Recipe for Roast Butternut Squash, Red Onion and Chickpea Salad

Ingredients

For the Roast Vegetables

1 x medium sized butternut squash, peeled, de-seeded and chopped into small bite-sized chunks.

2 x red peppers, de-seeded and also chopped into small bite-sized squares.

2 x red onions, chopped into small bite sized pieces

1 x tbsp olive oil

A good grind of black pepper

Salt to taste

Dressing

Juice and zest of a lemon

1 x clove of garlic (raw) grated finely

1 x tbsp of honey

2 x tbsp olive oil

¼ tsp of cayenne pepper (more if you want more of a kick of heat)

2 x tsp all spice (piment) powder

2 x tsp of paprika powder

A pinch of salt

The Salad

2 x tins of chickpeas (400gr / 14 oz.) drained and rinsed

3 x spring onions (scallions) chopped finely

A handful of fresh mint leaves chopped finely

A large handful of fresh flat leaved parsley chopped finely

Optional – some feta cheese

Preparation

Pre-heat your oven to 200°C/400°F.

Place the vegetables for roasting, the oil and the black pepper (not salt as this can make your veggies watery instead of giving them a crispy, caramalised finish) into a roasting tin, mix through with your hands to coat everything in the oil. Place in the oven until they are cooked through, softened, but not mushy, and have taken on some colour. This can take anywhere between 20 and 30 minutes depending on the size you have cut your veggies and also each oven is slightly different, making cooking times variable.

While the vegetables are roasting, mix up the ingredients for the salad dressing and set aside. This will be a thick, gloopy dressing, but it coats everything nicely!

Also whilst you wait on the vegetables, mix up the salad ingredients in your serving bowl.

When the vegetables have been roasted, remove from the oven, add a little salt, mix through check for seasoning, and pour into your salad bowl with the salad ingredients, add the dressing and stir through, firmly, but carefully. You want to coat everything evenly with as least tosses as possible without being so rough that you mush everything together.

Sprinkle some feta over as you serve should you wish.

Tips and Variations

This works really well with puy lentils instead of chickpeas.

You can allow your vegetables to cool if you wish before mixing them into your salad, but I feel that the heat releases more flavour in the herbs and spices.

This salad can be served warm or at room temperature. It keeps really well in the fridge for a few days.

I like to serve it with roast chicken or with lamb chops.

If I have leftovers, I like to eat this salad on its own for lunch. I also like to chop some rucola (rocket) leaves through the salad.