Christmas. Aside from the obligatory ham, the heatwaves generally have us reaching for the sides and salads with equal if not more enthusiasm. And this one fits the bill. It looks festive and is some kind of love letter to your insides with all its crunchy, creamy fruity vegetable goodness.
Ingredients
Half a jap pumpkin, sliced
Olive oil, salt, pepper for seasoning
Half a red cabbage, finely sliced
1 tsp caraway seeds
Quarter of a cup of flaked almonds
1 tsp onion flakes
1 cup tinned chickpeas, rinsed thoroughly
3 nectarines, deseeded, sliced
Quarter of a red onion, thinly sliced
Quarter of a cup each dill, mint, flat leaf parsley
Quarter of a cup dried blueberries
Dressing
1 cup Greek yoghurt
1 tbsp tahini paste
3 cloves black garlic
Juice of 1 lime
Half a tsp brown sugar
Method
Preheat the oven to 170C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place over the slices of pumpkin, season generously and roast until golden and cooked through (20-30 minutes). Allow to cool.
Add the caraway seeds, flaked almonds and onion flakes to a small frying pan and place over low heat and cook until golden and fragrant.
For the dressing add all ingredients to a blender and blitz until combined and it takes on a creamy consistency. If it is too thick, thin out with some olive oil or more lime juice.
Combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl and using your hands toss gently to combine, being careful not to break up the pieces of pumpkin. Season then drizzle over the dressing to taste and serve.