This salad is one of my go-to’s when I want a quick, healthy lunch. Combining items I already have in my apartment, plus a teensy bit of prep work, this salad comes together in a flash. I take chopped kale, roasted butternut squash, edamame, peas, feta and dried cranberries and toss it in a homemade apple cider/Dijon mustard vinaigrette. The end result is so delicious and a great way to add extra veggies into your diet.
Kale Salad with Butternut Squash, Edamame, Apple Cider & Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette
Serves One
Salad
Kale, Chopped – One to two generous handfuls. Enough to fill a single serving salad bowl
1/2 Cup Edamame (frozen or ready to eat)
1/2 Cup Peas (frozen or ready to eat)
1/4 Cup Roasted Butternut Squash (recipe here)
1 oz Feta Cheese, Crumbled
1/8 Cup, Dried Cranberries
Dressing
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1-2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tsp Maple Syrup (Honey or Agave works great too)
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
Garlic powder, salt & pepper to taste
For this to truly be a five-minute salad, a little prep work goes a long way. Start by chopping butternut squash into bite-sized pieces and roast a day or a few days beforehand. Here’s a great recipe that I use – feel free to mix spices to suit your mood – even just garlic, salt and freshly ground pepper tastes amazing.
Once you have your squash roasting or prepared, place a good handful or two of chopped kale into a bowl. Then, steam the frozen edamame and peas in the microwave or on the stove top. I find that the microwave is the fastest option in a ceramic or glass bowl with a microwave safe plate over it.
While the edamame and peas are cooking, make your salad dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard and spices with a fork. Set aside.
Toss in cooked edamame, peas, and warmed butternut squash into your salad bowl. Add in the feta and dried cranberries. Drizzle dressing over and toss. Now you’re ready to enjoy your salad!
While this recipe is meant for one, it can easily be multiplied to serve a larger group. Below are estimated nutritionals for one serving from SparkRecipe.com’s Recipe Calculator.
Buon Appetito!
For more of my recipes, click here.