Farro & Kale Butternut Squash Salad

I am ALL about kale salads this time of year. Kale is so versatile and a hearty green that really holds its texture when paired with loads of ingredients; like in this instance, a heavy butternut squash.

This healthy butternut squash salad is my new favorite thing right now and I think it might become yours too! Not only is going to be a wonderful salad to add to your holiday menus, but ALSO a seriously awesome meal prep salad, as it works well to prepare the ingredients ahead of time.

The Perfect Flavorful Salad

This is going to be one of those kale salad recipes that your friends and family may be reluctant to put on their plates, but I’m betting it will surprise them!

I know this firsthand because Mr. FMK always grimaces at anything with the word “kale” in it. Or if he sees there is kale involved he is very skeptical.

But when I put out leftovers from this day’s shoot and he filled up his plate, he said something along the lines of, “I was surprised but that salad was pretty good.”

There ya have it, folks.

Salad Ingredients

• kale – You can use curly kale, purple kale or lacinato kale. For this kind of kale salad recipe, I prefer curly kale. TIP: Masaage the kale with EVOO before adding the rest of the salad ingredients.
• butternut squash – Can’t make a butternut squash salad without a butternut squash! Though you could sub another squash if needed.
• farro – I love farro for it’s nutty flavor and chewy texture, but you could also use freekeh, or if you’re looking for a gluten free option quinoa would also work.
• feta – One of my favorite cheeses to add to salads! You could also sub goat cheese, or omit if you need a vegan friendly recipe.
• dried cranberries  – Adds another layer of texture and sweetness to this salad. You could also sub dried cherries.
• pumpkin seeds (pepitas) – Seeds or nuts are always a great addition to tossed salad. I like pumpkin seeds here (because it’s fall ya’ll) but sunflower seeds could work, as well as walnuts, pecans or slivered almonds.

Sweet Onion Dressing

This is a truly delicious dressing! All of these ingredients come together for the best butternut squash salad that offers savory soft bites of squash, a little sweetness from the dressing and cranberries, the perfect amount of saltiness from the feta and a little crunch from pepitas.

For the dressing you will need:

• vidalia onion
• olive oil
• apple cider vinegar
• honey
• maple syrup
• stone ground mustard
• salt & pepper

I will admit, usually for these types of hearty salads my go to is my Almond Butter Balsamic Dressing, it is always a hit with friends and family.

BUT I decided to change things up and went with a sweet onion vinaigrette and it was the best decision.

That being said, if you’re not a fan of onion, definitely go with the almond butter dressing linked above.

How to Make This Salad

This butternut squash salad is really easy and comes together in just a few steps.

Here’s a quick rundown of how to make the recipe, step-by-step, with some extra notes.

Keep scrolling for the full recipe card and printing options.

Step 1 – Peel & Roast the Squash

To roast a butternut squash, first use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin – go around twice. Then cut the squash in half, lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds.

Use a large sharp knife to cut the squash into about 1.5″ cubes. You should get about 4 cups from a medium butternut squash.

Add a little bit of olive oil to a medium baking sheet and toss the squash. Sprinkle with a little salt and roast for about 20 minutes at 375ºF.

Let the squash cool or place in fridge to chill while you move on to the next steps.

Step 2 – Prepare the Farro

You can prepare the farro a day in advance if you’d like, or prep while the squash is roasting. Just follow the package instructions for how to cook.

I used my Instant Pot and loved that it was hands off so I could focus on other pieces of recipe while the farro was cooking.

NOTE: This kale salad recipe only requires 1/2 cup uncooked farro, which will equal about 1.5 cups cooked. You can prep a full cup (which is what most package directions will give you) and use some of the farro for this salad, and save the rest for a side, OR have more farro in this salad recipe than what is called for.

Step 3 – Massage the Kale

While the butternut squash is roasting and farro is cooking, the next step is to massage the kale. If haven’t worked with kale much before, trust me when I say this step is necessary.

Massaging the kale releases the bitterness and because you’ll be massaging with oil, helps with the flavor as well.

Step 4 – Make the dressing

In a small blender or food processor, combine dressing ingredients until smooth.

This dressing can also be made 1-2 days in advance.

Step 5 – Toss the salad

Once the rest of the ingredients are prepped, everything gets tossed together and you have yourself a delicious kale butternut squash salad ready for any occasion!

Preparing Ahead of Time

You can prepare this salad recipe up to 1 day in advance, covering the container with a lid and storing in the refrigerator. It’s okay to pour on the dressing here as well because the flavors will intensify through the kale and squash.

You can also prep the ingredients separately ahead of time, chill, then combine the morning of if you prefer.