Pumpkin, spinach and roasted chickpea salad

Name: Pumpkin, spinach and roasted chickpea salad
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 400g can chickpeas; ¼ butternut pumpkin, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes; 4 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp salt; ¼ tsp ground cumin; ¼ tsp smoked paprika; 4 loosely packed cups baby spinach leaves, washed and drained; ½ red onion, peeled and finely sliced; juice of ½ lemon; 75g feta cheese

Adam Liaw

January 26, 2023

Make friends with warm salads in the cooler months.William Meppem

Time:30 mins - 1 hourServes:4

Warm salads are some of my favourite dishes to make in the cooler months. Start by roasting ingredients in plenty of oil (more than you would normally use for roasting alone) and use the flavoured oil as the basis of a dressing. In many ways, warm salads are much easier than summer salads because often all they need is a squeeze of lemon or sprinkle of vinegar. Even if you have only a single oven, you can roast multiple things at the same time. You just need compatible ingredients.

Ingredients

400g can chickpeas
¼ butternut pumpkin, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp smoked paprika
4 loosely packed cups baby spinach leaves, washed and drained
½ red onion, peeled and finely sliced
juice of ½ lemon
75g feta cheese

Method

Heat your oven to 190C.
Drain the chickpeas well and blot completely dry with paper towel.
Toss the pumpkin in half the olive oil and season with half the salt. Place on a tray lined with baking paper.
Toss the chickpeas in the remaining olive oil and salt and place on a separate tray lined with baking paper.
Place the pumpkin and chickpeas in the oven and roast for about 30 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes until the pumpkin is soft and caramelised and the chickpeas are crisp.
Scatter the warm chickpeas with the cumin and paprika.
Toss the pumpkin and any oil and juices with the spinach and onion, allowing the oil to slightly wilt the spinach. Pour over the chickpeas and their oil as well (if any) and squeeze over some lemon juice.
Crumble over the feta cheese to serve.