Well, this recipe is really a better fit for the cold, winter months, but…..here in Ontario, we know that we will still have some chilly evenings ahead for another month or so, so you have lots of time to try it! Or, maybe you’re the type of person who likes warm salads in the summer. No judgement here. It’s all about the food afterall haha.

Another simple, quick and delicious dish!

I absolutely love warm salads! It sounds weird, I know. But some vegetables will surprise you with how yummy they are!  To me, a warm, hearty salad on a chilly autumn day is just perfect – and yes, it’s a huge comfort food!! So it belongs here 🙂

This recipe is vegan and gluten free. It’s packed with nutrients (see below for nutrition info from Chronometer)

The photo just doesn’t do this recipe justice, but in my defense, this was taken before I took this blogging thing seriously, as I was still on my “gonna open a take-out spot” path. So I plan to update the photo the next time I make this. Which should be soon as I have an abundance of kale in my fridge at the moment!

Warm Kale Salad

 (makes enough for 2 side helpings, or 1 large salad!)

Ingredients:

• about 3 C of kale, washed and de-stemmed
• 1/2 butternut squash, roasted
• 1/4 C red onion, diced
• 1/2 C walnuts, chopped
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1/4 C vegetable broth (you can sub for 1Tbsp oil if you want)
• 1 Tbsp hemp hearts
• tomato slices

Directions:

1. Slice squash in half and remove seeds. Sprinkle some oil (or broth for oil free), salt & pepper. Roast in oven, flesh side down at 425°F for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool a bit before peeling ‘skin’ off. Cut into bite sized pieces.
2. In a saucepan, pour in broth and add onions. Cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes until they are translucent.
3. Add garlic and walnuts and cook for another few minutes.
4. Add broth, turn heat to low-medium and cover with lid. This is mostly just to get the flavours of the onion & garlic into the broth and to help the walnuts soften just a bit.
5.  Remove the lid. Add kale and mix well. Replace lid.
6. The steam will wilt the kale; you want to cook it until all the liquid is gone and the kale becomes soft. 
7. Stir in hemp hearts, squash and serve with tomatoes to get even more vitamins!

I don’t often add this part to my recipes, as, let’s face it, a lot of them aren’t really the ones you should be eating if you are super focused on macros, etc……but I wanted to show you just how good this salad is for you. 

For 1/2 serving (aka 1/2 this recipe – using broth, not oil) you will consume: 

• 457 calories
• 1226% of your Vitamin A intake for the day
• 832% of Vitamin K
• 98% Vitamin C
• 50% of Vitamins B1, B6 and Folate
• 79% of Magnesium
• 87% Copper
• 200% Maganese
• The following range between 40 and 50%:  Calcium, Phosphorous, Potassium, Sodium, Zinc
• 32% Iron
• 30-40% of Vitamins B2 and E
• and to top it off, it has 15% of your daily recommended amount of…..PROTEIN!  

So yes, you DO get protein from vegetables and nuts 😉 

**Info from Chronometer

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. It doesn’t affect your cost, but if you purchase any items through my link, I do receive a small cut.