Autumn Caesar Salad
I would like to introduce you to my go-to salad this time of year. Why this time of year? Because let’s be honest, ‘tis the time for cookies (see last post) and ALL the carbs. And once in a while, some balance is nice so, I bring you this awesome Autumn Caesar Salad! And speaking of balance, this salad does it well by taking a classic favorite and making it all fall with seasonal ingredients like Tuscan kale, crispy Brussels sprouts, roasted delicata squash, crunchy pumpkin seeds, sweet golden raisins and (my favorite) parmesan shallots in place of croutons. A few notes about this recipe: there are a couple of semi-tedious steps (mostly just roasting and setting aside, then roasting something else and setting aside) but it’s delicious and worth the steps! Hope it becomes your go-to this season too!
Ingredients
Serves 4
2 large bunches of Tuscan kale (ribs removed and chopped into bite sized pieces)
1 small to medium delicata squash (sliced into rings with seeds removed)
3 cups shredded Brussels sprouts (I use a mandolin to shred them very thinly but you can also buy them pre-shredded)
1 cup pumpkin seeds
3 tsp chili powder (separated into 2 tsp and 1 tsp)
1 large shallot (evenly and very thinly sliced)
1 cup of grated parmesan cheese (separated into 1/4 cups)
1/4 cup good quality olive oil for massaging kale
1/4 cup of your favorite Caesar dressing (or make your own :) )
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 tsp unsalted butter
avocado oil (great for the shallots and roasting the other ingredients at high heat)
salt and pepper
Additional items
Mandolin
Method
Preheat oven to 425F. Line two baking sheets and set aside.
Toss the delicata squash in 2 tbsp of avocado oil, 2 tsp of chili powder, salt and pepper and place the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes, flip and roast for a remaining 10-15 minutes or until golden. Set aside and allow to cool.
Next, well coat the Brussels sprouts in avocado oil (so they don’t burn while roasting) and toss in 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes, toss, then roast for 10 more minutes until golden. Set aside to cool.
Now, toss the pumpkin seeds in 1 tsp chili powder, salt and avocado oil. Roast for 10 minutes or until golden. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, drizzle 1/4 cup of olive oil over the kale and massage well for 2-3 minutes. Toss the kale with caesar dressing and 1/4 to 1/2 cup parmesan cheese and add salt and pepper to taste.
Lastly, place 2 tbsp of avocado oil and shallots in the pan and heat on high. Watching carefully, lower the heat to low after they start sizzling (3-5 minutes). Toss in 1 tsp of butter until distributed and melted. Then sprinkle the parmesan over the shallots and drain on a paper towel.
Once the other ingredients have come to room temperature, arrange the kale in a serving bowl or individual bowls and start layering the ingredients by sprinkling Brussels sprouts, golden raisins, pumpkin seeds then place the delicata squash on top.
