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Whenever I think that it’s time to take a break from legumes, I see a recipe that I have to try.  The most recent one was recently posted by Deb at Smitten Kitchen, who learned about it from Molly at Orangette, who found it in a cookbook.  Phew!  They each tweaked the recipe a little bit, but I pretty much made it just like Deb except I used Montana grown black kabuli chickpeas instead of regular chickpeas.  I was tempted to add a little radicchio, but resisted because I wasn’t sure how well the tahini and radicchio would play together.  Having tasted the original, I think the radicchio would make a great variation while adding another bold color to the mix.

This was a mostly local meal with the Montana grown chickpeas being the only non-local main ingredient.  The butternut squash was leftover from our fall CSA, the other vegetables were all purchased from local farms through Eugene Local Foods, and the cilantro came from our herb garden.  I checked into the chickpeas a little bit and found that they originally came from South Asia, but couldn’t find much else.

The salad was delicious, a definite keeper.  Like the Almost spring panzanella that we made last weekend, it’s perfect for this time of year when you are ready for lighter foods, but are still waiting for spring vegetables to appear.

Butternut squash and chickpea salad, from Smitten Kitchen

Serves 4

Ingredients

For salad:
1 medium butternut squash (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt
1-1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (approx one 15-ounce can)
1/4 of a red onion, finely chopped
1/4 c cilantro, coarsely chopped

For tahini dressing:
1 garlic clove, minced with a pinch of salt
1/4 c lemon juice
3 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp olive oil

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.  After about 15 minutes, check them every 5 minutes to make sure they don’t get too soft.

Meanwhile, 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.

To assemble the salad, combine the squash, chickpeas, onion, and cilantro in a mixing bowl. Either add the tahini dressing to taste, and toss carefully.

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Tags: butternut squash, Grains & legumes, salad