If I could eat one meal every day for the remainder of October, this would be it. I love everything about this salad, from the tender baby kale and crunchy apple slices to the sweet roasted delicata squash, salty feta, crispy roasted squash seeds, and creamy, slightly sweet maple-tahini dressing.
There’s something sweet, savory, crunchy, creamy, and salty in every bite. It doesn’t get much better than this. 
The only time-intensive part of this recipe is roasting the squash and seeds. Luckily, delicata squash has thin (hence delicate) skin and tender seeds, so the whole operation is pretty simple. The skin doesn’t need to be peeled away, and is only slightly more difficult to cut into than a potato; no bulging muscles are required to crack open this squash. You can even roast the squash and seeds on the same pan for the same amount of time. 
No idea what the heck a delicata squash is? Fear not, you can easily use a carnival, acorn, buttercup, sweet dumpling, or even a small butternut squash instead of a delicata.
Pro tip: squash seeds float in water. Instead of picking every seed out from the sticky innerds, just submerge them in water and scoop the seeds off the top. P.S. I’m not actually a pro, but this is a legit tip. 
While the squash and seeds roast you can start to assemble the rest of the salad. Honeycrisp apples and red onion are thinly sliced, feta is crumbled, and a simple maple-tahini dressing is shaken together in a mason jar. Everything gets piled up onto a bed of baby kale, sprinkled with the crispy roasted squash seeds, and drizzled with the dressing. 
I hope you’ll give this salad a try; it really is the perfect fall meal. This salad would look beautiful on your Thanksgiving table, but is just as satisfying if eaten out of a bowl on the couch while watching Jeopardy. Not that I’d know anything about that. If you build a big bowl of autumnal goodness, let me know! Comment below or tag me #bakedgreens on Instagram so I can invite myself over for dinner. Jeopardy is optional, but clearly recommended.
Fall Kale Salad with Roasted Delicata Squash Seeds & Tahini-Maple Dressing
Ingredients
- 4 cups baby kale
- 1 small red onion thinly sliced
- 1 honeycrisp apple thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta
- 1 delicata squash see above post for substitution ideas
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt & pepper
Tahini-Maple Dressing
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 Tablespoons tahini
- 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 2. Prepare squash: cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Transfer seeds to a small bowl and cover with water. Use your fingers to squish the seeds around in the water, helping them separate from the squash membranes. Scoop seeds off the surface of the water and transfer to a paper towel to dry. Meanwhile, slice the squash halves into 1/4 inch slices.
- 3. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper, and transfer squash and seeds to the pan. Drizzle seeds and squash with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring seeds halfway through. Let squash cool slightly before adding to the salad (or it might melt the feta).
- 4. Add all dressing ingredients to a small jar, screw on the lid, and shake well to combine.
- 5. Layer all salad ingredients onto a large platter or bowl. Top with dressing, and serve immediately. This salad serves two people as a meal or four as a side dish. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 1 day when dressed, but up to 4 if dressing is left on the side.