I was so excited to be participating in A Book of Yum’s Gluten-free Vegetarian Thanksgiving Event, that I of course couldn’t decide on just one recipe, so I made two! I wanted to re-imagine a classic side dish like stuffing, but I also really wanted to bring something completely new and unique to the table (pun intended). I came across a recipe in Edible Buffalo’s Fall 2011 issue a few weeks ago that I cut out and set aside, since it really intrigued me. It was a raw butternut squash salad – I had never thought about eating squash raw, but I honestly couldn’t wait to try it. In thinking about the recipe and really wanting there to be a rainbow of beautiful fall colors, I decided to change it up add some fresh local kale and dried cranberries instead of golden raisins. I also had some a fresh organic navel orange that I had zested earlier in the day to make another batch of my Chai concentrate and I thought the juice from that would be the perfect complement to all of the flavors going on in this salad.
This beautiful salad is crunchy, sweet and bright. It would be a welcome side dish at any Thanksgiving feast and it is a wonderfully unique option everyone, especially for those who are gluten-free, vegan and/or vegetarian. Plus, I personally love the idea of any Thanksgiving sides that aren’t heavy and carb loaded and more importantly, that don’t require the use of the oven that is always far too crowded on Thanksgiving.
Raw Butternut Squash and Kale Salad
Serves 4-6
1 butternut squash (about 1 pound), peeled, seeded and grated by hand or with a food processor
1 cup kale, washed and stems removed, cut into very thin strips
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Combine all ingredients, toss and adjust seasonings to taste. Refrigerate, covered, for an hour before serving.
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Hmmm…sounds interesting. I have to admit, I’m always a little afraid of things like orange juice in a slaw style salad, but I may dive off the old culinary cliff and try this out. Plus…I need to trim down…for real!
Don’t be afraid! I am actually not a huge fan of oranges on their own, but I absolutely love using the juice and zest when cooking, such a nice compliment.
how do you always know what’s in my fridge???!!
I was so happy to come across this recipe since I have lots of butternut squash right now. I didn’t have any kale on hand (not one of my favorite greens) so I substituted beet greens and spinach. Yummy!
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