Roasted Butternut Squash and kale salad w/ couscous

Fall and winter salads never get old in this household. This roasted butternut squash is  my treasured squash of choice to integrate  in warm salads. This boldly colored beauty is low in fat,  fiber packed , loaded with  carotenoids and other essential vitamins/minerals. Save the seeds, they make one scrumptious snack! Drizzle a little olive oil, dash of salt and pepper, in the oven  and you’re good to go. Satisfy that random midday cravings.

The butternut squash is also exceptionally easy to cook. Feel free to peel or just slice down the middle, take out the seeds and cook as desired. I almost always oven roast them. It is very fleshy and provides the  well needed substance in  hearty soups, like this pinto beans and butternut squash soup ,salads, desserts, purees and more. 

There are so many other squashes that you can use. Any winter squash will work and you can also easily substitute with sweet potatoes. Want to substitute Kale? Go with greens that maintain a little bit of their structure when cooked like collards or turnip greens. Spinach wilts a little too much for this recipe but you are welcome to use it.

This dish definitely left a sweet note on my taste buds. The roasted butternut squash also complements the robustness of the kale wonderfully.