I am such a salad fiend, I love them and love creating them. Salads are NOT boring and this one definitely was not! Its absolutely perfect for this time of year, so warming but also so fresh. I hope you have a go and let me know your thoughts!
Also, this would totally work as a vegan dish just cook it without the halloumi or with vegan cheese!
Ingredients – serves 3-4 (depending on your hunger levels!)
1/2 butternut squash, sliced
1-2 sweet potatoes, cubed
280g sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
2 packs halloumi, sliced
50g pine nuts
Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
2 bags of salad leaves (rocket or spinach)
Avocado, sliced
2-3 spring onions, sliced
2 tsp mild chilli powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp mixed herbs
1 tsp paprika
3 tbsp olive oil
3 slices of bread, crusts off and cubed
Dressing
2 tbsp oil from the sun-dried tomatoes
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1.5 lemons (juice)
Method
Take the sliced butternut squash and sprinkle over mixed herbs, cinammon, chilli pepper, salt and pepper and drizzle over olive oil. Toss.
On a seperate tray add the sweet potato, sprinkle with paprika and olive oil and toss.
Pop butternut squash in oven at 180 degrees Celsius. After 20 mins add the sweet potato for a remaining 40 minutes. Do check both as time goes on, the squash may need slightly less time than a full hour.
While this is cooking you can get cracking on the rest.
In a large bowl or serving dish add the rocket salad, the chopped tomatoes and the sun-dried tomatoes. Or if you’re doing as I am and serving it out to people, start layering on to a plate.
In a little pan gently fry the pine nuts (no oil) until they have turned a slighlty darker shade. Be careful not to burn these keep checking regularly (I make this mistake ALL the time when I get distracted oops.)
When there are about 15 minutes left on the clock its halloumi time! Get a large griddle pan or frying pan if you don’t have a griddle pan and pop on the hob at a medium ish heat. Let this heat for a few mins and add the slices of halloumi (just as many as u can fit at a time) and cook these for a few minutes on each side. The first batch always takes longer and then its quite quick from there. As each piece is finished lay on some kitchen towel.
At the same time, take the cubes of bread, drizzle with oil and pop them in the oven for ten minutes. After 5, turn them. Do try and keep an eye on them as they can burn!
Remove the sweet potato and butternut squash from the oven.
If you’re making one big bowl to serve add the potato, squash, chickpeas, halloumi, avocado and pine nuts to the bowl and toss altogether with the dressing.
Otherwise, layer up on the plates and mix together the dressing ingredients and drizzle over!
I hope you enjoy this, do let me know if you make it for yourselves it was so yummy!!
Love A, x
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