Roasted Squash and Kale Slaw Salad w/ Buckwheat and Lemon Miso Dressing

When you’re cooking for one, you either become incredibly bored with eating the same thing on repeat, or you become inventive with how to use leftovers. Or better yet, how to meal prep and plan in advance when you’ll use that other ¼ of a butternut squash. I have become the latter. I love being in the kitchen, inventing new dishes and trying out new flavour combinations, so eating the same thing doesn’t appeal to me – even if it is delicious. I am always after something new. So, this week, I planned 4 meals using 1 butternut squash (note that the following recipes in the Butternut Squash Series all serve 2 so you’ll need 2 squashes in total) and not only did each dish taste amazing, but it felt so good to not just eat something for the sake of it, but to listen to my body’s squash cravings. I think it must be signalling the (delayed) start of spring, so my body is calling out to have as many roasted winter vegetables before the seasons change. That said, by the end of the 4 meals, I did have to think a bit harder how to differentiate each dish to make sure I didn’t feel like I was eating the same thing.

Another great thing about eating this way, is that it goes hand in hand with batch cooking and meal prepping. For example, today’s recipe calls for roasting the squash in chunks, as does one of the following recipes; meaning lunch or dinner came together more quickly next time round.

To the recipe!

Roasted Squash and Kale Slaw Salad w/ Buckwheat and Lemon Miso Dressing
Serves 2:

Ingredients:
½ large butternut squash
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
100g buckwheat, soaked in water for 2 hours, drained and rinsed
2 large handfuls kale, de-stemmed
¼ red cabbage, thinly shredded
1 large carrot, scrubbed and grated
1 tbsp lemon juice
Dressing:
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
½ tsp miso paste
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp coconut vinegar, or maple
To serve: toasted seeds, hummus, chilli flakes
Method:

1. Preheat oven to 170Fan/190*C. Remove the skin from the butternut squash and scoop out the seeds. Cut into bitesize pieces, toss in olive oil, salt and pepper and place on a line baking tray. Roast for 40 mins until tender and starting to crisp, turning over half way through.

2. Cook the buckwheat according to packed instructions.

3. Place kale in a large mixing bowl, shred to smaller pieces, add the lemon juice and a pinch of salt and massage with your hands. You want the kale to reduce in size and for the toughness to start to break down.

4. Make the dressing by mixing together all the ingredients in a small bowl or cup. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. Add the cabbage, carrot and dressing into the kale and massage together with your hands.

6. Add in the butternut squash and cooked buckwheat.

7. Divide between two plates, serving with seeds, hummus and chilli flakes, if desired.

8. This will keep for a couple of days in the fridge, too.

What do you think of this recipe, are you a butternut squash lover? I would love to see your creations and hear your comments. Please tag me @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. Until tomorrow…