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Winter Romaine Salad with Butternut Squash and Roasted Chickpeas

By Eliot, on January 20th, 2017

As we continue our 2017 Challenge, I am mixing a few salads into our rice bowl diet.

All of these steps can be done ahead of time.   This salad is best served when the ingredients are at room temperature but leftovers are just as good cold the next day.

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Look at these colors.

 

This salad is a four part (but easy) process.

  1. Roast the squash.
  2. Roast the chickpeas.
  3. Make the vinaigrette.
  4. Assemble the salad.

 Roasted Butternut Squash

3 c. butternut squash, cubed
1 T. olive oil
pinch of sea salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Toss squash with the olive oil and toss to coat.  Place on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.  Bake until tender, about 20 minutes.

You can roast the chickpeas at the same time the squash is roasting.

Roasted Cinnamon Maple Chickpeas

1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 t. olive oil
1 T. pure maple syrup
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
sea salt to taste

Dry the chickpeas between paper towels, rubbing them a bit in paper towels.  Toss the dried chickpeas with olive oil, syrup, cinnamon and salt.  Transfer to a baking dish and roast for about 20 minutes.  Remove and toss with more salt if needed.

While the squash and chickpeas are roasting, make the vinaigrette.

Dijon Vinaigrette

1/2 c. olive oil
4 T. apple cider vinegar
2 t. Dijon mustard
sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Place all ingredients in a blender and emulsified.

Now you’re ready to assemble the salad.

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Winter Salad

2 heads Romaine, chopped
Roasted Butternut Squash
Roasted Cinnamon Maple Chickpeas
1 Bosch pear, sliced
1/3 c. pomegranate seeds
1/3 c. whole pecans, toasted
Dijon Vinaigrette

Divide and arrange Romaine on four plates.   Evenly divide squash, chickpeas, pear slices, pomemgranate seeds and pecans.  Drizzle with Dijon Vinaigrette.

The squash and chickpeas can be roasted ahead of time to speed up your dinner prep.  This salad is great as leftovers.   (And, I am imagining a red rice bowl with the squash and chickpeas.)

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The original recipe also called for avocados.  I left them out here because I thought they might deflect from the flavors of the squash, chickpeas, and pecans.  Add them if you like.

I am linking this salad up to Deb’s Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen.

SouperSundays
Stay tuned for a Red Rice Salad (loaded with veggies) and a Sesame Noodle Salad (one for Cook the Books and one for Food ‘n Flix) before the month is completely over.

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27 comments to Winter Romaine Salad with Butternut Squash and Roasted Chickpeas

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