Pumpkin Salad with Sweet Chilli Inspired Dressing

Ingredients:

1 butternut pumpkin
5 large hand fulls of spinach
1/2 cup dried chickpeas
2 carrots
3 radishes
1/2 cucumber
1-2 spring onions

Dressing:

1 lemon, juiced
1 tbsp tahini
1 tsp honey
pinch of cayenne pepper (or to taste)

Directions

Step 1

Cover the chickpeas in plenty of water and soak overnight or for at least 12 hours. They will double in size so make sure you allow enough room for them to do so. Once they have been soaked, strain the water off and give them a rinse. Place them in a saucepan and cover with fresh water and boil until soft. If a foam builds up on top use a spoon and scoop it off. When beans and other legumes aren’t prepared properly they can cause gut upset, including gas, bloating and indigestion. Drain the chickpeas and rinse them well. Allow to cool.

Step 2

Cut the pumpkin into cubes about 2cm thick (I leave the skin on but this is totally up to you). Place them on a baking tray and coat with a little bit of coconut oil (about a 1tsp). Roast in the oven at 180°C for around 45min or until soft and beginning to caramelise. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool.

Step 3

Thinly slice the carrot and radish (I like to use a peeler to get really fine slices). Place them in a large bowl. Thinly slice the cucumber in quarters. Roughly slice the spring onion. Add these to the bowl along with the spinach, pumpkin and chickpeas.

Step 5

To make the dressing whisk together all the ingredients in a small bowl until smooth and creamy. Pour this over the salad and mix until everything is coated evenly. Serve it up or store it in the fridge for lunch throughout the week.

Enjoy x