Pumpkin Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas and Dates

Prep 20 min·Cook 30 min·Total 50 min·4 servings·VEGAN·600 kcal

Pumpkin quinoa salad with roasted pumpkin wedges, chickpeas, dates and sesame on a platter

Ingredients

For the roasted vegetables

1 small pumpkin (about 500 gr (18 oz.), Hokkaido or butternut)
5 shallots
1 tin chickpeas (400 gr (14 oz.), drained)
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp paprika powder
1 Tbsp maple syrup
salt and pepper (to taste)

For the salad

200 gr (7 oz.) quinoa
100 gr (3.5 oz.) mixed salad leaves
50 gr (1.8 oz.) dates (pitted, in pieces)

For the sesame dressing

20 gr (0.7 oz.) sesame seeds
4 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
½ lime (juice only)
salt and pepper (to taste)

Equipment: Baking tray lined with parchment, Saucepan for the quinoa, Frying pan for the sesame seeds, Large salad bowl, Screw-top jar for the dressing

Instructions

Roast the vegetables

1.Preheat the oven to 210°C (410°F), conventional heat.
2.Wash the pumpkin, halve it and remove the seeds. Hokkaido keeps its skin, butternut gets peeled. Cut the flesh into wedges.
3.Peel and halve the shallots, drain the chickpeas and pat them dry.
4.Spread everything on a tray lined with parchment and toss with the olive oil, paprika, maple syrup, salt and pepper until all of it is coated.
5.Roast in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the pumpkin is tender and golden.

Cook the quinoa

1.Rinse the quinoa thoroughly in a sieve under cold running water for 1 minute.
2.Bring it to the boil with twice its volume of water and a little salt, then cover and cook over low heat until the water is absorbed.
3.Take it off the heat, leave it covered for 5 minutes to finish swelling, then fluff it with a fork.

Make the sesame dressing

1.Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan until they smell nutty and turn golden, then take them out of the hot pan straight away.
2.Whisk the sesame seeds together with the olive oil, cider vinegar, soy sauce, maple syrup, Dijon mustard and the lime juice and season with salt and pepper.

Assemble

1.Mix the quinoa, salad leaves and the date pieces in a large bowl.
2.Spread the lukewarm roasted vegetables over the top.
3.Drizzle with the sesame dressing, toss briefly and serve straight away.

Notes

Tip from my kitchen: the pumpkin, shallots and chickpeas all go on the same tray, but I really do pat the chickpeas dry first. Wet chickpeas steam instead of roasting and stay soft, dry ones turn crisp on the outside. The maple syrup in the tray mixture is not a glaze, it is there so the edges caramelise, which is why 1 tablespoon is enough for the whole tray. I always toast the sesame seeds separately in a dry pan and lift them out the moment they smell nutty, because golden turns to bitter in under 30 seconds. I never throw away the seeds from inside the pumpkin either, I wash them, pat them dry and roast them along for the last 10 minutes. And if you want to take the salad with you: dressing at the bottom of the jar, leaves at the top, and everything is still crisp by lunchtime.

Nutrition per serving: 600 kcal · 14 g protein

MY NOTES

Ten more easy vegan dinners, free: frei-style.com/ebook