It’s November 2nd! Which means it’s only 24 days till Thanksgiving and 53 days until Christmas! Not like I’m counting or anything, it just happens to be the beginning of my favorite time of year. Ankle boots, football, hearty soul food, cozy sweaters, cooler temperatures, red cups at Sbux, AND the beginning of holiday baking. Yes and yes.

So, where the heck does a salad factor into all of that? I know, I know, I know. Who eats salads in November? There’s butternut squash chili to be made and cauliflower alfredo to be dug into, let alone all of the quinoa crust pizza on cold nights. But trust me, you can add this salad to your fall repertoire and savor it just as much as your other favorite fall recipes – it’s that good.

You may remember my Summer Glow Salad, another winner filled with all the necessary ingredients to make your skin radiant. Now that the seasons have shifted and a new crop of goodness has arrived to the farmer’s market, so too do the ingredients in our glow salad. The glowy skin-food concept, however, is still the same. Fill your salad with antioxidants, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and plant protein and watch your skin drink it all up.

The Autumnal Glow.

Isn’t it funny how as the leaves start to dry and crack so too does our skin? Colder temperatures bring out dryer skin and an intense need for internal and external hydration and lubrication. In Chinese Medicine, practitioners note that autumn is a season of dryness and the best way to combat this is through ample consumption of hydrating foods to strengthen the body and immune system. You can slap as many lotions and potions on your skin as possible, but if you’re not nurturing your bod adequately, then your skin will continue to remain dry. In case you were wondering, some of the top dehydrating foods includes alcohol, caffeine, and even excess protein – as your body has to use more water to flush out nitrogen within the protein. Of course I am in no way saying give up alcohol, caffeine, and protein – as that would be slightly insane. Just watch your intake and be sure to consume plenty of h20 alongside of these things.

Onto the nourishment! This glow salad is filled with enough antioxidant powers (hello jewel colors!) to keep your insides and outsides in impeccable shape all season long. The most underrated of them all? The red cabbage – a vegetable you may consider an absolute bore, but one that is part of my superfood arsenal. Red cabbage is a source of significant anthocyanins – protective antioxidants noted to reduce total body inflammation, protect your bod against cancer, keep cells free and clear of oxidative stress, and keep your skin sparkling. Just one cup of the red stuff contains 80% of your recommended daily Vitamin K – a vitamin essential for blood clotting, and 70% recommended Vitamin C – the immune boosting super vitamin. Red cabbage is also filled with vitamin B6, B2, B1, & B3, manganese, fiber, copper, folate, choline, selenium, magnesium, protein, iron, calcium, and more.

The other goodies in this salad include pomegranate seeds, another source of skin loving and body supportive antioxidants and polyphenols like tannins, anthocyanins, and ellagic acid – all kickass stars in making your skin shine. Roasted butternut squash pumps up the Vitamin A content, which is responsible for healthy and youthful looking skin, while persimmons add more vitamins, minerals, and fiber to the party. The whole salad is lovingly massaged with delicious orange & tahini dressing filled with essential fats (from hemp seeds and evoo) needed to nourish your skin and help absorb all the fat soluble vitamins. The dressing is a total dream and can work well on so many of your other favorite salads as well.

Nourishing, hydrating, antioxidant rich, healthy-fat filled. Just a few reasons why this is totally the salad to eat all autumn long. Now get glowing!

Autumn Glow Salad

Serves 4-6

1 small head of lacinato kale, thick stems removed and chopped
½ head of red cabbage, thinly chopped
1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 pomegranate, seeded
2 persimmons, sliced lengthways and quartered

Orange Tahini Dressing:
Juice of 1 large orange
1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
1 clove of garlic
2 tablespoons hemp seeds
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons tahini
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
¼ teaspoon cumin
Sea salt & pepper to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 400° F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Peel butternut squash, cut in half lengthways, and scoop out seeds. Cube butternut squash and add to lined baking tray. Drizzle squash with a tablespoon of avocado or coconut oil and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until squash cubes are tender. Remove from oven and set aside.

While squash roast, prepare dressing. Add all dressing ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend for 30 seconds or until dressing is smooth and creamy. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine chopped cabbage and kale. Drizzle with ½ of the dressing (the recipe makes quite a bit, and you may not need it all!) and use your hands to massage dressing into veg. Add more dressing if needed. Add in roasted squash, pomegranate seeds, and persimmons and toss to combine.

Divvy up onto plates and enjoy! Garnish with persimmon slices and a handful of pom seeds if desired.

Nourishing Notes:

-Leftover salad will keep 2-3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
-Leftover dressing will keep 4-5 days in an airtight jar in the refrigerator.
-Other delicious additions to this glow salad include pumpkin seeds, walnuts, quinoa, lentils, any other type of whole grain, and a piece of wild fish or pasture raised chicken.
-This salad tastes amazing WARMED. Simply lightly sauté kale and red cabbage with hint of avocado oil for 5-8 minutes until slightly wilted, drizzle with dressing and toss to coat, and then stir in roasted hot squash, pom seeds, and persimmon. Enjoy!