Warm Winter Salad With Roasted Butternut, Lacinato Kale & Hazelnuts
Always trust a farmer to bring a big, delicious bowl of greens to the winter table. This one, adapted from Samin Nosrat’s Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, brings together creamy squash with crunchy butternut and hazelnuts on a bed of kale.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and cubed
5 slices sourdough bread
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon finely diced shallot
1 clove garlic, crushed and finely diced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
1 bunch lacinato kale, stems removed and thinly sliced
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
On a baking sheet, drizzle the oil and salt over the butternut squash. Roast until soft and starting to brown, about 35–40 minutes.
To make croutons, chop or tear the bread into bite-size pieces and place them on a second baking sheet. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and ½ teaspoon salt. Roast until brown and crispy, 10–15 minutes.
Toss the sliced onion with red wine vinegar and let sit for at least 20 minutes to macerate and mellow the intensity.
Place the butter in a wide saucepan and melt over medium heat. Once it’s melted, whisk it continually while it bubbles until it clears and you start to see little brown bits at the bottom. It should smell like butterscotch. Immediately take it off the heat and allow it to cool.
Add the finely diced shallots and garlic to the balsamic vinegar and let it sit for 10 minutes to macerate. Add the cooled brown butter along with the black pepper and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Whisk until smooth.
Place the hazelnuts in the saucepan you used for the brown butter. Toast over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they smell nice and nutty, about 8 minutes. Set aside.
Mix the kale and half the croutons in a large salad bowl with half the brown butter vinaigrette. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Add the remaining croutons, squash, hazelnuts and macerated onions with red wine vinegar to the salad bowl. Dress with the remaining vinaigrette and season with additional salt as needed.
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