Warm Autumnal Roasted Pumpkin & Fig Salad
Salads aren’t just for the summer months they can be delicious on cold nights too. I love a salad in the autumn and winter months. Not only are they filling and tasty, but they also are gloriously colourful with orange and purple hues, dressed with a glistening vinaigrette or a warm tahini cream. The combination of soft mixed lettuce leaves, nuts and seeds balanced with warm seasonal roasted vegetables and fruits, fulfils all my tastebud requirements. A hearty bowl of goodness.
This recipe came about from using up all my fridge leftovers with the addition of delightful delicate edible flowers, especially for my floral designer friend, Marie.
Photos by @mariewiik1
Warm Autumnal Roasted Pumpkin & Fig Salad
Ingredients
Serves: 4 \ Prep: 15 minutes \ Cook: 30 minutes
1 small pumpkin or medium squash, peeled and sliced
vacuum packed Puy lentils
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes
handful fresh thyme leaves
pinch sea salt
1 tbsp olive oil
4 fresh figs, quartered
1 pink lady apple, thinly sliced
handful of black seedless grapes, halved
25g walnut halves, toasted
1 tbsp pumpkin seeds, toasted
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
handful fresh radish, thinly sliced
half of cucumber thinly sliced
3/4 spring onions, sliced
bag of rocket or mixed leaves
2 gem lettuce, leaves separated
handful of edible viola flowers (optional)
100g vegetarian parmesan, shaved
Dressing
1 garlic clove, grated
1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
1 tbsp coarse grain mustard
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper seasoning to taste
Method
Preheat the oven to Fan 200C/Gas Mark 7. In a roasting tin add the squash or pumpkin, sprinkle over the ground cumin, chilli flakes and sea salt and cracked black pepper.
Pour over the olive oil and toss to coat. Roast for 25/30 minutes until it’s soft and has crispy edges.
Halfway through the cooking add the quartered fresh fig to the roasting tray. Cook until the figs are softened. Remove from the oven.
Heat the vacuum-packed lentils for two minutes in the microwave and leave to cool slightly. Add the lentils to the roasting tin. Mix to combine thoroughly.
To prepare the salad while the squash/pumpkin is roasting, in a large bowl add the leaves, gem lettuce, radish, spring onions, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, cherry tomatoes, cucumber and toss to combine.
Mix the dressing ingredients together and pour the dressing over the warm roasted veg to coat.
When you’re ready to serve, I use a platter or large dish, fold the salad through with the warm roasted veg lentil mix, add the shavings of parmesan, sliced apple and grapes, if using, and the edible flowers. Finish with a scattering of pumpkin seeds.
Pour over the remaining dressing and serve.
Enjoy N x
