Don’t say it, I understand, you don’t really like kale. Honestly, I get that. I was not a big fan either, I was just trying to be a bit more healthy and give it a fair shake. Additionally, my husband, definitely was not a kale fan. When he recently said “I really liked that kale thing, you should make it again”, I was shocked.

So, this is for all of you that want to click away and say “no thanks”. Please, just give it a try, you too might be surprised. It’s healthy, it’s hearty, it’s delicious and pretty darned easy to pull together. Another big plus, this stands up well for a couple of days and actually tastes better as it “ages” and the flavors have a chance to meld.

INGREDIENTS
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
2 Tbs. olive oil
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 cup dry Israeli (pearl) couscous, cooked
2 cups, thinly sliced kale leaves
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, lightly toasted
2 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

VINAIGRETTE
3 Tbs. cider vinegar
3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 small clove garlic, grated
1 Tbs. maple syrup
2 scant tsp. dijon mustard
salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425°F
First, place the cubed butternut squash on a rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle with the olive oil, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper and toss to combine. Then, bake for 25-35 minutes, tossing occasionally, until tender and slightly browned. Next, remove the squash from the oven and set aside to cool for a bit.

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Meanwhile, combine the vinaigrette ingredients and either whisk to combine in a small bowl or use a covered glass jar and shake to combine well. Preferably, make this a little bit ahead to let the flavors mingle.

Next, place the sliced kale into a bowl, drizzle with a little olive oil (maybe a teaspoon) and a half teaspoon of salt. Then, dig in (with clean hands of course!) and massage the kale for a few minutes. I know this sounds strange, but it actually softens the kale a bit, which gives it a better texture and it does make a big difference.

Now add the, couscous, cranberries, and walnuts to the kale and toss well to combine. Then, when the squash has cooled a bit, add that to the bowl and add most of the vinaigrette (because I prefer a dryer salad, I always hold some out to add later, if needed), toss well to coat the kale. Next, add the crumbled goat cheese and toss lightly to combine, trying not to break up the goat cheese. Finally, don’t forget to give it a taste, check the flavors and add more salt, pepper or dressing as needed.

NOTES
Additionally, you can switch up the grains, as you wish, depending on what you have on hand. I have tried this with quinoa (see below) and with barley, instead of the couscous and honestly, all three are delicious. Since the quinoa has a good amount of protein, it makes a nice vegetarian choice.

One other note, some people actually put the kale in a food processor and pulse it to break down the leaves into smaller pieces. This has a similar result to the massaging and either technique is fine. However, if you do choose the food processor option, be very careful, you can quickly go from small pieces, to mush if you process it too much.

Lastly, a great swap-out to the dried cranberries is dried cherries. This is a delicious alternative, Trader Joe’s has them and they are right next to the cranberries. They do tend to be larger than the cranberries, so I would chop them a little before using. I first tried them when they were out of the cranberries and I was quite surprised how tasty they were.