This beautiful, autumnal salad would be perfect for Thanksgiving! Roast the squash, cook the couscous, toast the pecans, and make the dressing the night before for a super easy assembly the next day. Leftovers are good for a day or two (but do keep the nuts separate so that they will be nice and crunchy).
Couscous and Kale Salad
makes about two quarts, 4–6 servings; adapted from Autumn Pearl Couscous Salad from Heifa of Fufu's Kitchen
Ingredients
- 1 small butternut squash
- a little olive oil and salt
- 1 cup pearl couscous, dry (yields about 3 cups cooked) Bob's Red Mill
- 1 teaspoon butter, ghee, or olive oil
- 1½ cups water
- 1 bunch (6–8 leaves) kale
- ⅓ cup pecans
- ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
Orange Honey Mustard Dressing
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
Prepare the Squash (can be done in advance)
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Preheat oven to 400°F. Peel, deseed, and chop the squash into 1-inch pieces. Toss in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, transfer to a sheet pan, and sprinkle with salt. Roast for 30 minutes, flip and go an additional 10 minutes.
Prepare the Couscous (can be done in advance)
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Melt butter/ghee/olive oil in bottom of a saucepan big enough to hold 3 cups cooked couscous. Add the dry couscous and toast a couple minutes, moving things around a little so not to burn. Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer until tender, about 12–15 minutes. Drain off any excess water and transfer to a plate or bowl to cool.
Toast the Pecans
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Lay out an abundance of pecans on a small, quarter-sheet, sheet pan. Toast in 350°F oven for about 10 minutes until fragrant. Allow to cool then store in a glass jar in the pantry so they are ready to go for any need (salads, yogurt with granola, etc.).
Make the Orange Honey Mustard Dressing
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Put shallots in a 12-ounce jar of dressing (the main reason I buy Bonne Maman jams—the perfectly sized jar with the red and white checked lid) and add the apple cider vinegar. Set aside while you juice the citrus and find the other things.
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Add the lemon juice, orange juice, honey/agave, mustard, and salt and pepper. Mix. Whisk in the olive oil. Refrigerate and use on any and all salad opportunities within a few days.
Assemble the Salad
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Strip center stalk from the kale, stack the leaves, chiffonade (slice into thin ribbons), then chop crossways once or twice. Transfer to salad bowl and drizzle in 2 tablespoons of dressing. Massage the kale with the dressing to tenderize.
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Add the cooked and cooled couscous, cooked and cooled squash, red onion, cranberries, and drizzle in dressing a little at a time and tossing until dressed to your liking; you will have extra dressing which you can refrigerate and use another time within two or three days.
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Just before serving, sprinkle with pecans.
