Fall Kale Panzanella Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette
This Fall Kale Panzanella Salad is a bread salad made with roasted butternut squash, red onions, sourdough herbes de Provence croutons, pears, kale, chicken, and cheese.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Fall Panzanella Salad
- 1 medium butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 small red onion cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 slices cubed day-old sourdough bread roughly torn into bite-sized pieces
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Bosc pear cored and cut into cubes
- 1 large bunch of lacinato kale stems removed and leaves thinly sliced
- 1 pound cooked chicken cubed
- 4 ounces mozzarella cheese cut into cubes
Lemon Cranberry Vinaigrette
- 5 ounces frozen cranberries
- 2 tablespoons water plus ½ cup
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, add the butternut squash, red onion, and sourdough. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, placing the herbes de Provence over the bread. Toss well to coat.
- Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing halfway through, until the squash is tender and caramelized and the croutons are golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- At this point, while roasting, you can go ahead and cook and prepare your chicken and vegetables for the salad.
- Add frozen cranberries with water to a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries soften and begin to burst.
- Transfer the cranberries to a blender with olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon, honey, 1/2 cup water, a generous pinch of salt, and several grinds of black pepper to a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add more water if needed to reach a pourable consistency. Taste and adjust with more lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper as needed.
- Time to assemble! In a large bowl, add the kale as the base of the salad. Then add your squash, onion, croutons, pear, grilled chicken, and mozzarella. Drizzle with the cranberry vinaigrette and gently toss until everything is evenly coated.
- Serve! Add more dressing to taste, as needed.
Nutrition
Calories: 543kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 307mg | Potassium: 372mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 274IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 173mg | Iron: 2mg