Roasted Squash Salad Recipe

Autumn has arrived with all its romance, bringing a new rhythm to our lives. The sweet chaos of summer is over and we settle into a new timetable. We've had a few frosty mornings in London already and those dark winter months seem nearer. Life slows down slightly and we start to crave for big warm dishes with lots of depth and layers. As soon as the pumpkins and squash hit the farmer’s market, we know it means one thing: time to roast. Everybody has their favorite autumn recipes to fall for. Today, we tried to create a simple salad from fresh produce available at Broadway Market. Hope you enjoy!

 

Total Time: 80 m I Prep: 20 m I Cook: 60 m I Difficulty: Easy

 

Ingredients:

 For the roasted squash, carrots and brussels sprouts:

• One small squash, scrubbed and cut in chunks (we use a beautiful kabocha squash)
• 10-15 brussel sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 1 small shallot cut in quarter
• 1-2 carrots cut in chunks
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil to drizzle
• Generous amount of salt and freshly ground pepper
• Optional: You may want to add cumin seeds or rosemary for boosting flavors

For the salad:

• 4 cups kale (or arugula, baby spinach, whatever is left over in your fridge)
• 1 large apple thinly sliced
• 1 cup cooked lentils (or cooked quinoa, wild rice, brown rice)

Dressing:

• Juice of 1 lemon and 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Toasted seeds or almonds, for topping

 

How to prepare:

• Preheat the oven to 200ºC fan. Place squash, carrots, onion and brussel sprouts on a roasting tray. Use your hands to evenly coat the vegetables with the oil, then sprinkle them generously with salt and pepper. [We had some small amounts of cumin seeds and rosemary which we tossed in there as well].
• Roast for 20-30 minutes, or until all of the vegetables are fork-tender and gently browning. We switched to grill mode for 5 minutes to caramelize the edges.
• Boil the lentils in a small saucepan. When the vegetables are ready, set aside and allow them to cool down slightly.

 

• While the vegetables roast, cut your kale leaves loosely.
• Secret to a perfect kale salad is in its preparation. Massage your kale with some olive oil and salt until is softens before mixing with your salad. The more you massage the kale, the softer it will get. We like ours slightly crunchy so this process is entirely up to you.
• Wash the oil and salt off kale and dry.
• Mix the massaged kale with lentils and apple on a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss well to combine.
• Add your roasted vegetables on top of the kale salad.
• Season the salad to taste with extra salt and pepper, then serve.