Acorn Squash Salad

Beautifulistic is the only way to describe this Roasted Acorn Squash Salad.

It is a full-on summer rainbow on a plate.

Roasted Acorn Squash Salad

Makes two dinner salads or four side salads.

Preheat oven or grill to 400°F.

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 acorn squash, sliced in 1/2-inch slices (outer skin is edible but discard the seeds)
• 1 sweet onion, sliced into strips
• Sea salt
• Coarse ground pepper
• 1 bunch kale, stemmed and roughly chopped
• 1 recipe Balsamic Glaze (recipe below)
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 cup pecans
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Drizzle oil over a half sheet pan or, if grilling, brush squash and onions with oil. Place acorn squash slices and onions on the pan or grill. A grill basket is recommended for smaller veggies like sliced onions.

For the oven: Drizzle more oil over squash and onions. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Place pan in oven and roast for 20-30 minutes or until onions are caramelized. When done, remove from oven and set aside.

For the grill: When onions are done cooking, remove them from the grill. When the squash is tender and has lovely grill marks on both sides, remove it from the grill.

Place chopped kale on a platter or in a bowl and top with squash and onions. Sprinkle with blueberries, pecans, and cranberries.

Drizzle with balsamic glaze (recipe below).

Balsamic Glaze

• 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (pure maple syrup is best) or honey

Place balsamic vinegar in a saucepan over high heat. Once it starts to boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes or until balsamic reduces to half the amount. Stir in maple syrup (or honey). Set aside to cool. If you have leftover glaze, refrigerate.

Vegetarian option: Blue cheese. Yes, please.

Sweet, crunchy, colorful, chilled, and warm. Like I said, beautifulistic.