If you’re anything like us, you never need an excuse for a hearty salad that is season-agnostic. That’s why squash — one of the most versatile veggies out there — is the perfect A-list star for this leafy, delicious greens-a-ganza. Air frying the squash gives it a crisp exterior and tender interior, and finishing the salad with pickled red onions and smoked paprika almonds is as much of a no-brainer as has ever existed.
4 to 6
What You'll Need
Ingredients
For the Pickled Red Onions
- 1 medium red onion, cut in half, thinly sliced
- 12 ounces water
- 8 ounces apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
For the Smoked Paprika Roasted Almonds
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil or other neutral oil
- 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Air Fryer Kabocha Squash
- 3 cups kabocha squash, peeled and seeded, cut into ¾-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or other neutral oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Salad
- 8 ounces mixed tender greens, such as treviso, radicchio, butter lettuce, frisée, red leaf, green leaf, baby arugula, parsley leaves
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 ounces burrata cheese
- ⅓ cup fig balsamic vinegar
Directions
For Pickled Red Onions
Makes about 6 ounces
Step 1
Put sliced onions in a large pickling jar or bowl.
Step 2
Combine the remaining ingredients in a pot over medium heat. Bring the pickling liquid to a simmer, about 2 minutes, until the sugar fully dissolves.
Step 3
Pour the hot liquid over the onions and let the mixture cool at room temperature uncovered. Once cooled, cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours before serving. Keep remaining onions in the pickling liquid for up to 2 weeks refrigerated. Remove peppercorns when serving.
For Smoked Paprika Almonds
Makes 1 cup
Step 4
Preheat the large Wonder Oven® to 375°F on Roast.
Step 5
In a bowl, toss all the ingredients together to coat. Spread the almonds on the bake pan and place it in the oven’s middle slot. Cook for 8 minutes until the almonds are golden brown.
Step 6
Serve almonds warm or room temperature over the salad. Store any remaining almonds in an airtight container.
For the Squash
Makes 3 cup
Step 7
While the almonds are cooling, preheat the large Wonder Oven® to 400°F on Air Fry.
Step 8
Place the squash in a bowl, add avocado oil, salt, and toss to coat. Transfer the squash to the air fryer basket and place it in the oven’s top slot. Place the bake pan in the middle slot to help catch any drips. Cook for 12–14 minutes until squash is golden brown and tender.
For the Salad
Makes 3 cup
Step 9
Lightly toss the mixed greens with olive oil and salt in a large salad bowl.
Step 10
Tear the burrata into 3-inch pieces and nestle the pieces evenly throughout the bed of mixed greens. Add the kabocha, red onions, and almonds. Right before serving drizzle the fig balsamic vinegar evenly over the entire salad, gently toss, and serve.
Santo Loo
Santos Loo is a Peruvian-born chef based in Los Angeles. Starting his culinary journey as senior food stylist for Food Network, he spent a decade providing his culinary expertise to cooking show icons like Emeril Lagasse, Rachel Ray, Bobby Flay, and Guy Fieri. With over 20 years in the food styling and recipe development industry, Santos continues to create food content for top streaming services, print media, and cookware brands.
