Pearl Couscous & Delicata Squash Kale Salad Recipe

Nothing says fall quite like pumpkin seeds—well, except maybe some squash. Actually, a pumpkin is technically a squash, so it’s really all the same. In the case of this recipe, you get both.

The recipe starts with our tasty Sweet Kale Chopped Salad Kit featuring kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, radicchio, cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and a creamy poppyseed dressing. Top it off with some pearl couscous and delicata squash, and you have this delish salad that blends the tastes of the Mediterranean with the perfect hint of fall.

Suitable as both a vibrant side dish or as a quick lunch, you’ll love the way these flavors and textures work together to create a unique flavor profile all its own.

Ingredients

1 Taylor Farms Sweet Kale Chopped Salad Kit
1 cup pearled couscous, cooked
1 delicata squash, de-seeded and thinly sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt
Cracked black pepper
1 tbsp minced rosemary
Thinly sliced red onion
⅓ cup blue cheese crumbles

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Arrange delicata squash slices on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle evenly with kosher salt, cracked black pepper, and minced rosemary.
Bake delicata squash for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Prepare pearl couscous per package directions and set aside.
Prepare Sweet Kale Chopped Salad Kit on a platter and top with toppings and dressing. Top evenly with red onion slices, blue cheese crumbles, pearl couscous, and roasted delicata squash. Serve and enjoy!

What’s so Delicate About Delicata Squash?

There are over 100 types of squash in existence, but only one delicata. As the name implies, this squash is rather delicate—mainly in the soft rind on the outside. It also happens to be delicious.

Like pumpkins, delicata squash is a variety of winter squash. At first glance, this squash might look like the ornamental squash you see for sale during the fall at farmer’s markets and grocery stores. You know, the types that are better suited sitting on your porch or table as cute fall decor rather than being eaten. But don’t be fooled—these cream-colored cylindrical fruits striped in green or orange are delectable.

Where Have These Been All My Life?

Delicata squash has been around the United States since the 1890s, but the variety lost popularity because it was prone to mildew diseases. Yuck! Fortunately, Cornell University’s Department of Plant Breeding brought the delicate squash back to its deserved semi-prominence in the early 2000s. The department found a way to breed an open-pollinated, non-hybrid variety that is resistant to squash diseases, and has a much longer shelf life. Thanks, Cornell!