Beautiful Kale Salad with Chanterelle Mushrooms, Acorn Squash, and Prosciutto.
This is a beautiful and perfect kale salad for early fall, for when chanterelle mushrooms, acorn squash, and pomegranates are all in season.
The addition of prosciutto and hazelnuts add a salty and crunchy complement to the sweet chanterelles and pomegranates.
This year, I found some beautiful chanterelles at Costco and decided to make this beautiful kale salad that features seasonal fall ingredients.
Chanterelle mushrooms have a fruity and peppery taste. They grow wild and are harvested by hand. They are definitely a special treat if you can find them fresh. I encourage you to take advantage of these once-a-year treats.
As I’ve said before, I love to eat with seasonal ingredients. If possible, visit a farmer’s market, or buy from good grocery stores like Whole Foods, Sprouts, and even Costco. They often carry fresh, local, high-quality, and seasonal produce.
As with most salads, I prefer a very simple dressing that consists of just high-quality olive oil. Good olive oil keeps the ingredients the star of the show and actually enhances the flavors.
If you are in the market for high-quality olive oil, I recommend Novello olive oils from Olive Oil Lovers.com, they are amazing! (not an ad, only a fan of their products.) Spend the money on good olive oil. It’s worth every penny.
Lastly, kale benefits from a little acidity. Use a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in the dressing, this step will soften the leaves.
Beautiful Kale Salad with Chanterelle Mushrooms, Acorn Squash, Prosciutto, and Pomegranates
Ingredients
- 1 bunch Red Kale ribs removed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup hazelnuts
- 3 ounces proscuitto
- 1 acorn squash
- 12 ounces fresh chanterelle mushrooms
- 1 cup pomegranete seeds
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- salt and pepper
- 3 tbsp canola oil
- 1 tsp paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Wash the outside of the squash. Cut the acorn squash in half and remove the seeds. Place cut side down on cutting board and slice into 1/4 inch slices. Discard the stem. Place slices in a large bowl, coat with a thin layer of canola oil (approximately 2 tablespoons), and season with salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread acorn squash in an even layer. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 40 minutes. You should be able to easily pierce the squash with a fork when it's done.
- While the squash is cooking, remove the ribs from the kale and chop the kale into bite-sized pieces. Add to the salad bowl. The kale benefits from a little time in acid, so we need to make the dressing now and marinate the kale.
- In a separate mixing bowl, add two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and a pinch of salt. Slowly mix in half a cup of olive oil while constantly whisking together. You want to emulsify the oil and vinegar. Add this dressing to the Kale.
- Use a pestle and mortar to break the hazlenuts roughly in half. Toast the hazelnuts in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat until fragrant, but be careful not to burn them. Set aside.
- Clean the chanterelle mushrooms by giving them a gentle brushing under water (I love this mushroom brush). Chanterelle mushrooms grow in the wild and can often have a lot of dirt on them. Clean them well and dry them with a paper towel. Depending on the size of the mushrooms, you may want to cut them into smaller pieces, but keep them relatively large. The mushrooms will shrink when they cook.
- Add one tablespoon of canola oil to the cast-iron skillet and heat over medium. Add the chanterelles and season lightly with salt. Cook until browned and set aside.
- When the acorn squash is done cooking, you're ready to assemble the salad. Put all the ingredients together in your presentation bowl. I don't like to "toss" this salad, but rather, I "assemble" it. This gives me the control to make the presentation prettier. So, layer the kale on the bottom, and then add the other ingredients.
This salad stands alone and can be a meal, however it is a perfect dish to bring color to your holiday table.
I hope that you enjoy this healthy and delicious Kale salad. Visit our recipes page for more delicious ideas. Follow us on Pinterest to see more recipes.
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