Acorn Squash Crescent Salad

This weekend, I had a version of a kale salad at one of my favorite neighborhood restaurants that I really enjoyed so I’ve been playing around with different versions of it at home. This rendition below is made with crescents of a soft, warm acorn squash, tender pieces of kale and large shards of parmesan cheese. I also tossed in a few garbanzo beans for a little extra heft. It hardly takes any time to prepare, and it’s wonderful for a simple lunch salad or served with a bowl of soup and a warm toasty piece of bread at dinner.

Acorn Squash Crescent Salad
Winter squash can be tough to peel, so I just leave the skin on here. Then I just nibble around the skin when I’m eating my salad. If you’re not into that, use a squash with a soft skin that you can leave on and eat – perhaps try a delicata squash.

Serving Size: 2 (350 calories per serving)
Ingredients
1 medium acorn squash


1/4 head Tuscan kale


2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil


2 tablespoons golden raisins, soaked in hot water


1 cup garbanzo beans, cooked


1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated into large shards


pinch sea salt and pepper

* New to kale? Learn how to “tame” it in a salad here.

Better-for-you ingredients
Learn more about the better-for-you ingredients in this recipe:

Kale – Kale is a nutritional superstar and a health beauty favorite in our quest for radiant skin. It is full of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits that help your body to stay vibrant and youthful.

Directions
Preheat oven to 400F degrees.

Using a long sharp knife, cut the acorn squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and cut the squash into eight slices. Toss acorn slices with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and pepper. Then place squash slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 40 – 50 minutes until soft and just golden.

Meanwhile, prepare the kale. Remove the stems and slice the kale leaves into long, thin ribbons. Drizzle with one tablespoon of olive oil, and using your hands, rub the olive oil into the kale leaves; Make sure all the kale ribbons are well coated. Toss with a dash of salt and pepper, set aside.

Remove squash from the oven, and divide equally between two over-sized bowls. Place kale ribbons on top in a cluster. Top with garbanzo beans, freshly grated parmesan and raisins. Enjoy with a glass of red wine…