I love the colors and tanginess of citrus season. Oranges of all varieties, grapefruit, lemons, limes – they’re fun to play around with in food as well as baking. In this salad, I use two types of orange for flavor and color. Cara Cara oranges have a pinkish red flesh and are mildly sweet. If you can find them, they work perfectly here. If you can’t get them at your store, use the freshest, in-season oranges you can find. The roasted butternut squash adds sweetness and a hint of spice to the bold kale and tangy citrus creating rounded flavors in this fresh, light salad.
Ingredients
- 1 small bunch kale, stems removed, leaves roughly chopped
- 1 cara cara orange, peeled & sliced into half moons
- 1/2 a juice orange, squeeze (about 6-8 tsps of juice)
- 1/2 a juice orange, peeled, and sliced
- 1 cup butternut squash cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 tsp olive oil
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of pepper
- Pinch of chili powder
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp honey
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
Looking at this salad, I feel like spring is on the way.
Directions
Preheat oven to 425. Place cubed butternut squash on a baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil, and sprinkle with a pinch of salt, pepper, and chili powder. Toss to coat. Roast until tender, about 25-30 minutes.
In the meantime, whisk together the 1/4 cup olive oil, honey, and dijon, and juice from half of the orange. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Arrange chopped kale in a bowl. Add the sliced oranges and cooked butternut squash. Drizzle dressing over salad and gently toss to coat. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper if desired.
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