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    TaraTeaspoon » Course » Side Dishes

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    Published: by

    Butternut Squash and Kale with Brown Rice and Pomegranates

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    kale and squash salad with brown rice and pomegranates in a slate bowl pin
    kale and squash salad pin
    kale and squash salad with brown rice and pomegranates pin
    pin for kale and squash salad with brown rice and pomegranates in a slate bowl

    Honey, garlic, and seasoned salt make this kale and butternut squash salad extra flavorful. I toasted the brown rice to give this warm salad a nutty flavor and added burst of fresh pomegranate arils.


    kale and squash salad with brown rice and pomegranates with spoon handle

    The ultimate fall side dish has arrived!

    This butternut squash and kale recipe can be served as a warm salad or festive side dish to a holiday meal.

    The beauty is it's vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and super flavorful. So it will make every one of your guests happy.

    Make this for a healthy dinner salad during squash season, or make it at Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's a great dish to take to a holiday potluck.

    Jump to:
    • Stovetop butternut squash and kale recipe
    • Warm kale and butternut squash salad
    • Kale and butternut squash FAQs
    • What to serve with kale and butternut squash salad:
    • Skillet Kale and Butternut Squash Salad with Brown Rice
    kale and squash salad with brown rice and pomegranates

    Stovetop butternut squash and kale recipe

    For the holidays, there's nothing better than stovetop side dishes. The oven is usually full of Prime Rib or roast turkey.

    I cook my butternut squash in a skillet, so there's no need to use the oven to roast it.

    Everything, including the kale and rice, gets cooked on the stove and leaves the oven open for those dinner rolls and apple pie!


    More stovetop side dishes:

    • Wine Glazed Pearl Onions with Thyme
    • Mashed Potatoes with Flavorful Mix-Ins
    • Glazed Carrots with Brown Sugar
    • Ten-minute Green Beans with Artichokes

    Warm kale and butternut squash salad

    If you're serving this recipe as a salad, I prefer it to be served as a warm salad.

    Similar to a brown rice grain bowl, you'll toss all the warm ingredients together and top it of with crisp and juicy pomegranates.

    Since the rice plays an important role in this salad, adding texture and flavor, I toasted it to create a rich nutty taste. That way I don't need to add any nuts and can load up on nuts in other dishes.

    The beauty of a warm salad with kale is that you can really serve it warm or at room temperature. Kale's sturdy texture is perfect for this.

    Most warm salads must be eaten quickly before the greens get super wilted and soggy. Not this one!

    kale and squash salad with brown rice with pomegranates as garnish

    Kale and butternut squash FAQs

    How long should kale be cooked?

    It depends on the method of cooking. Blanching kale in boiling salted water takes about 5 minutes. If you are sautéing kale in a skillet it will take 3 to 8 minutes to become tender, depending on the heat.
    Roasting kale in the oven takes 15 to 20 minutes at 375ºF.

    Does toasting change rice cooking time?

    Toasting brown rice doesn't change the cooking time significantly. The bran on the outside is what toasts and this creates flavor, but the entire rice kernel still needs to be cooked through. This takes about 40 minutes for brown rice.
    Toasting white rice will reduce the cooking time by 5 to 10 minutes.

    What goes well with kale?

    Kale is a hearty green with a medium flavor. It pairs well with sweet and robust flavors and vegetables.
    Kale goes well with:
    • squash
    • tomatoes
    • grains
    • bell peppers
    • dried fruit
    • root vegetables like beets and carrots

    Can I make butternut squash with cranberries instead of pomegranates?

    You can make this kale and butternut squash with cranberries as a sweet and tangy swap for pomegranates.

    Use the same amount of sweetened, dried cranberries. This means you can make this warm salad even if you can't find fresh pomegranate arils, or don't want to take the time to peel a pomegranate.

    The flavor is so similar. Other dried fruits would also work: try chopped apricots, currents or golden raisins.

    Is this recipe gluten-free?

    Rice is gluten-free, so this side dish salad is gluten-free.

    If you choose to swap another grain for the brown rice you will need to check whether it is gluten-free or not.

    What to serve with kale and butternut squash salad:

    • Holiday Prime Rib with Horseradish
    • Roast Turkey with Gravy
    • Classic Sunday Pot Roast
    • Slow-Cooked Pulled Pork
    • Roast Honey Glazed Ham
    • Tomato and Eggplant Soup
    kale and squash salad with brown rice and pomegranates in a slate bowl feature

    Skillet Kale and Butternut Squash Salad with Brown Rice

    Tara Teaspoon
    I toasted the brown rice to give this warm salad a nutty flavor and added burst of fresh pomegranate arils.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 25 mins
    Cook Time 40 mins
    Total Time 1 hr
    Course Salad, Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6 to 8 people
    Calories 258 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    Toasted Brown Rice

    • ¾ cups brown rice not short grain
    • 1¼ cups water (SEE NOTE BELOW)
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

    Kale and Butternut Squash

    • 4 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and cut into ½-inch pieces (3 cups diced squash is 1 lb)
    • 1 clove garlic minced
    • ¾ teaspoon Lowry's Seasoned Salt
    • 3 tablespoons honey
    • 1 10-oz bag chopped kale
    • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 1 cup pomegranate arils plus more for garnish

    Instructions
     

    For the Rice

    • In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, toast the dry brown rice. Stir frequently, until the rice is hot, fragrant and some pieces will be toasted with darker brown spots, about 2 minutes.
    • Immediately add water, reduce heat to medium-low and cover pan. Simmer rice until tender and liquid is absorbed, about 40 minutes. Set aside.

    For the kale and squash

    • In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add butternut squash, garlic and seasoned salt. Cook 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until squash is tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Uncover and add honey. Remove from pan, transfer to a large serving bowl.
    • Add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to skillet over medium-high heat. Add kale, and black pepper. Cook until kale is just wilted and softening, 3 to 5 minutes. Add rice and kale to butternut squash and stir to combine.
    • Stir in ½ of the pomegranate arils and garnish with the remaining. Serve warm or at room temperature.

    Notes

    TESTER NOTE: Made a huge amount. Would potentially half this
    Note: toasting the brown rice and adding water necessitates adding a bit more water than called for on the package. I added about ¼ cup more water. Check your rice package and then add more water to the total amount. Also, I made this the day before and kept it in the fridge. I used all but about ¾ to 1 cup of the cooked rice.
    • You can swap other grains for the rice. Try: 
    Quinoa
    Barley
    Farrow
    • Swap fresh pomegranate arils for: 
    Dried cranberries
    Currents
    Chopped dried apricots
    Golden raisins

    Nutrition

    Calories: 258kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 3gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 493mgPotassium: 394mgFiber: 3gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 8053IUVitamin C: 19mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 1mg
    Want to watch videos to show you how to cook?Check out our Youtube and try this recipe and more.

    Tools I used for this recipe:


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    Tara in kitchen making salad

    About Tara Teaspoon

    I’ve been in the food publishing business for over 20 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television & advertising. Order my new cookbook & stick around for amazing things to eat.

    Find out more!

    Recipe by Tara Teaspoon. Photos by Darianne Edwards.

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    Filed Under: Christmas Side Dishes, Party Foods, Salads, Side Dishes, Vegetarian Tagged With: butternut squash, healthy, kale, kale and butternut squash, salad, Side Dish, squash, warm salad

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Britney says

      August 18, 2020 at 5:49 pm

      The colors in this dish are beautiful, and it's such an easy recipe to add to hectic holiday menu! Thanks Tara!

      Reply
    2. Mia says

      January 01, 2021 at 9:03 pm

      I was not a real fan of kale until I tried this dish! It is glorious!

      Reply
    3. Megan Palmer says

      January 05, 2021 at 9:12 pm

      This looks delecious!

      Reply

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