warm roast pumpkin salad

Written By Angelica Pupillo

I absolutely adore a good salad in the summer, but as winter approaches I tend to opt for warmer options at lunchtime. This recipe is a nice intersection of the two. It is fresh but also warm and comforting. It is also a textural DELIGHT! The crunch from the seeds, the creaminess of the pumpkin and the crispness of the chickpeas are the perfect combo in my mind! Hope you love this one!

recipe (serves 4)

ingredients

  • 1/4 jap pumpkin

  • 1 400g can chickpeas

  • 1 tbsp paprika

  • 1 tsp granulated garlic

  • 1 tbsp Italian seasoning

  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar

  • 1 tsp honey

  • 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

  • 4 cups spinach

  • 1/3 cup mix seeds (I use pumpkin and sunflower)

  • 1/4 cup currants

  • Olive oil

  • Salt

method

1. Preheat your oven to 180C with the fan on.

2. Remove the skin and seeds from the pumpkin. Chop into bite sized pieces and pop them into a non-stick baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Roast for 35-40 minutes or until golden and soft.

3. Once you have the pumpkin ready you can move onto the chickpeas. Pour the chickpeas out onto a lined baking tray. Drizzle a few tbsp of olive oil over the top and season with salt, paprika, granulated garlic, and the Italian seasoning. Use your hands to make sure each chickpea is coated. Pop it into the oven for 30 minutes.

4. When the chickpeas and pumpkin have 10 minutes to go, pop your pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds onto a baking tray and into the oven to develop a golden colour.

5. To make the dressing, add ¼ cup olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, mustard, and a sprinkle of salt into a measuring cup. Mix until combined and set aside.

6. Now it’s time to assemble the salad! Start with the spinach, then add the pumpkin, chickpeas, seeds, and currents on top. (TIP - I like to leave out a few chickpeas and seeds to decorate the top with). Pour over the dressing and use your tongs to mix it all together!

serving suggestion

You can enjoy this warm, or you can pop it in the fridge for a few hours for the flavours to develop – both ways are equally delicious!

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Angelica Pupillo
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