Kale & Winter Squash Salad with Sunshine Dressing

Servings: 2 as a main dish or 4 as a side dish

Salad

• 2 medium delicata squash, seeded, halved, and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• ½ cup quinoa, cooked
• 1 bunch kale, stemmed and roughly chopped
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas, drained
• ¼ teaspoon each of smoked paprika, cumin, and cayenne pepper
• ¼ cup shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
• Sea salt
• Pepper

Dressing

• ¼ cup tahini
• ¼ cup filtered water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat the oven to 400º. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the prepared squash on the baking sheet. Drizzle the squash with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, a few pinches of sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper. Toss to evenly coat the squash. Roast the squash for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through the baking time.

Heat the other tablespoon of olive oil in a medium-sized pan over medium-high heat. Add the chickpeas, along with the paprika, cumin, and cayenne, to the hot pan and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until the chickpeas are golden brown. Salt as needed.

Make the dressing by adding tahini, water, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic to a medium-sized bowl. Whisk the mixture vigorously until the dressing becomes smooth and creamy, adding more water if necessary. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

Place the kale in a bowl and drizzle 2 tablespoons of the dressing over it. Use your hands to gently massage the dressing into the kale, breaking it down and making it less fibrous.

To serve, divide the kale onto two plates. Top with quinoa, roasted squash, chickpeas, pistachios, and a good drizzle of dressing.

Recipe & Photo by Shelby Thompson