Baby Kale and Butternut Squash Salad
This baby kale and butternut squash salad is a must-make recipe for your Thanksgiving menu, Christmas dinner, or fall and winter dinner parties. It’s full of texture and flavor with bacon, caramelized onions, toasted almonds, and dried cranberries.
As you’re preparing to host Thanksgiving or other holiday menu, don’t forget the salad! This butternut squash and baby kale salad is an absolute MUST for an autumn or winter dinner party menu.
I got this recipe when I visited the ALDI test kitchen. It was part of our holiday meal and it blew me away! This salad is full of amazing flavors and textures and it complements any meat or side dish.
Why You’ll Love It
- It’s great for any get-together over the fall and winter months. That’s when butternut squash is in season so it’s easy to find.
- This appetizer salad screams fall! It adds freshness to the meal and compliments a roasted or slow cooker turkey breast and traditional sides.
- If you love texture and complexity in flavors, you’ll love how this salad comes together. Consider this an elevated dish that will impress your guests.
- It has a few separate components that can be prepared ahead and then assembled when ready.
Ingredient Notes
This is one of the few salads that doesn’t have cheese, however if you added in some goat cheese, it would be excellent! Alternatively, if you want to make it vegan, you can omit the bacon and butter, and use olive oil or avocado oil in their place.
Salad
- Baby Kale. It’s young and tender and doesn’t need to be massaged or softened ahead. However, if you can’t find it you can use green kale or Tuscan kale. I like to buy it in bags that are already washed and cut. Whether you use bagged products or fresh leaves you’ll still need to make sure the tough stems are cut and disposed of.
- Butternut squash. Use one small squash, peeled and diced. You can also find this in bags, already peeled and cubed. In the grocery store it should be in the produce section with other bagged salads or cut vegetables.
- Bacon. You’ll cook the bacon to add to the salad, and you’ll also save the bacon fat for the dressing.
- Yellow onion. This is used to make caramelized onions. They are delicious on almost anything! You can make them a couple of days ahead and store in the fridge.
- Sliced Almonds. Lightly toast the nuts to bring out their full flavor. Do this up to 3 days ahead and store covered. Toast them in a 375 degree oven for about 5 to 7 minutes. Keep an eye on them as you don’t want them to burn.
- Dry Rosemary & Garlic Powder. Check your spice cabinet to make sure your dry herbs are up to date. Anything passed a year will start to lose flavor.
- Dried Cranberries. You could substitute dried cherries or pomegranate arils, too.
Quick Tip
Using baby kale means there’s no need to soften it first. The greens are already soft and tender.
Dressing
The dressing is so delicious. Using warm bacon fat will heat up the greens slightly and help them wilt.
- White Vinegar – you could also use champagne or white wine vinegar.
- Dijon Mustard – helps bind the dressing together and adds more flavor than other types.
- Brown Sugar – you could also use honey or maple syrup.
- Reserved bacon fat – substitute with avocado oil if desired.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – use a good quality since it’s the base of the vinaigrette.
How to Make Fall Kale Salad
There are three steps to making this salad. See full instructions in the recipe card below.
- First, you’ll season and cook the butternut squash.
- Next you’ll cook bacon and caramelized onions.
- Finally you’ll make the dressing to pour over the prepared salad.
It may sound like a lot but trust me, it’s worth it! Plus, you can do some of the steps ahead, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Helpful Tips
- Make the onions, bacon, roasted butternut squash, and toasted almonds up to 24 hours ahead so it’s quicker to put the salad together for dinner.
- Store the bacon fat for the dressing, separately in the fridge – it will turn solid. When you’re ready to prepare the vinaigrette, simply heat the fat in the microwave (in microwave-safe bowl) until it liquifies again, about 30 to 45 seconds.
- If you make the squash and caramelized onions ahead and store them in the refrigerator, I recommend warming them slightly in the microwave or at room temperature so they’re not cold against the warm dressing.
- Combine dressing ingredients together with a whisk OR in a jar with a secure lid and shake vigorously until smooth and emulsified.
What to Serve It With
Serve it with pumpkin curry soup for a fall themed soup and salad combo.
Include this with a soup dinner party, or a luncheon with a soup bar.
Add this appetizer salad to a Christmas dinner party along with creamy macaroni and cheese and you’ll have an impressive meal for your guests.
More Dinner Party Salads
Try some of these other dinner party salad recipes for your menus.
- Roasted grape salad
- Kale and Apple salad with walnuts
- Strawberry spinach salad
- Spinach Orzo salad recipe
- Easiest beet & goat cheese salad
- Green salad with oranges
- Spinach & Arugula salad with tomatoes
Add this baby kale and butternut squash fall salad to Thanksgiving dinner or your Christmas meal. It’s a superb salad for special occasions and dinner parties.
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Butternut Squash & Baby Kale Salad
Butternut squash and kale salad is delicious and beautiful to serve for a dinner party. It's topped with a warm dressing and is full of texture and flavor. This is a must for holiday entertaining like Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Ingredients
- 1 small butternut squash, peeled & diced (about 2 cups)
- 1 Tablespoon + 1 ½ teaspoons Olive Oil, divided
- 1 Tablespoon chopped rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder (or two cloves, crushed)
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ⅛ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 6 strips Center Cut Bacon (save bacon fat)
- ½ Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
- 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup Dried Cranberries
- 1 cup Sliced Almonds, lightly toasted
- 3 cups packed Organic Baby Kale
Dressing
- 2 Tablespoons White Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 ½ teaspoons Brown Sugar
- ¼ cup reserved bacon fat
- 1 ½ teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450º F.
- Roast Squash. In a small bowl combine squash, 1 Tablespoon oil, rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper, and toss until well coated. Transfer squash to baking sheet and roast about 10 minutes or until tender but crisp.
- Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp and reserve ¼ cup bacon fat for dressing.
- Caramelized Onions. In a small sauté pan, heat 1 ½ teaspoon olive oil, and butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until caramelized. Reduce heat to low after 10 minutes and stir every 5 minutes or as needed. Reserve in a large bowl or airtight container to store in fridge.
- For dressing, combine vinegar, mustard, and brown sugar in a small bowl using a whisk. Slowly drizzle in bacon fat and olive oil while whisking, until emulsified, OR you can add the ingredients in a jar with a secure lid and shake vigorously until smooth.
- Salad. In a large serving bowl, add kale, squash, bacon, onion, cranberries, and almonds. Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine. Serve immediately.
This looks amazing. I have the pleasure of working on an organic farm and get many of the ingredients in this right from there.
Oh, how lucky you are, Kate! I grew up in farm land. Nothing tastes better than fresh veggies!