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Epicurious

Kabocha Squash Salad

Kabocha is a Japanese winter squash or pumpkin that has a slight sweetness that we accentuate by simmering it with sugar. You can substitute peeled butternut squash if your market doesn’t carry kabocha, but look for it. These days it’s often in bins at the bottom of supermarket produce aisles.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Serves 6

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon plus a pinch of salt
1/4 unpeeled kabocha squash, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
4 ounces baby arugula, washed and patted dry
1/4 cup roasted, shelled pumpkin seeds
1 teaspoon olive oil
6 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup sherry vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Sherry Vinaigrette

1/2 cup sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup olive oil
(makes 2 cups)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Fill a medium saucepan with 3 cups water and bring to a boil. Stir in the sugar and salt to dissolve. Add the squash and cook until tender but not falling apart, about 5 minutes. Strain the squash and place in the refrigerator to cool completely.

    Step 2

    Combine the squash, romaine, arugula, pumpkin seeds, olive oil, and scallions in a large mixing bowl. Dress with the vinaigrette and toss gently so as not to break up the squash.

  2. Sherry Vinaigrette

    Step 3

    Combine the vinegar, mustard, and salt in a blender. Blend on low speed while slowly drizzling in the olive oil.

Reprinted with permission from The Meatball Shop Cookbook by Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow with Lauren Deen. Copyright © 2011 by Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow; photographs copyright © 2011 by John Kernick. Published by Ballantine Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. Daniel Holzman is executive chef at The Meatball Shop. He is an alum of Le Bernadin, San Francisco's Fifth Floor, and Aqua, among other highly acclaimed restaurants. He attended the Culinary Institute of America, where he received a full scholarship from the James Beard Foundation. Michael Chernow runs the front-of-house operations and the beverage program at The Meatball Shop. He has worked extensively in restaurants in New York and Los Angeles. He is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, where he earned degrees in culinary arts and restaurant management. He and Holzman met as teenagers when they worked together as delivery boys at the New York vegan restaurant Candle Café. Needless to say, the vegan thing didn't really stick. Lauren Deen is the author of the New York Times bestselling Cook Yourself Thin series and Kitchen Playdates. She is an Emmy award—and James Beard award— winning television producer and director. She is currently executive producer of food(ography) on the Cooking Channel.
TagsSaladKabocha SquashSquashVegetableArugulaLeafy GreensStarterSideLunchDinnerVegetarianNut FreeGluten FreeVeganDairy FreeBlenderWinterCookbooks
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