AIP roasted delicata squash and kale salad with figs and a basil-balsamic dressing

Ribboning a whole head of kale by hand and working the dressing into it with your fingers until the leaves relax and lose their raw bite takes effort. It is easy to skip on a tired night. Do it anyway. This salad holds for a day or 2 once it is dressed, so the work on a better day carries you through a harder one.

What roasts down in that squash is beta-carotene, and once your body reshapes it, it becomes vitamin A, tied to keeping the immune system steadier and to a gut lining that can do its job of holding things in and out correctly. Kale is where the folate shows up in this dish, the B vitamin tied to ongoing cell repair. Both work slowly and cumulatively, the kind of support that adds up over many meals rather than any single one.

Everything in this bowl came from the ground and the season, not from an animal: squash that grew heavy through the fall, kale that held its color through the cold, figs dried back in summer for a day like this one. Ribbon the kale, roast the squash until the edges catch, and when you plate it, give it a real minute before you eat: the deep orange squash, the dark kale, the ruby fig. That kind of attention is its own quiet form of care.

Ingredients

Salad:

• 1 medium delicata squash, sliced
• 1 small red onion, sliced into thick wedges
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• 1.5 cups kohlrabi, cubed (about 1 medium)
• 5 to 6 dried figs, sliced
• 1 head leafy green kale, finely sliced into ribbons

Basil-Balsamic Dressing:

• 1/2 TBSP basil, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Method

Heat the oven to about 400F and line a rimmed baking sheet. Halve the delicata squash lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and slice it into half-moons; there is no need to peel it. Put the squash slices and the red onion wedges on the sheet, drizzle with about 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, sprinkle with the 1/4 teaspoon salt, and toss to coat. Spread into a single layer.

Roast for around 25 to 30 minutes, turning once partway through, until the squash is tender and lightly caramelized at the edges and the onion has softened. Add the cubed kohlrabi to the tray for the last 15 minutes if you want it roasted; otherwise leave it raw and crisp for contrast. Roast time depends on how thick you slice the squash, so check toward the earlier end.

While the tray roasts, make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk or shake together the chopped basil, crushed garlic, balsamic vinegar, sea salt, and 1/4 cup olive oil until it comes together.

Put the ribboned kale in a large bowl, pour a little of the dressing over it, and massage it in with your hands for a minute; this softens the kale and takes off its raw bite. Add the roasted squash and onion, the kohlrabi, and the sliced figs. Pour over the rest of the dressing and toss gently. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Air fryer variation

The delicata squash crisps nicely in the air fryer. Toss the squash and onion with the 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt, then air-fry at about 380F for 12 to 16 minutes, shaking the basket once, until tender and browned at the edges. Work in batches if the basket is small. Air fryer times vary by model and are untested here, so check for doneness before assembling the salad.

Notes

The source recipe is AIP elimination-compliant as written. The dressing uses garlic and balsamic vinegar, both permitted on AIP, and the salad carries no seed or nut topping and no mustard, so no swaps were needed. Confirm the balsamic vinegar and dried figs are clean-label with no added sulfites or non-compliant ingredients. The kohlrabi can be roasted with the squash or left raw, your choice. Servings are estimated at 4 and roast time estimated, because the source does not state a yield or time.

*Adapted from healmedelicious.com*