Honey Sesame Kabocha Squash & Cabbage Salad

YIELDS: 4 servings

PREP TIME: 15 mins

COOK TIME: 30 mins

TOTAL TIME: 45 mins

This sweet and salty sesame glaze is the perfect nutty dressing for roasty, rich kabocha squash and roasted red cabbage. The ginger scallion dressing helps pull it all together, while still making it a lovely fall meal!

The ingredients for this recipe are simple and fall-forward, making it a great option for any weeknight! To make this vegetable recipe a whole meal simply add a protein like roasted chickpeas and a carb like farro! Otherwise, this is a great side dish to serve to company.

Ginger is a star flavor for this recipe! Sheng Jiang(fresh ginger) is a commonly used herb in TCM. It has the key actions of releasing the Exterior(expelling pathogens), dispersing Cold, warming the Middle Jiao, alleviating Vomiting, stopping coughs, reducing toxicity of other herbs, and adjusts Nutritive and Protective(Wei) Qi(the immune system).

In Western nutrition ginger is known to help with nausea, sea sickness, morning sickness, stomach upset from chemotherapy, dyspepsia, gastroparesis, constipation, colic, coughs, ear aches, sore throat, relieve arthritic pain, menstrual pain, low back pain, irritable bowel, loss of appetite, poor circulation, cleanse the lymph, promotes sweating, prevents stroke and heart attacks, and lowers blood pressure.

Sheng Jiang/Fresh ginger is a powerhouse ingredient and herb that you should definitely consume this cold season!

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INGREDIENTS

• 1 large kabocha squash

• 1 small head of red cabbage

• Extra-virgin olive oil

• kosher salt

• 1 2-inch knob of ginger peeled

• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro

• 2 scallions

• 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds

• 1/2 cup rice vinegar divided

• 1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce

• 1/3 cup honey

• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Evenly stagger apart two racks in the oven and preheat to 425°F.

2. Slice the kabocha squash into even pieces, about 1-inch thick. Scatter on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt.

3. Core and slice the red cabbage into small chunks. Scatter on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt.

4. Roast both the cabbage and the squash for 25-30 minutes, until the squash is golden on the bottom and the cabbage is charred on the top.

5. While the vegetables are roasting, make the ginger scallion dressing. Thinly slice the ginger, cilantro and scallions and add them all to a bowl with the pomegranate seeds. Pour over 3 tablespoons of rice vinegar and season with a pinch of salt. Mix and set aside.

6. Place a small pan over medium heat and add the remaining rice vinegar, tamari and honey. Bring to a simmer and let it reduce by one-third or until thicker and syrupy. This should take about 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the sesame oil.

7. When the squash and cabbage are out of the oven, combine them on one baking sheet and drizzle with the sesame dressing. Stir into a sticky pile.

8. Portion onto plates and top with the ginger scallion dressing, or serve as a family-style side dish with the dressing on top!

photo and recipe credits to Justine Snacks