This Butternut Squash, Kale and Pomegranate Salad is the right amount of sweet and savoury. A real contrast of flavours and a riot of colour. Get the recipe below.

Seasonal salads

When it is cold outside it doesn't mean you can't enjoy a salad. Salads also don't have to be served cold. This Butternut Squash, Kale and Pomegranate Salad is the perfect example of a warm salad that uses up ingredients that are available throughout autumn and winter for a delicious, seasonal salad.

In this recipe we roast the butternut squash until tender and just become caramelised around the edges. We also add the kale to the roasting tin in the last few minutes so that it cooks as well, again getting crispy around the edges.

The sweetness of the butternut squash contrasts so well with the earthiness of the kale. Pomegranate adds a sweet and sour flavour which also contrasts well with the kale.

To finish off this recipe we add pumpkin seeds for crunchy and a luscious dressing to bring it all together.

The salad dressing

The salad dressing is what really makes a salad. It's the finishing touch you just can't do without.

Making a dressing is as simple as whisking together your ingredients until they are well combined.

In this recipe we start with the classic ingredients of oil and vinegar as well as a little orange juice. This is then flavoured with mustard, maple syrup, garlic and salt and pepper. They are all quite punchy flavours but this is exactly what you want in a salad dressing.

When you season with the salt and pepper, be liberal! You do need a healthy amount of salt to bring out all of the flavours.

Once it's made drizzle it over the salad. This dressing will keep but you'll need to keep whisking it up before serving as it will split otherwise.

Butternut Squash, Kale and Pomegranate Salad

Preparing pomegranates

If you're purchasing a fresh pomegranate for this salad then there are a few things to note.

You'll want to look for a heavy pomegranate as these will be nice and juicy! Soft patches and blemishes should be avoided as this may mean they are past their best.

Preparing them can be messy. There are lots of techniques that purport to make it a cleaner process but prepared for their to be juice squirting everywhere!

The easiest way to prepare a pomegranate is to quarter it then pull apart the quarters to release the arils (seeds). The pith will float and the arils will sink.

What if I can't get hold of pomegranate?

Although pomegranates should be available all year round I can sometimes find them missing from my supermarket shelves. If you can't find whole pomegranates then you might be able to find pots of just the arils (seeds) in the prepared fruit section.

Can I substitute the orange juice?

Citrus fruits work really well in salad dressings as they add a bright, zesty flavour. Personally I think orange works best in this recipe so I'd avoid substituting it for another citrus fruit like lemon juice.

Instead, see if you can get hold of tangerines or clementines. These would also work well.

Serving suggestions

I like to serve this salad warm, straight out of the oven but it also works well cold. The choice is yours.

Added extras

To take this salad to the next level you could add a soft and salty vegan cheese - something that mimics goats cheese would be perfect.

For added crunch you could also add nuts such as hazelnuts and pecans.

The recipe