinkParty 18, open until November 26. Shared.
Amy says
Can I make this ahead? Thanks!
Angela says
You can roast the butternut squash ahead of time. The kale can be prepped too. Apples will turn brown once cut so I would not do that until it is time to enjoy. I would then assemble and add the dressing right before serving.