Kale Salad with Roasted Pumpkin, Cranberries & Feta
This recipe for kale salad with hokkaido pumpkin, cranberries, feta and toasted pumpkin seeds makes a terrific wintery salad for a weeknight dinner or tasty meatless side dish on your Christmas dinner table. Serves 4-6.
Prep Time15minutes
Cook Time25minutes
Total Time40minutes
Servings4
Calories319kcal
AutorElle
Ingredients
1small Hokkaido pumpkin,seeded and cut into 12 wedges (max 1 kg)
2tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oil,divided
2teaspoonscoriander seeds,coarsely ground with a mortar and pestle
1/2teaspoonsea salt,divided
freshly ground black pepper
3tablespoonsorganic dried cranberries
3tablespoonsred wine vinegar(good quality)
2teaspoonsbrown sugar(I like Gepa Organic raw cane sugar Mascobado)
1teaspoonmustard seeds
1small red onion,thinly sliced
2tablespoonsfresh lemon juice
1bunch Tuscan kale(also known as lacinato kale), center stems removed and chopped
2tablespoonspumpkin seeds,toasted
75-100gfeta cheese,crumbled
Method
Preheat oven to 375°F / 190°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (optional).
In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin wedges, 1 tablespoon olive oil, coriander seeds, a good grind of ground pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; toss gently with your hands until evenly coated. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Bake for 25 minutes or until pumpkin is tender and lightly browned.
Meanwhile, add the cranberries, vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, and 1/8 teaspoon salt to a small skillet. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Then remove from the heat and let stand for 15 minutes. (If any liquid is still remaining, then drain).
In a large bowl, add the kale, remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, lemon juice and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Using your fingers, rub the dressing into the kale leaves, until well coated, then transfer to a large serving platter. Top with the pumpkin wedges and red onion. Then sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds, cranberries and crumbled feta.
Enjoy!
Notes
I like the taste of red onions as they are, however you can tone down their strong taste by soaking the sliced onions in ice water for 10-20 minutes before adding them to the salad.
Tuscan kale (also called Lacinto kale) taste slightly sweeter than curly kale leaves, and it also more tender making it perfect for salads. Look for it at your local farmers market.
I've made this a few different ways now and am not sure which version I like best. The other way I make this is to skip the fancy soaked cranberries and simply toss the Tuscan kale with a dressing made with 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar, and 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil (add some honey or maple syrup if you like sweeter). Then serve with chopped dried cranberries or pomegranate seeds.