Autumn Squash Salad
Chef Seamus Mullen shares this delicious and healthy recipe with us from his new book, Hero Foods. Be sure to catch Seamus in our section about cooking with healthy and anti-inflammatory foods!
"I see no reason why salads should be limited to lettuce and spinach. This dish has a ton of different textures and flavors and is as visually rewarding as it is delicious. There are bits of roasted squash, blanched squash, pickled squash and even squash seeds. All of the flavors and colors of fall come together on one plate."
– Seamus Mullen
Ingredients
- 1 delicata squash, cut into half-moons and blanched in salted water
- A few thin ribbons of hubbard squash, skin on, cut on a mandoline
- 1 cup pickling liquid (page 000)
- 1 kabocha squash, cut into large wedges
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- A healthy drizzle olive oil, plus 1/4 cup
- 4 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 clove garlic, grated on a microplane
- 1 bunch Tuscan kale, stems removed
- 1 watermelon radish, sliced paper-thin on the mandoline, plus their greens
- A few slices serrano ham, prosciutto or cured country ham
- 1 bunch cilantro, leaves stripped
- 1/4 cup toasted pepitas
Preparation
Pre-heat oven to 375°F. Heat the pickling liquid over medium-high heat in a medium-size saucepan and add the hubbard squash ribbon. Simmer until tender, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool in the liquid.
In a medium-size roasting pan, toss the kabocha squash wedges with salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Roast until tender in the oven, about 15 minutes. Set aside.
Whisk together the vinegar, honey and grated garlic in a large salad bowl and slowly add in the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil until emulsified.
Tear the kale into bite-size pieces and toss together with the pickled squash, roasted squash, blanched squash, radish slices, radish greens, cilantro and pepitas in the salad bowl with the dressing. Lace a few slices of ham across the top and enjoy.
