I once had a hankering for a favorite roasted eggplant salad in February, this was unfortunate because eggplant is outrageous in February, but what else could I get to make a hearty main dish salad for a stylish lunch. I wish I’d thought of this (before I spent a fortune on eggplant). Instead of that – I used the squash (growing in my garden wild no less) and beautiful red arugula we found to make a stunning deliciou salad.
This roasted butternut squash salad is perfect to brighten up your winter plate. I love a good hearty vegetable salad. This salad hits so many happy milestones – roasted veggies, sweet tart dressing a contrast between crunchy, sweet, tangy, warm, soft, cold, creamy. This roasted butternut squash salad has all those things. It’s hearty enough to warm you midwinter, and to brighten those sad winter plates. It will make you feel virtuous come January, and it’s even perfect as a main dish if you vegan friends come to dinner. The yummiest things often need little preamble so here you go.
Roasted Butternut Squash and Arugula Salad, with pomegranate, tahini, and crispy chickpeas and shallots.
Equipment
- 2 Sheet Pans
- 1 Salad Bowl
Ingredients
- ½ C avocado oil
- ¼ Cup olive oil
- ¼ Cup Tahini
- 1 Tbs pomegranate molasses
- 1 juicy lemon
- ½ of a large or a whole small butternut squash
- 4 oz arugula
- ½ Cup Kalamata Olives or so
- ½ Cup dried chick peas or 1 Cup cooked chickpeas
- ¼ Cup Tahini
- 2-5 cloves garlic
- ½ cup water
- 2 shallots
- 2 Tbs freshly chopped mint or oregano
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
Instructions
Roast Squash, Shallots, and Chickpeas
- Preheat Oven to 450
- Slice squash into ¾ inch slices.
- Thinly slice shallots.
- Pour ¼ Cup avocado oil on sheet pan and place squash in a single layer on pan, add shallots in a corner. Sprinkle with salt.
- Roast, stirring shallots occasionally, and turning squash when deep golden brown, a total of about 30 minutes (remove shallots from pan when they crisp)
- For Chickpeas – cook until tender or if using cooked/canned drain on paper towels. Microwave covered 5-10 minutes until some have burst. Toss with cumin, paprika, salt and remaining avocado oil and bake in a layer on a sheet pan about 15 minutes stirring often,
Prep the Salad
- Meanwhile in a salad bowl mix pomegranate molasses, juice of ½ a lemon, olive oil and salt. Toss with arugula.
- Chop olives and mint or oregano.
- I like to top the greens in serving bowls with squash then shallots, olives, chickpeas, tahini, then mint/oregano.
Make Tahini Sauce
- Mix tahini, garlic (I usually have mild pre-peeled garlic so 5 cloves isn’t bad but you do you), lemon juice, and salt.
- Tahini will seize up but don’t panic – slowly mix in water until a pleasant sauce forms.
Compose Salad
- I like to top the greens in serving bowls with squash then shallots, olives, chickpeas, tahini, then mint/oregano.
