The only thing I like better than a one-pot meal is a one-pan meal, where instead of continual fussing over the stove you can just toss your pan in the oven and then go about your business (mostly) until dinner is served.  This, as you may have guessed, is such a meal.I’m calling it a “salad” because I don’t really know the category for this kind of food.  What would you call it?  It’s not a stew or a curry, it’s not a stir-fry or a salad in the cool-leafy-greens sense.  It’s a roast, maybe, if we can pilfer that term for vegetarian use?  I’m calling it a salad.  You may serve it warm or cold or, hopefully, both—hot out of the oven at first and then again cold for breakfast (ok, maybe lunch if you’re not me) the following day.

You may remember that we’ve met this dish before in a different, even salad-ier, form.  That Kale Salad with Miso-Roasted Squash was an adaptation of a Heidi Swanson recipe from Super Natural Every Day, and I loved it so much that I’ve made it many times since then.  This version, which adds heft and protein in the form of potatoes and tofu, is closer to the version in the book.  You, of course, get to make it your own.  I’d say your biggest decision is whether to add your kale to the roasting pan to crisp up at the end–I like that, but I also quite like the texture of the kale raw.  If you go the raw kale route, I suggest adding some crispy crunch with toasted pepitas as we did in the earlier version.

Miso-Roasted Squash Salad with Tofu and Crispy Kale (adapted from Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Every Day):  In a large bowl, whisk together 1/4 c. olive oil, 1/4 c. white miso (or a bit less of a darker miso), and a heaping Tbsp. red Thai curry paste.  Halve a delicata squash lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds.  Slice into 1/2″ slices.  (Yes, you can eat the skin.)  (Or substitute half a butternut squash, peeled and diced, as I did here—but I do like the delicata’s striking appearance.)  Pile the squash onto a rimmed baking sheet along with four large fingerling potatoes, cut into thick coins (or substitute another waxy potato), a block of pressed and small-diced extra-firm tofu, and half a sliced red onion.  Use your hands to rub about 2/3 of the miso paste all over the squash/potato/tofu/onion mixture.  Bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking.  If you’d like to crisp up your kale,* take the baking sheet from the oven and pile a lot of washed-and-dried chopped kale on top of the vegetables with a sprinkle of salt, then return the baking sheet to the oven for about five minutes.  Remove the baking sheet from the oven and stir the kale into the vegetables.  Continue baking, stirring every few minutes, until the kale edges that peek out of the vegetables are cripsy but not browned, about 10-15 more minutes.

While the vegetables and tofu are cooking, add 2 Tbsp. lemon juice to the miso paste remaining in the bowl.  When the everything is ready, add the vegetables to the bowl with the dressing, tossing gently to combine.

*If you prefer to leave the kale raw and/or add toasted pepitas, follow the directions here instead.