A quick and easy, healthy kabocha squash recipe that combines sweet honey with ginger, almonds, and feta cheese! Perfect for a weeknight side dish.
I have a hard time calling things without lettuce “salad.”
But, really, the only other thing I could call this kabocha squash recipe is “a bunch of stuff mixed together in a bowl with dressing.”
That would be a really long title, and a lot to read. Your brain would be too tired before you even got to the recipe.
So, I am totally looking out for your brain cells, and calling this thang a salad. We cool?
Good.
It starts like all good stories start, with honey and ginger and squash and a pan that you put it all in and make it all caramelized and good and yum. If you aren’t feeling in a “squash” mood, (who are you and why are you here? Just kidding. Please stay. Please.) you could be a little ca-ray-zay and sub it out for pumpkin or sweet potatoes. You could even use a different kind of squash. Except then you lied about not being in a squash mood. I’ll forgive you.
Really, I could just end it all with this squash. And, I’ll let you in on a secret, I almost did. I tried a piece and then had to pick up pieces of my mouth from the floor. Dang, that was some good squash. But, I pushed on because that’s what the voices inside told me to do and I like to listen to them usually. Sometimes. Not always. But, today, I did.
So anyway. Do that caramelization dance, whatever that means, and then get on with the rest of this faux salad. And by that I mean, toast some almonds, throw in a little feta and add in some chopped basil. Toss that baby together with some orange juice (Florida represent!) olive oil, some more honey and jump on that train.
Honestly, I don’t know what’s going on with this post. Except that there are many , many run on sentences. Thanks spell check. Whatever. Run-ons are fun.
I’ll warn you just a little bit; this “salad” is pretty sweet. I don’t mean like “super cool” kind of sweet (although it is that) but like I-could-eat-this-for-dessert-maybe-sometimes-everyday-but-I’m-weird-like-that kinda sweet.
But, you know what they say, eat dessert first just in case you get run over by an elephant before you get the chance to make it to the end of the meal.
Ingredients
- 1 Large Kabocha squash peeled and cut into 1 cubes (about 5 cups.)
- 2 Tbsps Honey
- 1 tsp Fresh ginger diced
- 1 Tbsp Butter
- Squeeze of fresh orange juice
- Salt
- 2 Tbsps Red onion diced
- 1/4 Cup Low fat or fat free feta cheese
- 1/4 Slivered almonds toasted
- 1 Tbsp Fresh basil diced
- For the vinaigrette:
- 2 Tbsps Fresh orange juice
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Tbsp Honey
- 2 tsps Apple Cider Vinegar
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- While you wait for the water to boil, peel and chop up the squash.
- Add the squash to the boiling water, and boil until the squash is tender but still a little firm (5 minutes or so.)
- Lay the almonds flat on a baking sheet and place in the oven, until they are lightly toasted (2-3 minutes.) Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat, and stir in the honey, diced ginger and a squeeze of fresh orange juice.
- Add the squash into the butter mixture and stir until it is evenly coated in the glaze.
- Continue cooking the squash until it is fork tender and the outside is caramelized and golden (about 5 minutes.)
- While the squash cooks away, mix 2 Tbsps fresh orange juice, 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp honey, 2 tsps apple cider vinegar and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Once the squash is finished, transfer it to a large mixing bowl.
- Add in the diced red onion, toasted almonds, feta cheese and diced basil.
- Pour the vinaigrette over the squash and gently toss.
- Devour immediately!
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.
IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE, PLEASE REMEMBER TO TAG @FOODFAITHFIT AND #FOODFAITHFITNESS ON INSTRAGRAM! I LOVE SEEING YOUR RECIPE RECREATIONS! 🙂
Want more kabocha squash?
Roasted Kabocha with Apple Cider Glaze
Erin | The Emerging Foodie says
Lettuce or no lettuce, this looks amazing! Love the idea of a little red onion… yum!!
Tate says
Thanks girl!
Shashi @ http://runninsrilankan.com says
Kabocha squash is wonderful on its own – but smother it with honey, vinegar, oj and throw it in with ginger and almonds and oh my tastebuds would be so in heaven! Thanks for sharing this Taylor – I would never have thought of this combination!
Tate says
Thank you Shashi, and you are welcome! It’s a new fav 🙂
Gina says
This looks so good! I am obsessed with kabocha squash, but did you know you can eat the peel? The peel softens when you roast or boil the squash and is full of lots of fiber and vitamins! I recommend you try it, it’s a great time saver.
Tate says
I am totally obsessed with it too! It’s really good with peanut butter too! Totally weird sounding but amazing! I have heard about the peel thing, but was a little nervous, guess I will have to try it! Thanks for the tip 🙂
Rachel @ Bakerita says
Mmm I love squash! I’m so all about this recipe, and I NEED to make it for my sister. She’s all about stuff like this, and I know she’d lovelovelove it. As would I! And it’s winter…so salads are totally allowed to be lettuce free, because we all need comfort food and stuff. And lettuce just isn’t comfort food. Thanks for the recipe! Pinned 🙂
Tate says
So glad you agree on salads allowed to be lettuce free in the winter! Lettuce is most definitely not comfort food, you are right girlfriend! Thank you 🙂
Chris @ Shared Appetite says
True confession time. I’ve actually never had Kabocha squash! That obviously needs to change, and this just may be the recipe that does it. Love all the flavors in this!
Tate says
CHRIS! I am displeased, you have never had Kabocha?! Your life it going to be changed man! Thank you 🙂
Derek the Zen Chef says
Chris, it has been some months since this came out; have you taken to KABOCHA plunge yet?? It is wonderfully sweet even on its own. Taylor, thanks for this nice idea; I will have to make this for my wife who loves Kabocha so much she has it EVERY day.
Taylor Kiser says
Oh she would love this then! Kabocha is my fav!
Donna says
I love squash and have never had kabocha squash, but this sounds and looks so good! I was reading how to prepare one and saw you CAN eat the skin but it scares me too! There’s all those crusty barnacle looking things! So I decided to start preparing this for tomorrows meal and attacked the squash! It was tough enough to cut and I couldn’t imagine peeling it so I cut it up and cooked the cubes with the skin on. After cooked, it was all soft enough to just slice the skin off. So it is cooling now and I will prepare the rest of the salad tomorrow. Thank you for the new recipe! I am so excited to try it!
Taylor Kiser says
I seriously dropped everything to respond to these because I am OBSESSED with Kabocha! I eat at least one a week…they are SO SO GOOD! But, yes, definitely VERY tough to cut…I have almost lost some fingers a few times, but it would be worth it! I usually just cut the skin off with a knife, as it’s way too hard to use a peeler! But, I like your idea of cutting it off after! Thanks! I hope you love it, please let me know how you like it! 🙂
This may sound weird, but I LOVE it when it’s roasted and covered in a sauce made of PB2 (peanut flour – so like peanut butter without the fat) and vanilla almond milk and a little salt. I could eat it everyday.
Donna Lehtonen says
Thanks Taylor! It was so good and I have to say that the cold leftovers were even better! Loved it! I just saw a recipe on Facebook for Soufflé Spice pancakes using Kabocha! Don’t know about cutting up another of these squash though! But this recipe sounds great too! I will pin it and maybe down the road…
Taylor Kiser says
Yay, I am so glad! Those pancakes sounds yummy, but I get the not wanting to cut another squash! Try it out one day 🙂 Thanks Donna!