This pomegranate, kale and squash salad is a really sophisticated dinner party starter or side dish and only requires 30 minutes of prep time, too.
You'll need to cut the squash into round slices, and the key to doing this is ensuring you have a flat bottom on your squash and make sure you have a very sharp knife. For more tips on how to prepare a butternut squash, take a look at our how-to guide from our experts.
The squash is roasted until caramelised and tender, and then topped with a tangy pomegranate, kale and Puy lentil salad. It's refreshing and hearty all at once and pairs perfectly with a glass of red wine.
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Yields:
8 serving(s)
Prep Time:
30 mins
Cook Time:
40 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 10 mins
Cal/Serv:
205
Ingredients
For the salad
1
large butternut squash
3Tbsp.
olive oil
1
red onion, sliced
1/2tsp.
ground cinnamon
125g
kale, woody stems removed and leaves roughly chopped
125g
cooked Puy lentils
3Tbsp.
pomegranate seeds
3Tbsp.
roasted chopped hazelnuts
For the pomegranate dressing
4Tbsp.
olive oil
3Tbsp.
pomegranate molasses
1/2tsp.
ground cinnamon
1Tbsp.
lemon juice
Directions
Step 1
Preheat oven to 190°C (170°C) mark 5. Cut neck of squash into eight round slices (leave skin on). Halve bulb of squash; deseed; cut into 1cm pieces (unpeeled). Line a large tin with baking parchment; add squash rounds in a single layer to one side; brush with 1tbsp oil. Add chopped squash with onion slices to other side in a pile; drizzle with ½ tbsp oil. Sprinkle cinnamon over all; season well. Roast for 35-40min until squash is tender. Remove from the oven; set aside.
Step 2
Meanwhile, scatter kale on a separate large baking tray; drizzle with remaining 1½tbsp oil; season generously. Cook in oven for 10-15min until crisp. Remove from oven; cool.
Step 3
For dressing, whisk all the ingredients in a bowl.
Step 4
In a large bowl, gently mix kale, diced squash, onion, lentils and half the dressing.
Step 5
Place a squash round on each of eight plates; top with kale mixture. Drizzle over remaining dressing, scatter over pomegranate seeds and hazelnuts; serve.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
