Warm Butternut Squash and Chickpea Salad — Rooted Wellness & Pilates

I adore this salad from Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen. Her recipes are great and I’ve tried many of them over the years, but this one was the first and it’s one I come back to often, especially as we move into cooler months.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For salad:

1 medium butternut squash (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

1 medium garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt

One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (1 1/2 cups)

1/4 of a medium red onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup chopped parsley or cilantro

For tahini dressing:

1 medium garlic clove, finely minced with a pinch of salt

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 tablespoons tahini

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to taste

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 425° F.

In a large bowl, combine the butternut squash, garlic, olive oil, and a few pinches of salt. Toss the squash pieces until evenly coated. Roast them on a baking sheet for 25 minutes, or until soft. Remove from the oven and cool.

Make the tahini dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic and lemon juice. Add the tahini, and whisk to blend. Add the water and olive oil, whisk well, and taste for seasoning. The sauce should have plenty of nutty tahini flavor, but also a little kick of lemon. Add more water to thin it out if needed.

To assemble the salad, combine the squash, chickpeas, onion, and parsley or cilantro in a mixing bowl. Add the tahini dressing to taste, and toss carefully. Serve immediately. I often will serve this salad on a bed of brown rice. I also think this salad tastes just fine the next day.