Winter Salad Recipe

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Elise Briccolani’s roast squash, kale, chickpea, soused onion and feta salad

Food over the festive period doesn’t have to leave you feeling overly full. This winter salad recipe is quick and easy to put together and can be paired with loads of dishes - YUM!

INGREDIENTS 

  • 1kg squash/pumpkin

  • 400g kale 

  • 240g chickpeas (1 tin drained weight) 

  • 200g feta 

  • 150g yoghurt 

  • ½ clove garlic 

  • Splash of olive oil 

  • 1 ½ tbsp fennel seeds

  • 1 tsp Aleppo chilli 

  • 5g mint leaves (garnish)  

  • ½ lemon juice 

  • 1 tsp smoked paprika 

Soused onions 

  • 100g (1pc) red onion 

  • 1 tsp honey 

  • 1 tsp salt 

  • Approx 80 ml white wine vinegar (depending on what vessel you use) 

DIRECTIONS 

Soused onions 

To make soused onions you want to peel a whole red onion. On a mandolin, slice the whole onion to medium thickness, add to a bowl with 1 tsp honey and 1 tsp of salt and massage together gently. Wait about 20 - 30 minutes before splashing over some white wine vinegar. I used approx 80 ml but this will vary depending on what vessel you use. They will then turn pink. 

The salad 

Drain the chickpeas and toss in olive oil, add smoked paprika and a pinch of salt. Peel and cut the squash into wedges and lay on a roasting tray. Sprinkle the fennel seeds, chili and and toss in olive oil and season well. Roast at about 220 degrees till golden, cooked but holding their shape. In a pan add a splash of water and 50g butter. Pull the leaf off the steam of the kale and sauteed, turning regularly. Your aim is to cook but hold the shape.

Once cooled add ½ lemon juice. Season to taste. In a food processor, blend 80g feta, 150g yoghurt, ½ clove garlic, a splash of olive oil and pinch of salt and blend till you get a dip that you will be the base of this salad. 

To plate lay the whipped feta and yoghurt onto the platter, then the kale and then portions of the squash, sprinkle with chickpeas and repeat the process ending with the squash and some soused onions and use the feta leftover from whipping to crumble on top. Garnish with mint leaves. Drizzle with olive oil and season to taste.