Roasted squash and cauliflower salad with freekeh, lentils, chimichurri and vegan yogurt sauce, with a sprinkling of crunchy pumpkin seeds. It's full of flavours and textures - the chimichurri really lifts it, giving a little heat and tangy, herby flavours, all pulled together with the sweet, roasted squash and slightly bitter cauli, crispy cauli leaves and creamy yogurt dressing.
If you've been reading my blog for a little while it may come as no surprise to you that I like dishes with multiple components - I've never really been a one-pot recipe person and even when I do have a good one-pot style meal, I tend to garnish it with some herbs, oils, sprinkles of seasonings or seeds etc to zhuzh it up a little! When I was growing up I'd often cook dinner - it was something I loved to do and my way of experimenting and learning in the kitchen. Whilst typically, if someone cooks someone else would do the washing up, in a way to try to discourage me from using every clean pot, pan, dish and utensil in the house whilst cooking, my mum would tell me that if I made the mess I had to clean it up too. I think I've definitely improved a lot since then, with far less equipment and utensils being used and have also got a lot faster at doing the washing up - but what definitely hasn't changed is my love for a variation of textures and flavours throughout my meals!
It may seem like a lot of ingredients in this next recipe, but many of the seasoning ingredients are used over again within different components and the beauty of a salad is that you can make it your own if you wish to. Recently I've been putting some ideas suitable substitution ingredients on my Instagram each time I share a new post with you all - I hope this helps in times like these, so if you're looking for some inspo on subbing in what you have - take a look here.
You've also got a whole range of nutrients in this salad and at times of stress like this, getting the right nutrition is so important to keep your body functioning in the way it should! Squash is incredibly rich in vitamin A - needed for normal vision - including helping us to see in dim light as well as supporting the immune system to function properly. It also has a fair amount of vitamin C - needed for the growth and repair of our body tissues, iron absorption and it also helps the immune system to function normally. Cauliflower also contains a good amount of vitamin C, some protein for muscle growth and repair and fibre too, for keeping the digestive system healthy. Freekeh - cracked, roasted wheat is a grain that's high in protein and fibre - helping to keep you fuller for longer and delivering a delicious, nutty flavour too. Lentils, of course, also deliver lots of protein and fibre, as well as plenty of iron, essential for red blood cell production, with absorption of the iron helped by all the vitamin C in the dish!
Roasted Squash Salad with Chimichurri | Serves: 4 | Time: 45 mins
You'll need
- Chopping board
- Knife
- 2x large baking trays + greaseproof paper
- 2x large mixing bowls
- 2x small mixing bowls
- Measuring spoons
- Saucepan
- Sieve
Ingredients
Squash:
- 1 butternut squash
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Pinch salt
- Pinch black pepper
Cauliflower:
- 1 large cauliflower (including leaves)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- Pinch salt
- Pinch pepper
Chimichurri:
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Large bunch parsley
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 medium red chili
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Good pinch salt
Yogurt sauce:
- 1/4 cup plain vegan yogurt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
- Pinch salt
Salad:
- 1 cup cracked freekeh
- 1 can green lentils
- 100g kale
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 200°C and line two baking trays with greaseproof paper.
- Cut the squash in half lengthways, scrape the seeds out, then slice across into 2-3cm thick, half-moon pieces. Add to the large bowl, drizzle with olive oil, add a pinch of salt and pepper and toss together. Spread out in a single layer on the baking tray and roast for 25-30 minutes, flipping the slices over halfway through.
- Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the freekeh for about 20 minutes until tender, then drain and place to one side.
- To prep the cauliflower, carefully cut the leaves off from the stem (give them a rinse if they have any dirt) and place in the large bowl. Break up the cauliflower into 3-4cm florets and also add to the bowl along with the rest of the cauliflower ingredients. Toss together, or mix with your hands until the cauliflower is evenly coated with the seasonings, then spread out on the large baking tray and roast for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, to make the chimichurri, finely chop up the parsley, including the stems, then mince the garlic, de-seed and finely chop the chili and add to a bowl with the olive oil, vinegar, oregano and salt and stir to combine.
- To make the yogurt dressing, stir all the ingredients together in a bowl.
- To prep the remaining ingredients, rinse the kale in water and remove any tough stems and drain the lentils.
- To serve the salad - on a platter or on individual plates - begin layering the salad up, starting with the kale, followed by the freekeh and lentils, the roasted squash and cauliflower, then drizzle over the chimichurri and yogurt sauce and finish with a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds and enjoy!
Cassidy xx
