Pesto Dressed Roasted Brussels & Curly Kale Salad
An Autumn-inspired salad that soothes the soul when preparing and nourishes the body when eating
Ingredients
Salad ingredients
- 250 g Brussels sprouts outer leaves removed & cut in half
- 150 g curly kale (washed) tough stalks removed
- 1 butternut squash peeled, de-seeded and cut into ¼ inch cubes
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- ½ lemon juice
- sea salt or herbamare
- cracked black pepper
Pesto sauce
- 12 g fresh basil leaves finely chopped
- 30 g pine nuts
- 30 g Parmesan finely grated
- 5 tbsp. olive oil
Garnish
- 10 g pine nuts toasted
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400°F, gas mark 6, 200°C (180°C fan-assisted)
- Line a baking tray with a My Relationship with Food silicone baking mat or parchment paper then place your halved sprouts on one side of the tray, with your butternut squash cubes on the other.
- Season the vegetables with Herbamare (or sea salt) and cracked black pepper, then drizzle with 1 tbsp. olive oil and gently toss to ensure everything is coated (but make sure to keep them separate).
- Place the tray into the preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes, turning the tray around after 15 minutes and stir to ensure everything cooks evenly and to prevent burning. Once cooked, remove, and set aside to cool.
- Place the kale into a large mixing bowl, then squeeze over the lemon juice and sprinkle over 2 large pinches of sea salt. With clean hands (and wearing gloves if you wish) gently massage the kale until the leaves soften and start to wilt and their colour becomes darker – this will take around 5 minutes.
- For the pesto, toast the pine nuts (including those for the garnish, if using) in a dry, non-stick, frying pan over a medium heat until golden, shaking the pan regularly to prevent them from burning. Remove the nuts from the pan and chop finely, setting aside 10g for the garnish (if using).
- Drizzle ¾ of the pesto dressing over the massaged kale and mix well, before adding the roasted Brussels sprouts and butternut squash and tossing gently to ensure everything is thoroughly coated.
- Arrange the salad on a large serving platter, drizzle over the remaining pesto and scatter with the remaining toasted pine nuts.
- Enjoy!
- When making this recipe, I’d LOVE to see how you get on so either send me a photo to lisa@myrelationshipwithfood.com or post a picture to Instagram using the #myrelationshipwithfood and tag @myrelationshipwithfood
Notes
LISA’S TIP – This salad is incredibly versatile and can be enjoyed warm or cold, as it is or served alongside a nice piece of grilled fish, grilled Halloumi or smoked tofu. I like my pesto to be slightly chunkier and more rustic however, if you prefer a smoother sauce, then it can be made in a blender or food processor. I quite often make double the amount of pesto as it’s a handy one to have on standby for whipping up speedy meals and livening up leftovers.
