Fall Cobb Salad with Butternut Squash

this recipe

It’s official I’ve shifted my recipes from end-of-summer to beginning-of-fall. Bring on the pumpkin spiced recipes! Bring on the apples! Bring on all the orange and red hues! We’re ready for you!!!

Do you have your fave cozy sweater on? I busted out mine today because it’s 60 degrees and breezy. I’m confused, yesterday it was 90 degrees and sunny!! WHAT?! Weather is strange this time of year in the Midwest, it can be back and forth for a while. You gotta keep both your tank tops and your plaid flannel shirts near by depending on what mother nature’s mood is that day.

Still, let’s dive in and embrace the cooler weather with this fall cobb salad, shall we?!

When I think of a traditional cobb salad the main things that stand out are bacon, hard boiled eggs, avocado, crumbled blue cheese, and chicken. I kept the bacon (duh!), hard boiled eggs,  and avocados. I swapped the blue cheese with honey goat cheese because it just goes better with the sweetness of the butternut squash and the apples.

The chicken, however I omitted. WHAT?! I’m breaking the food rules of entree salads!!!!!! Shocker, I know.

Allow me to explain.

I tested this recipe with some pan seared chicken breast and when we sat down to eat the fall cobb salad we barely touched the chicken because we were so excited about all the other yummy things. Before we knew it we were stuffed. Yes, Even Paul who has a never ending appetite got full off of this fall cobb salad without eating much of the chicken. The second time I made this salad we did not miss the chicken one bit.

Between the fiber packed kale, the bacon, hard boiled eggs, and avocados the chicken really isn’t needed. Of course, if you really want to add chicken feel free. I have left some suggestions in the notes of the recipe card below.

To give a cobb salad with a fall twist I added the roasted butternut squash (hello lovely, I’ve missed you), and crunchy sweet red apples. I chose kale because it’s hearty and turns into my go-to choice for salads during the colder months.

I so wanted to add pomegranate arils to this salad because they are MY FAVE but they aren’t in season quite yet and when pomegranates aren’t at their peak they’re not worth having. So, if you’re making this fall cobb salad and you can get your hands on a good pomegranate, please, do us both a favor and add it to your salad! Also, dried cranberries or walnuts would be a great idea. Paul is allergic to both (sad) so I left them out.

Pretty much you can’t go wrong. Whatever fall produce or flavors are speaking to you in the moment you can throw onto this salad!

My new favorite way to cook bacon is in the oven! I am planning to do a “how to cook bacon in the oven” post soon. It will change your bacon making game for LIFE!!!

Let’s discuss kale for a second.

People tell me all of the time that they don’t like kale salads. They’re too tough and chewy.

The solution: Massage the kale!

I know that sounds so weird but kale, especially the curly kind, is so fibrous that if you eat it without massaging it first it’s almost unpleasantly chewy.  By massaging the kale you help to break down the fibers a little and soften it. Trust me, it makes a world of difference.

Here’s how you massage kale:

1. Place your stemmed, chopped kale leaves in a bowl
2. squeeze a little lemon juice over top + a drizzle of olive oil + a sprinkle of sea salt (the acid from the lemon and the coarse sea salt help to break down the fibers too)
3. get in there and use your hands to give that kale a good massage until the kale has reduced in size – the longer you massage the more tender the kale becomes (see photos below for comparison).

Lavender scented candles to set the mood for the kale’s massage session is optional. 😉

Now you can have kale salads all fall and winter long!!!

You’re welcome!

Back to our fall cobb salad!

Isn’t she a beauty?!

I know you’ll love this fall cobb salad. It’s satisfying and filling, packed with seasonal ingredients. It’s got that perfect combo of the sweet from the butternut squash and apple and the salty from the bacon. The creamy hard boiled eggs and avocado help to round everything out.

Fall cobb salad is topped with a simple red wine vinaigrette that’s perfectly sweet, fruity, and a little tart. Honestly, you don’t need a ton of dressing for this salad since the kale was massaged in lemon and oil. That’s the other beauty about the kale massaging situation, it has a built in dressing.

Happy cozy vibes my friends. Embrace this season of beautiful fall produce…it’s a delicious one!

Fall Cobb Salad with Butternut Squash

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review

• Author: Emily Koch
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 45 mins
• Yield: 4 to 5 1x
• Category: Entree, Salad
• Cuisine: Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Dairy Free, Superfoods

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Description

This fall cobb salad is loaded with fall produce such as roasted butternut squash and crunchy apples. It still has a lot of the classics: avocado, hard boiled eggs, and bacon. This is a great entree salad!

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 butternut squash, peeled seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 5 to 6 slices of bacon
• Dressing
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey
• salt and pepper to taste
• Salad
• 1 bunch kale, leaves stripped and roughly chopped
• 1 lemon wedge
• pinch of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 3 to 4 hard boiled eggs, sliced*
• 2 apples, sliced
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced
• Optional: Honey goat cheese

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Instructions

1. Prepare: Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line both a large and medium sized baking sheets with foil. On the medium sized baking sheet lay out the slices of bacon and sprinkle with pepper (optional, but really good). On the large baking sheet add the butternut squash along with the olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper – toss until the squash is coated evenly – lay the squash in a single layer.
2. Roast the squash: Roast the squash for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping half way through, until the squash is fork tender. Set aside.
3. Bake the bacon: Put the bacon in the oven at the same time as the squash. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, flipping the bacon half way though, until it is crispy and a lot of the fat has rendered off. Once cooked transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain off the fat. Once cooled crumble the bacon.
4. Make the dressing: Make the dressing while everything is cooking in the oven. Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk together – or a mason jar and shake. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed, set aside.
5. Massage the kale: Add the kale to a mixing bowl and a squeeze of lemon, splash of olive oil and pinch of salt. Use your hands to massage the kale until it has tenderized. This helps to break down the fibers of the kale and make it more tender – set aside.
6. Prepare the remaining ingredients: Prepare the remaining ingredients for the salad as instructed above.
7. Assemble: Place the massaged kale into a serving bowl or smaller individual bowls. Top with the roasted butternut squash, crumbled bacon, sliced apples, sliced avocados, sliced hard boiled eggs, and a sprinkle of the honey goat cheese. Just before serving drizzle with the dressing.

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Notes

*Hard boiled eggs: For convenience I purchased hard boiled eggs in the convenience section of my grocery store. You can of course make your own but I suggest doing it in advance from making the salad since there are several components to multi task.

Chicken: When I normally think of a traditional cobb salad there is always chicken. When I tested this recipe I made the chicken and found we ate all the other stuff and we were full enough from that. I decided to simplify the recipe and omit the chicken. Trust me, we didn’t miss it. If you want to add it chicken feel free to – I do recommend using leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store to keep things simple.

Other ingredients to add: I so wanted to include pomegranate arils because I LOVE them but they aren’t quite in season yet. If you are making this salad be sure to add some pomegranate, you won’t regret it. Other good things to add if you like them are toasted pepitas (I didn’t because the apple provided enough crunch), dried cranberries, or walnuts. I always want dried cranberries and walnuts but Paul is allergic to them.

Leftovers: The kale will keep with a small amount of dressing for up to 1 day, but it is best assembling as much as you plan to eat int that moment. Store any other leftovers in separate containers.

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