Roasted Butternut Squash Kale Salad with Cherry Creek Estate's Avocado Oil
INGREDIENTS
- 2 lb butternut squash
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4-5 cups chopped curly kale
- 15 oz canned chickpeas
- 2 tsp Cherry Creek Avocado Oil
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- honey for drizzling
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
CRISPY CHICKPEA SEASONING BLEND
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper
- ⅛ tsp ground cumin
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
ZESTY ORANGE DRESSING
- 2 TBSP Cherry Creek Avocado Oil
- 2 TBSP orange juice
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 210C
- Peel and cube your squash (or snag it pre-cut from the store) and toss with 1-2 tsp Cherry Creek Avocado Oil. Season with salt and pepper (we add about 1/8 tsp of each) and place in a single layer on a greased or lined baking sheet. Set timer for 15 minutes.
- Next wash and dry your chopped kale. Add to a large bowl and drizzle kale with 1 tsp of Cherry Creek Avocado Oil and a pinch of salt. Massage with your fingers until kale darkens in color and takes on a velvety texture. This little rubdown turns dry kale into a tender and delicious salad green! Set aside.
- Whisk together dressing ingredients and set aside.
- Now let's prep our chickpeas! Drain, rinse, and blot dry with a few paper towels. Toss with 2 tsp Cherry Creek Avocado Oil and season with 1/4 tsp salt. Place on a small baking sheet and spread them out a bit. Drizzle cranberries with a teeny bit of oil and place on the opposite side of the chickpeas.
- After the squash has been roasting for about 15 minutes (cue the timer!) add your cranberries and chickpeas to the oven and set timer for additional 20 minutes. The squash will continue roasting away as the chickpeas crisp up and the cranberries lightly roast and burst.
- Once everything is ready, pull your goodies from the oven and drizzle some fresh raw honey over the cranberries
- Next sprinkle the seasoning blend over the hot chickpeas and mix it all up to coat.
- Top your kale with fresh from the oven squash, cranberries, and chickpeas and optional feta cheese. Serve with dressing for drizzling (whisk again before serving) and enjoy!
