Although this takes a teeny bit of cooking, it’s one that only needs a few minutes prep in the kitchen, then you can go back to work for 30 mins while the squash is in the oven. You could also roast the squash in advance, the night before and have the salad completely cold. I like the combination of hot and cold ingredients on salads and sandwiches, so I serve the squash warm.
I’ve used frozen cubed butternut squash here to keep it simple. All the effort of peeling, de-seeding and chopping is done, and you can roast the exact amount you need so there’s no waste.
To make, first cook the squash. Arrange the cubes of butternut on a baking tray and drizzle with a little oil to encourage that gorgeous caramelised edge that roasted squash gets.
Season with salt and pepper and a sprinkling of chilli flakes, before roasting according to the pack’s instructions. I did this all at about 11:30, set the timer on the oven and went back to my desk for a bit.
When the squash is ready, I prepare the salad base and make the dressing.
Spinach and rocket leaves for the base salad, but you could use any baby leaf salad. I just quite like the rocket, particularly as the pepperiness works well against the sweetness of the squash.
A simple dressing made from a few dollops of Greek yoghurt, a finely chopped sprig of mint and a little lemon juice to loosen, seasoned to taste.
Then it’s just a case of assembling the salad and scattering over the pumpkin seeds.
- Frozen butternut squash
- Rapeseed oil
- Pumpkin seeds
- Salt & pepper
- Spinach & rocket leaves
- Chilli flakes
- Greek yoghurt
- Fresh mint
- Lemon juice