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!
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
- 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.
- Roast the squash: Roast the squash for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping half way through, until the squash is fork tender. Set aside.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Prepare the remaining ingredients: Prepare the remaining ingredients for the salad as instructed above.
- 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.
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.
