Winter salad hero! This delicata squash salad comes together in a quick 30 minutes, perfect for a hardy weeknight side dish or main dish. Warm wild mushrooms, perfectly roasted delicata squash on top of tender kale with a sesame ginger dressing that you will flip for!
Love winter salads? Me too! Try this acorn squash and warm buckwheat salad and this winter citrus salad.
The last thing we want on chilly January afternoons is a cold salad. I mean, don’t get me wrong I love an herby plate of greens any day, but when winter comes around, I’m craving all things warm. Enter: this warm delicata squash, kale, and wild mushroom salad that hits all the notes. It’s hardy, warming, and holds its own against a bright, gingery tahini dressing.
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS DELICATA SQUASH SALAD!
- Nourishing ingredient alert!e got Vitamin C (kale)! Antioxidants (mushrooms & ginger)! Fiber (all of the above)! What more could you ask for?
- Salad, but warming – perfect for winter.
- Delicata squash has all the goodness of winter squash without the struggles of cutting through the tough skin.
- It’s a one-pan baddie which means fewer dishes, and less prep time — woo-hoo!
Let's Get Cooking!
INGREDIENTS and SUBSTITUTIONS
This delicata squash salad is bursting with seasonal flavor, and I am going to insist on using a delicata squash rather than any other here, because… well, it is a delicata squash salad! Most other ingredients can be altered.
Detailed measurements and ingredients can be found within the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Delicata Squash — Delicata squash is the squash you get when you just don’t have the energy to struggle a knife through a thick-skinned gourd. It’s named for its delicate, edible skin (hello fiber!) and becomes perfectly tender when cooked.
- Mushrooms — Dealer’s choice here! My recipe calls for crimini (baby bellas) but you can grab shiitake, oyster, maitake, or whatever your heart desires. Just be sure if you’re cooking larger mushrooms that you cut them into smaller pieces before roasting.
- Lacinato Kale — Also called Tuscan Kale or Dinosaur Kale, I’ve found this variety to be best for eating raw, but if you’re averse to kale, baby spinach would work, too. Just skip the massaging step.
- Fresh Herbs — I prefer parsley with this dish but cilantro would be just as tasty!
- Tahini — Any good quality tahini will do.
- Sesame Seeds — Totally optional! If you don’t have any on hand, you can add a bit of crunch to this dish by roasting your delicata squash seeds and sprinkling those on top!
- Fresh Ginger — Easily peel the skin off your ginger root with the back of a spoon before grating it.
- Honey — Can substitute this for maple syrup if you’re vegan.
- Rice Vinegar, Sesame Oil, Lemon Juice, Sea Salt, Black Pepper
TOOLS YOU WILL USE
HOW TO MAKE DELICATA SQUASH SALAD
- Preheat oven to 400°
- Slice delicata squash lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and cut the squash into half-moon slices. Spread squash on a sheet tray and coat in 1/2 the avocado oil, salt, and pepper. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes.
- Remove squash from oven and flip slices, add mushrooms to a sheet tray and coat in remaining avocado oil, salt, and pepper. Return to oven for 15 more minutes, checking midway through cooking to toss.
- While squash is cooking prepare kale, add kale and parsley to a large bowl. Drizzle sesame oil and sea salt over kale. Using your hands massage the kale until the leaves begin to look brighter green and appear softer to the touch. This should take about 1-2 minutes.
- Prepare the dressing by whisking all ingredients together in a small bowl until well combined.
- Scatter squash and mushrooms over massaged kale and top with dressing. Scatter sesame seeds on top (optional)
RECIPE TIPS
How To Cut Delicata Squash
Maybe the easiest squash you’ve ever cut!
- Use a large, sharp knife to cut both ends off the squash.
- Cut the squash in half, length-wise.
- Use a spoon to scoop out all of the seeds and strings from the inside of the squash.
- With the flat side of the squash on the cutting board, cut the squash into half-moon slices about 1/2 inch thick.
Massaging Kale
Don’t skip this step! I’ve said it once and I’ll say it a hundred times more until everyone in the world is massaging their kale. Kale requires some extra love to help break down those leaves, which makes it easier for your body to break it down even further.
STORAGE/REHEATING/FREEZING INSTRUCTIONS
- Storage – I recommend only plating kale with your roasted veggies as you’re eating them, and storing them separately so you can reheat your squash and mushrooms for later.
- Reheating – Reheat the squash and mushroom mixture in a warm oven.
- Freezing – This delicata squash salad is not a good candidate for freezing.
DIETARY MODIFICATIONS FOR THIS RECIPE
This recipe is naturally gluten-free, Paleo, Whole 30, vegetarian, ALL THE THINGS! WINNER!
- Vegan – Eliminate the honey and use maple syrup in the dressing.
- Low Fodmap – Delicata squash in small servings is tolerated in Low FODMAP. Eliminate the honey and use maple syrup in the dressing.
- Keto-Friendly – Eliminate the honey from the dressing, otherwise this recipe is keto friendly/ of course depending on your carbohydrate tolerance, but delicata squash is lower in carbohydrates so you should be fine.
I can’t wait for you to try this Delicata Squash Salad! When you make it, snap a photo and tag me on Instagram @abrapappa or use the hashtag #abraskitchen so I can feature your photo!
If you’ve tried this recipe, don’t forget to rate and leave a comment below. I love to hear from people who’ve made my recipes!
Delicata Squash Salad with Warm Wild Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 1 medium delicata squash, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
- 8 ounces cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, sliced
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Kale
- 2 cups lacinato kale, chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- sesame seeds optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°
- Slice delicata squash lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and cut the squash into half moon slices. Spread squash on sheet tray and coat in 1/2 the avocado oil, salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 10 minutes.
- Remove squash from oven and flip slices, add mushrooms to sheet tray coat in remaining avocado oil, salt and pepper. Return to oven for 15 more minutes, checking midway through cooking to toss.
- While squash is cooking prepare kale, add kale and parsley to a large bowl. Drizzle sesame oil and sea salt over kale. Using your hands massage the kale until the leaves begin to look brighter green and appear softer to the touch. This should take about 1-2 minutes.
- Prepare dressing by whisking all ingredients together in a small bowl until well combined.
- Scatter squash and mushrooms over massaged kale and top with dressing. Scatter sesame seeds on top (optional)
Notes
Nutrition
MORE WARM SALAD RECIPES YOU WILL LOVE
Roasted Acorn Squash and Buckwheat Salad
