If a warm and cozy salad is calling your name, then look no further than my Sheet Pan Warm Kale Salad. This vibrant salad is packed full of tender toasted veggies, mild Italian sausage, tangy feta cheese, and crunchy pistachios, all topped off with a creamy maple dijon dressing for the perfect salad in every bite. The sheet pan makes it quick and easy to assemble, plus, it makes it easy for serving a crowd. Whether you make this for your next gathering or for a simple family dinner, you can't go wrong with this salad!
Equipment
- Sheet Pan after all, it wouldn't be a sheet pan salad without the sheet pan!
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1 Medium Butternut Squash peeled and chopped in 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 Small Red Onion thinly sliced
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Pound Ground Mild Italian Sausage
- 1 Bunch Dino Kale stems removed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
- ⅓ Cup Dried Cranberries
- ⅓ Cup Pistachios coarsley chopped
- 1 Cup Feta Cheese crumbled
For the Maple Dijon Dressing:
- ¼ Cup Olive Oil
- 3 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
- 2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 3 Cloves Garlic
- ½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- To make this salad, start by preheating your oven to 425 F.
- If using whole butternut squash, prepare the squash by removing the seeds and chopping it into 1/2 inch pieces. If you're using pre-cut butternut squash (which I recommend - it's so much easier!) you can skip this step.
- Add the chopped butternut squash to a sheet pan. Then, chop the red onion and add it to the baking sheet.
- Add the olive oil, a pinch of sea salt, and a pinch of ground black pepper, and toss the squash and onion until they're fully coated in both. Make sure they're both spread out into an even layer on the sheet pan.
- Transfer the baking sheet into the oven for 20 minutes.
- While the veggies are in the oven, prepare the sausage. Heat a pan, on the stove, over medium heat, and add in the sausage.
- Use a spoon to break the sausage up well, then allow it to cook until browned. Once the sausage is cooked through, remove it from the heat and set it aside.
- Then, prepare the dressing. Add all of the dressing ingredients (the olive oil, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, garlic, kosher salt, and ground black pepper) to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Once the veggies are done, remove them from the oven.
- Then, add the kale and cooked sausage to the sheet pan, along with 1/4 of the dressing, and toss until they're fully incorporated with the veggies.
- Return the sheet pan to the oven and allow everything to cook together for 15 more minutes.
- Once the salad is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes before adding the feta cheese, dried cranberries, and chopped pistachios.
- Finally, drizzle the remaining dressing on top and toss to fully combine. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Calories: 241kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 386mg | Potassium: 445mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 10068IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 159mg | Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?
I’d love to see what you made - tag @kalejunkie
in your posts and I’ll re-share!
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