Monday, December 04, 2017

Chopped Winter Salad with Butternut Squash

We have a fairly large garden, and enjoyed a bountiful harvest last growing season.  This year, however, was less than stellar ... it seems like the only things that did well this year were greens and herbs!  (So.  Much.  Kale.  I think I'll plant fewer than 11 plants next year!). However, when we were anticipating the first freeze this fall, I was pleased to find quite a few butternut squash lurking around, that I had somehow overlooked earlier in the season.  Win!  Whether you grow your own or enjoy squash from the store, this unique and colorful salad will please squash lovers in a new and interesting way.  Enjoy!


YIELD: 4 quart-sized salads

INGREDIENTS:
  • 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 1 1/2 c cooked chickpeas, drained and patted dry
  • 4 oz feta, crumbled
  • 16 kalamata olives, halved
  • 1/2 to 1 small butternut squash, peeled, cubed, roasted, and cooled
  • 2 green apples, sliced thinly
  • 1/4 c roughly chopped fresh dill
  • 2 heads radicchio, shredded

DIRECTIONS:
  1. Pack the salads: add 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp vinegar to each of 4 tall quart-sized containers; season with salt and pepper.  Layer the chickpeas, feta, olives, roasted squash, apple, dill, and radicchio in the jars.  Refrigerate until serving.
  2. Enjoy your salad: invert your salad onto a plate or into a bowl.
TIME-SAVING TIPS: Use canned chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and patted dry for the home-cooked chickpeas.  Buy pre-chopped butternut squash for roasting instead of peeling and chopping a small squash.

SPECIAL DIET SWAPS: This salad is vegetarian, gluten- and nut-free as-is.  For a vegan salad, omit the feta and increase the chickpeas to 2 cups, or substitute your favorite vegan feta for the dairy feta.

Food styling, photography, and infographics by Robert Campbell.

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