If you’re in search of a last-minute dish to prepare for Thanksgiving tomorrow, this could be it! Salads can be a refreshing side dish on turkey day, amidst all of the casseroles. This kale salad is full of Thanksgiving flavor, with roasted butternut squash, mushrooms, and asparagus. It still feels like comfort food with the addition of bacon, goat cheese, toasted walnuts, and a warm rosemary shallot dressing, made with the bacon drippings.
To prep it ahead of time, roast the vegetables, cook the bacon, toast the walnuts, and make the dressing. Keep everything separate until you are ready to serve the salad. The dressing can be reheated in the microwave if made ahead of time. I am positive this will be a crowd-pleaser! This kale salad would be appropriate for the holidays, or as the main dish for a weeknight dinner at home.
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- 1/2 bunch kale chopped (or 1 container baby kale)
- 1 bunch asparagus ends trimmed
- 1 lb butternut squash diced
- 6-8 ounces baby bella mushrooms sliced
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt
- fresh ground black pepper
- 6 slices bacon cooked, keep the bacon drippings
- 3 oz goat cheese
- 1/2 cup walnuts chopped and toasted
- 2-3 shallots finely chopped
- 2 sprigs rosemary minced
- 1 Tbsp water
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp stone ground mustard
- 1 Tbsp orange juice (fresh-squeezed is best)
- pinch salt or more to taste
Ingredients
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- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place parchment paper on 3 rimmed baking pans. If using regular (not baby) kale, wash and dry thoroughly.
- Toss the diced butternut squash with 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss well. Lay out on one of the pans with parchment.
- Lay the trimmed asparagus out on one of the other baking pan. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil on the asparagus and gently toss. Season with salt and pepper.
- Gently toss the sliced mushrooms with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Season with a little salt and pepper, and 1 sprig of finely chopped rosemary. Lay out on the last pan with parchment paper.
- Place the vegetables in the oven. Cook the asparagus for 15 minutes, the mushrooms for 20-25 minutes, and the butternut squash for 35-40 minutes. If the squash is browning quickly, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
- While the vegetables are roasting, cook the bacon. Remove to a plate lined with a paper towel. Once the bacon is cooled, chop it and set aside. Remove some of the grease from the pan. Chop the shallots. Add the shallots to the pan and quickly cook in the bacon drippings.
- Add the cooked shallots and the bacon drippings they were cooked in to a small blender or food processor. Add the second sprig of chopped rosemary, water, honey, vinegar, mustard, orange juice, and salt. Blend well.
- Lightly toast the walnuts.
- Toss the kale and half of the vegetables, half the bacon, and half the walnuts in a large bowl with a couple spoonfuls of dressing. To serve, top the tossed salad with the remaining vegetables, bacon, walnuts, and goat cheese. Drizzle with some more of the dressing. (You will probably not need all of the dressing).
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