All varieties of squash have started coming in the vegbox but sometimes I tire of the classic wintery dishes they usually turn into. This salad is great for about any sort of squash; I’ve used pumpkin, butternut squash, kabocha & acorn.
Start off by whisking your marinade in a large salad serving bowl:
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons citrus juice (orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon mixed Italian herbs
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- sprinkle salt & pepper
Peel (if necessary), core and cube your squash and toss in the marinade. Pour it all, including the leftover marinade, into an oven dish. Cook on 180 for about 45 minutes, until soft, stirring occasionally.
You can see in the picture I tried to roast the cashews with the squash this time but I wouldn’t recommend it. A real quick toss in a pan with sugar & spices (cumin & cayenne – maybe a bit of nutmeg) will liven them up, or toss them in raw, but the marinade in the oven made them too soft for my liking.
Now whisk together the dressing in the same bowl:
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons citrus juice (orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit)
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- sprinkle salt & pepper
Now throw in all your salad ingredients:
- spinach
- tomatoes
- onion
- avocado
- mixed seeds
- black beans
- mango slices
Throw the nuts & squash on top & mix together.