Salads are welcome at my table anytime of year. We tend to think the best salads are found in the summer with all of the fresh produce but winter salads are one of the best kept secrets I know. They have depth of flavor, vibrant colors and interesting textures. This salad of roasted butternut squash and crispy chickpeas is one of my favorites!
The Roasted Butternut Squash is vibrant orange and has the most wonderful flavor. I take the chickpeas, rinse them and add half to the salad just as they are. The other half I toast for a crispy texture. Then I slice red and green cabbage, maybe some kale, parsley, etc and lace it all with a lemon tahini sauce. It is amazing.
I found the inspiration for this recipe while reading about genius recipes in Food 52 and spotted Moro’s Warm Squash & Chickpea Salad with Tahini. I was taken by the flavors, it is vegan, then it had Butternut Squash and Chickpeas, two of my very favorite things. Always make this recipe with some type of variation, it’s that versatile.
The first time I tried it I added red cabbage, then green cabbage and kale made their way into the mix. I love toasted chickpeas and started toasting half for the texture contrast between half from the can and half toasted. Then I never mix the butternut with the dressing, it will mess up that gorgeous color…
Feel free to use pumpkin or any other squash in place of the butternut. You don’t have to toast a portion of the chickpeas but you have the oven on for the squash so why not? I omitted the garlic, I find the flavor is too strong and overpowers the balance. Quite honestly, this salad has morphed into something very different than the one that inspired me. One of these days I’ll make that recipe and see how it compares to mine.
- 2 Pounds of Butternut Squash, peeled, seeded and cut into ½ - 1” cubes
- 3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
- 1 Teaspoon of Fresh Rosemary, chopped fine
- 1 can of chickpeas or 12 oz homemade, drained, risned and dried
- 1 Small Shallot, peeled and sliced thin
- 4 Tablespoons roughly Chopped Cilantro or Parsley, depending on your taste
- 3 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice
- 1 – 2 Tablespoons of White Wine Vinegar
- 1 -2 tablespoons of Tahini paste or Almond Butter
- 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
- Sea Salt and fresh ground Pepper to taste
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees
- Toss the butternut squash with the olive oil, Rosemary, a sprinkle and salt and pepper in a metal mixing bowl and spoon onto a lined baking sheet. Add ½ of the chickpeas to the bowl with 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in a baking tin.
- Roast the butternut squash in the oven until the squash is soft and the chickpeas are toasted, about 20 – 25 minutes. Roast the chickpeas in the oven with the squash for 15 – 20 minutes until toasted and golden brown.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar and tahini, then thin it with olive oil. Taste, adjust the seasoning.
- Drain the vinegar off of the shallot.
- Divide the roasted butternut squash between four salad plates or bowls. Put the untoasted chickpeas, the shallot, and the winter vegetables into a bowl, drizzle with the dressing and toss. Place the salad over the roasted butternut squash in the bowl, garnish the salad with the roasted chickpeas and the chopped cilantro or parsley.
Check out all of the amazing dishes in this event by the Sunday Supper family:
#SundaySupper Winter Salads
- Amish Ham Salad from Cosmopolitan Cornbread
- Arugula, Butternut & White Bean Salad with Maple Vinaigrette from Pook’s Pantry
- Arugula Salad with Maple Vinaigrette from Cooking Chat
- Beet Terrine from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
- Blood Orange and Salmon Salad with Blood Orange Vinaigrette from La Bella Vita Cucina
- Blood Orange, Beet, and Apple Salad with Goat Cheese and Citrus Honey Vinaigrette from Renee’s Kitchen Adventures
- Blue Cheese and Pear Salad from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Breakfast Salad from Our Good Life
- Brussels Sprouts Salad with White Bean Dressing and Pecan Crisps from Beauty and the Beets
- Chill Chasing Matchstick Vegetable Pasta Salad from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Chopped Salad with Roasted Root Vegetables and Bacon from MyGourmetConnection
- Citrus Salad from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Cobb Salad from Palatable Pastime
- Colorful Veggie Filled Quinoa with a Ginger-Lemon Dressing from Positively Stacy
- Crunchy Beet & Arugula Salad from The Crumby Cupcake
- Escarole and Roasted Broccoli Salad with Anchovy Dressing from The Texan New Yorker
- Farro Salad with Roasted Squash, Radicchio and Lemon-Tahini Dressing from Caroline’s Cooking
- Grilled Chicken Salad from Real Food Real Deals
- Hot German Hot Noodle Salad from Seduction in the Kitchen
- Kale Salad with Lemony Tahini Dressing from My Life Cookbook
- Lemony Couscous Lentil Salad from Magnolia Days
- Low-Carb Spinach Breakfast Salad from Life Tastes Good
- Mandarin Tossed Salad from Meal Planning Magic
- Orange and Walnut Baby Spinach Salad w/ Quinoa and Citrus Vinaigrette from The Freshman Cook
- Quinoa Salad with Apples, Pecans and Dried Cranberries from The Chef Next Door
- Radicchio Pear Walnut Salad from The Bitter Side of Sweet
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing from Cupcakes and Kale Chips
- Roasted Butternut Squash Pearl Couscous Salad from Mysavoryspoon
- Roasted Savoy Cabbage Slaw with Spicy Bacon Dressing from Food Lust People Love
- Roasted Squash and Cabbage Salad with Crispy Chick Peas from Monica’s Table
- Shredded Beet Salad from Wholistic Woman
- Simple Arugula, Fennel and Leek Salad with Citrus from Simply Healthy Family
- Simple Spinach Cobb Salad With Lardons from And She Cooks
- Spinach Citrus Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette from From Gate to Plate
- Warm Balsamic Steak Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing from Momma’s Meals
- Warm Cabbage Salad with Bacon and Goat Cheese from Nik Snacks
- Warm Cauliflower Spinach Salad with Pancetta from Taste and See
- Warm Potato and Broccoli Buffalo Salad from Sweet Mornings
- Warm Potato Salad with Arugula, Bacon and Brown Butter from Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
- Warm Steak Tomato and Mozzarella Salad from Family Foodie
- Wilted Lettuce Salad from Confessions of a Cooking Diva
- Winter BLT Panzanella Salad from Hardly a Goddess
- Winter Citrus and Endive Salad from An Appealing Plan
- Winter Fruit Salad from Pies and Plots
- Winter Kale and Wild Rice Salad from Moore or Less Cooking
- Winter Salad with Blood Orange Vinaigrette from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Winter Salad with Fennel, Apple, Goat Cheese and Radishes from Delaware Girl Eats
- Winter Squash Quinoa Salad from Kitchen Gidget
Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Wild Rice Salad plus more Winter Salad Recipes #SundaySupper from Sunday Supper Movement
Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.
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Reply To: 2-21-16 Winter Salads – Updated HTML
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This salad looks absolutely amazing! I love roasted butternut squash. I have never thought about roasting the chickpeas before. I so need to try this! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
The chickpeas are awesome! They are our favorite snack and then I started to put them in salads instead of croutons!!!!
Ohhh, Yummo!!! This looks good!!
Thanks Deanna!
Oh my gosh. This looks SO GOOD. I’m going to make it soon.
You will love it!
Such a fun salad and dressing, Monica! I love the crispy chick peas!
Thanks Liz
Beautiful salad, love that you crisped up the chickpeas!
Thanks Cheri!
This sounds great, I love the crispy chickpeas!
Yum! This looks so good! Will definitely have to try this recipe! Thanks for sharing! 🙂 xo, Suzanne | http://www.suzannespiegoski.com
What a gorgeous salad. I adore squash and this sounds delicious.
Love the crispy chickpeas!