This salad is full of nutrient-dense ingredients and especially wonderful in the autumn time with the great fall flavors. It’s based on a mix of finely chopped kale and cabbage, which is a great blend since it stays crunchy, even after a sit in the fridge. It has a wonderful mix of both flavors and textures including savory roasted butternut squash, tangy feta, crunchy pepitas, soft and sweet golden raisins (or craisins), and some crisp fresh apple. If you’d like to add protein, chopped chicken is a great addition! I have 3 great dressing options for this salad, linked below!
Ingredients Needed
- Cabbage – I use standard green cabbage, but red cabbage would be fine as well.
- Kale – I recommend buying a bunch of kale (as opposed to a bag of pre-chopped, because it will be much easier to cut the stems out and leave the leaves you need.
- Butternut Squash – To simplify, I like to buy a bag of pre-chopped butternut squash, but you could certainly buy a whole squash and roast, if you like.
- Pepitas – Purchase these near the nuts and seeds or in the health food aisle! You could also sub any other favorite nut or seed. Toasted walnuts, pecans, or sunflower seeds would also be great.
- Feta – salty tangy feta adds great flavor here.
- Golden Raisins – I use golden raisins for some sweet chew, but craisins are also a great choice. In fact, in this batch I photographed, I used half and half!
- Apple – I prefer a super crisp, sweet apple variety here. Honeycrisp, Cosmic Crisp, and Sugarbees are a few of my favorite varieties, but feel free to use whatever!
- Dressing – I have 3 great dressing options. My Honey Cider Vinaigrette, or my Maple Dijon Vinaigrette, or for something really quick and easy, my favorite Cranberry Pear White Balsamic (Use my affiliate code, OURBESTBITES for a discount) plus olive oil and salt and pepper. For the Honey Cider Vinaigrette, you’ll need the following:
- Honey
- Apple cider
- Apple cider vinegar
- Fresh parsley – optional.
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry kale leaves, use a knife to cut leaves right off of stems. Chop both kale and cabbage into fine pieces.
- Add all toppings
- Toss with dressing, season with salt and pepper if needed, and eat!
Storage and Other Tips
- If making ahead, store ingredients separately until time to toss and serve.
- While this salad probably at its best served fresh, leftovers actually hold up really well thanks to the sturdiness of the cabbage and kale base. Store leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge and consume within 2-3 days for best results.
- You can easily add a protein to this salad- I love grilled chicken or steak or for a quick option, just pull apart a rotisserie chicken. It makes a great main dish, or side dish!
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I prep ahead of time?
I often roast the squash ahead of time. It can just go in the fridge. It will be softer than the slight crunch you get fresh out of the oven, but everything softens once the dressing is poured anyway so no worries! You can also chop the kale and cabbage up to a day ahead of time, it stores great in an airtight container in the fridge. The dressing can be made up to several days ahead of time as well!
Do I have to use butternut squash?
Sweet potatoes make a great substitute if you don’t have butternut squash or just prefer them over the squash.
Apple Squash Chop Kale Salad
This nutrient-dense salad is full of autumn flavors including savory roasted butternut squash, sweet apples, and golden raisins. Add protein to make it a meal!
Servings side salads
Ingredients
Honey Cider Vinaigrette Dressing
- ⅓ cup honey
- ⅓ cup apple cider not apple juice
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- handful parsley, fresh optional (about ¼-½ cup)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- ¾ cup olive oil, extra virgin or a vegetable oil, like canola
Salad
- 4 cups green cabbage, finely chopped about 1 medium head cabbage
- 4 cups kale leaves, finely chopped stems removed (4-6 large kale leaves)
- 16 oz butternut squash, roasted cooled to room temp
- ½ cup golden raisins
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 apple, large chopped
- ½ cup feta cheese
Instructions
Dressing
- To prepare dressing, place apple cider, honey, vinegar, salt and pepper in a blender and blend until honey is incorporated into mixture (you may need to scrape the bottom of the blender).
- With lid on and blender speed running on low, slowly drizzle in the oil in a small steady stream until fully incorporated. If desired, add additional salt and pepper to taste.
Salad
- Combine chopped cabbage and kale in a large salad bowl.Note:To prepare kale, use a knife to cut the greens off from the stem and discard stems. Bunch leaves tightly together with one hand and finely chop.
- Add squash, raisins, pepitas, apple, feta and parsley. Mix well.
- Drizzle with dressing and toss to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.
Notes
- If making ahead, store ingredients separately until time to toss and serve.
- While this salad probably at its best served fresh, leftovers actually hold up really well thanks to the sturdiness of the cabbage and kale base. Store leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge and consume within 2-3 days for best results.
- You can easily add a protein to this salad- I love grilled chicken or steak or for a quick option, just pull apart a rotisserie chicken. It makes a great main dish, or side dish!
- Other great dressing options for this salad include Maple Dijon Vinaigrette or you can buy this Cranberry Pear White Balsamic Vinegar (Use my affiliate code, OURBESTBITES for a discount) plus olive oil and salt and pepper.
- For quick squash prep, check out these instructions for Air Fried Butternut Squash.
Nutrition
Calories: 294kcal, Carbohydrates: 44g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.003g, Cholesterol: 11mg, Sodium: 262mg, Potassium: 597mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 30g, Vitamin A: 9551IU, Vitamin C: 48mg, Calcium: 166mg, Iron: 2mg
Calories: 294kcal
Cost: $10
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Questions & Reviews
YUM! This was so delicious. The mix of flavors is awesome!
This has become my favorite lunch lately. I have tried both the honey cider vinaigrette and the maple dijon options for dressing and they are both fantastic! I love that the leftovers stay fresh so I can make it once and it enjoy it for several days.