This recipe of Roasted Butternut Squash with Crispy Kale and Pomegranates is a gorgeous dish with only 6 ingredients that is a perfect side dish for your holiday meal. It’s also a great Thanksgiving recipes for vegans.
Thanksgiving is less than a week away and today’s recipe of Roasted Butternut Squash with Crispy Kale and Pomegranates is a great one to include at your holiday table. It’s a simple, dish without too many ingredients that can be popped into the oven while you prepare the rest of your meal.
This is a gorgeous dish with a variety of textures and tastes. The sweetness of the butternut squash is balanced by the slightly bitter kale. The pomegranates give your mouth a tart crunchy surprise.
Winter squash is one of my favorite foods. I enjoy it all fall and winter. Butternut and delicata are the sweetest varieties.
Winter squash is a low glycemic way to get your daily carbohydrates. The high fiber helps to keep your blood sugar in balance. They are high in antioxidants which prevents oxidative stress. That means they prevent us from aging too fast. The vitamin A supports our immune system. Read more about winter squash on my blog Winter Squash 6 Varieties 6 Recipes and 6 Health Benefits.
One of the best ways to eat winter squash is roasted. It brings out the sweetness, caramelized on the outside while maintaining its soft tender flesh on the inside.
In this roasted butternut squash dish, I combine an assortment of flavors, colors, and textures. In addition to roasting the squash, I also roast the kale until it is crispy. The crunchy texture is the perfect counterpoint to the soft squash. Seasoning the squash with smoked paprika gives it a rich, warm, savory flavor that adds complexity to the dish.
Finally, I top the dish with pomegranates to give it a little more crunch and a sweet, tart flavor.
Pomegranates have a juicy, ruby-red pulp and a refreshing taste that is both sweet and tart. They are packed with beneficial vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and antioxidants. Kale is one of the greatest superfoods making this dish a spectacular way to fill your body with nutrients.
I hope you and your family love this beautiful, plant rich, vegan side dish this holiday season. It’s beautiful, savory, sweet and incredibly delicious. Everyone will love it!
I make it many times throughout the fall and winter. Let me know if you make it for Thanksgiving.
If you like this recipe, try these other delicious holiday side dishes:
Roasted Cauliflower Mushroom Stuffing
Crispy Roasted Delicata Squash
Roasted Broccoli and Kale Salad
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Roasted Butternut Squash with Crispy Kale and Pomegranate Seeds
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 mins
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
A simple, gorgeous, vegetable dish for your holiday table full of vital nutrients.
Ingredients
Crispy Kale
- 4 cups kale leaves, lightly packed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
Roasted Squash
Instructions
Crispy Kale
- Preheat the oven to 300ºF. Brush a baking sheet with oil or line it with parchment paper.
- Strip the stems from the leaves of the kale. Tear or chop the kale leaves into medium pieces, and put into a bowl. Save the stems for a smoothie or stir fry.
- Sprinkle kale with oil. Rub the leaves to coat evenly with the oil.
- Arrange in a single layer on the baking pan and sprinkle with salt.
- Bake for for 15-20 minutes, until slightly crispy but not brown.
- Set aside and increase the temperature of the oven to 400ºF.
Roasted Squash
- Brush a baking sheet with oil or line it with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Peel the butternut squash with a sharp peeler. Cut in half, scoop out the seeds and cut into chunks. If using delicata squash peeling isn’t necessary.
- Put squash into a bowl.
- Add olive oil, smoked paprika and salt. Toss it all together until evenly coated.
- Arrange the squash in a single layer on the baking pan.
- Roast at 400ºF for 15 minutes, until it begins to brown.
- Toss the squash onto the other side and roast for another 15 to 20 minutes, until tender.
- Add the crispy kale to the squash mix to combine.
- Transfer to a platter and top with the pomegranate seeds. Enjoy.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Vegetable
- Cuisine: Paleo, Vegan, Seasonal, Healthy
