Description
Think fluffy quinoa, spiced crispy chickpeas, and honeynut squash, paired with kale, toasted pumpkin seeds, and raisins, tossed in a maple tahini dressing. Like doesn’t this salad scream fall?! Plus, it’s the perfect hybrid dish that functions as a standalone meal and a show-stopping side dish.
Ingredients
Chickpeas & Squash
- 1 can (13.4 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium (200 g) honeynut squash, cubed
- 1 tsp each ground cumin and coriander
- 1/2 tsp each onion granules, garlic granules, cayenne pepper, and ceylon cinnamon
- Olive oil and kosher salt for drizzling
Other Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (100 g) quinoa, dry
- 5–6 stalks (70 g) dino kale, stemmed and finely chopped
- 1/4 cup (40 g) toasted pepitas/pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup (50 g) golden raisins or chopped dates (optional)
Maple Tahini Dressing
- 1/4 cup (64 g) tahini
- 1/4 cup (40 g) lemon juice
- 3 tbsp unsweetened apple cider
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp each garlic granules, cayenne pepper, and ceylon cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
Instructions
- Roast the chickpeas and squash. Preheat your oven to 450°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Dump the chickpeas and squash onto the pan, sprinkle with the spices, and a generous amount of olive oil and salt. Toss to mix thoroughly and roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the chickpeas are crispy.
- While the chickpeas and squash roast, make the quinoa. My method for fluffy is a 1:2 ratio of quinoa to water. So for 1/2 cup of quinoa, use 1 cup of water, along with a large pinch of salt. Place the pot on the stove, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, and partially cover the pot. Let the quinoa cook undisturbed for 10-12 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. This next step is key, turn the heat off, fully cover the pot with the lid, and let the quinoa sit for 10 minutes. The “sitting” helps the quinoa steam and cook off any excess water.
- Prep the kale. De-stem the kale using your hands (grab the stem with one hand, and use the other hand to take off the leaves going up the stem). Chop the kale into small pieces, add to a bowl, drizzle with a little EVOO, and sprinkle with salt. Then massage the kale leaves with your hands until they soften – the kale will go down in bulk as well.
- Make the maple tahini dressing. Add all of the ingredients into a jar and whisk to combine – the dressing should be silky smooth and creamy. Adjust salt as needed. Add an additional 1-2 tbsp of apple cider as needed to thin out the dressing to a consistency you like.
- Assemble. Dump the roasted chickpeas and squash into the bowl of kale, along with the quinoa, golden raisins/Medjool dates, and toasted pepitas. Drizzle over half the dressing and toss to combine. Keep the reserved dressing for serving the salad in individual bowls.
Notes
I’ve since updated this recipe and tweaked the dressing slightly. In the previous version of this salad dressing, I used an actual apple, however, I’ve since updated the recipe to use apple cider for two reasons: texture (the apple makes the dressing gritty), and more concentrated apple flavor (the whole apple diluted the dressing too much). That said, leaving the measurements for the original dressing here – just blend everything together in a small blender: 1/4 cup tahini, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 3 tbsp water, 1/2 honeycrisp apple, 1 tsp maple syrup, 1/4 tsp each kosher salt, cumin, garlic powder, and 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper.