Butternut Squash and Kale Salad

A bowl of kale salad topped with roasted squash, pickled onion, pepitas, craisins and apple slices drizzled with a creamy dressing.

Why you’ll love this butternut squash and kale salad

Roasting the squash adds a delicate caramelized flavor to the sweet butternut squash. It can be done in the oven or sped up with an air fryer.
This butternut squash kale salad is a meal prep dream. It holds up to the dressing, doesn’t wilt and it packs a flavorful punch. Plus, you can roast the squash in advance so you’re ready to assemble whenever you want. You can’t go wrong.
The balance of flavors in this salad is perfect. The savory pickled onions with the sweetness of apple and tartness of cranberries contrasts the earthiness of the hearty kale and delicate squash. You’re going to love it.

Overhead photo of a salad without dressing, toppings including pickled onions, apple slices, dried cranberries and pepitas.

Here’s what you’ll need to make it

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Ingredients & substitutions

Butternut squash – You can buy this whole or pre-cut. Either will work, but buying it whole will probably be cheaper. Keep in mind that you really only need 1/2 a squash for this recipe.
Pickled onions – I love making pickled onions for salads, but if I’m in a pinch and don’t have time, I will thinly slice and rinse my red onion in cold water to take some of their bite away. It makes a huge difference.
Sweetened, dried cranberries – If you don’t have cranberries, you could also substitute golden raisins, but I really recommend the tartness that cranberries bring to the salad.
Tahini – Tahini is a sesame paste that is usually found in the international or organic aisle of your grocery store. If you want to substitute this, you could use almond or cashew butter.
Lemon juice
Maple syrup – You want the real deal maple syrup here, not pancake syrup.

Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.

Hands holding a bowl of butternut squash and kale salad, with serving spoons resting in the bowl.

How to make this roasted butternut squash salad with kale

Roast the squash. Preheat your oven to 400˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drizzle the squash with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast it on the baking sheet for about 25 minutes, or until the squash is tender with golden edges.

Time saving tip: you can also cook your squash in the air fryer if you don’t want to heat up your whole oven. I do this a lot, and it turns out great.

Make the dressing. In a small bowl or mason jar, whisk the dressing ingredients (tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup, olive oil and salt & pepper) together until smooth. Set the dressing aside for later.

Massage the kale. Place the kale in a big bowl and add 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt. Use your hands to massage the kale. This softens the kale and takes away bitterness. It can make a huge difference in the texture and flavor. Don’t skip this step!

Assemble the salad. When the squash has cooled, add it to the kale along with the rest of the salad ingredients. Before serving, add the dressing and toss to evenly coat the salad.

Close up of kale salad with apple sliced, cranberries, pepitas and roasted butternut squash - tossed in a creamy tahini dressing.

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