Butternut, Chickpea & Toasted Pecan Salad With Tahini Yogurt Dressing
This butternut, chickpea and toasted pecan salad with tahini yogurt dressing from Viva’s Vegan Recipe Club is a gluten-free lunch with roasted squash, chickpeas, cucumber, herbs, vegan feta, and nuts.
- ½ butternut squash or 3 medium sweet potatoes (peeled and cut into small bite-sized pieces)
- 2 tsp za’atar
- 1 red onion (finely sliced)
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 1 x 400g/14 oz tins chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
- 2 tsp rose harissa
- ½ cucumber (halved lengthways, deseeded, then cut into chunks)
- 20 g/0.7 oz flat leaf parsley (roughly chopped)
- 15 g/0.5 oz mint leaves (roughly chopped)
- 15 g/0.5 oz fresh dill (roughly chopped)
- 100 g/3.5 oz vegan feta (cut or torn into bite-sized chunks)
- 80 g/3 oz pecans (hazelnuts, pistachios or pine nuts, toasted or roasted and roughly chopped)
- 8 tbsp vegan Greek yoghurt (eg Alpro or Oatly or unsweetened plain vegan yoghurt)
- 2 tbsp runny tahini
- 1-2 tbsp syrup (eg maple or agave)
- 1 tsp lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
- Place the butternut squash or sweet potato on a large roasting tin and coat with a drizzle with olive oil, a sprinkling of salt and the za’atar – you might want to get your hands in there! Roast them in the oven for 25 minutes.
- Place the red onion in a large(ish) tupperwear container and spread evenly in a single or double layer. Coat in the lemon juice and a light sprinkling of salt then set aside for 30 minutes.
- Place the chickpeas in a bowl and coat them in the rose harissa. When you take the butternut or sweet potato out of the oven after 25 minutes, add the harissa chickpeas and cook for a further 10-15 minutes.
- Using a large bowl, gently combine the roasted butternut squash/sweet potato, chickpeas, cucumber and herbs. Arrange on plate(s) then scatter over the red onions, roasted nuts, vegan feta and any additional herbs for decoration.
- Stir all the ingredients together until thoroughly combined and smooth.
- Evenly distribute over the top of the salad(s).
Za’atar seasons the butternut before roasting. Rose harissa coats the chickpeas and adds gentle heat. Fresh parsley, mint, and dill give the salad a lot of flavor.
Lemon juice softens the red onion and makes it sharp and bright. Toasted pecans add crunch, and vegan feta adds a salty bite. The tahini yogurt dressing goes over the top and brings the roasted vegetables, chickpeas, and herbs together.
Serve this salad as lunch for two to three people, or as a smaller dish for four. It also goes well with flatbread, quinoa, couscous, or plant-based kebabs.
You can use sweet potato instead of butternut, or swap the pecans for hazelnuts, pistachios, or pine nuts. This recipe was republished with permission from Viva’s Vegan Recipe Club, and you can find the original recipe here.
Toss together this toasted pecan salad
- ½ butternut squash or 3 medium sweet potatoes peeled and cut into small bite-sized pieces - 1 red onion finely sliced
- 1 x 400g/14 oz tins chickpeas drained and rinsed - ½ cucumber halved lengthways, deseeded, then cut into chunks
- 20 g/0.7 oz flat leaf parsley roughly chopped - 15 g/0.5 oz mint leaves roughly chopped
- 15 g/0.5 oz fresh dill roughly chopped - 100 g/3.5 oz vegan feta cut or torn into bite-sized chunks
- 80 g/3 oz pecans hazelnuts, pistachios or pine nuts, toasted or roasted and roughly chopped - 8 tbsp vegan Greek yoghurt eg Alpro or Oatly or unsweetened plain vegan yoghurt
- 1-2 tbsp syrup eg maple or agave - 1 tsp lemon juice fresh or bottled
- Pinch of salt and pepper - Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. - Place the butternut squash or sweet potato on a large roasting tin and coat with a drizzle with olive oil, a sprinkling of salt and the za’atar – you might want to get your hands in there!
Roast them in the oven for 25 minutes. - Place the red onion in a large(ish) tupperwear container and spread evenly in a single or double layer.
Coat in the lemon juice and a light sprinkling of salt then set aside for 30 minutes. - Place the chickpeas in a bowl and coat them in the rose harissa. When you take the butternut or sweet potato out of the oven after 25 minutes, add the harissa chickpeas and cook for a further 10-15 minutes.
- Using a large bowl, gently combine the roasted butternut squash/sweet potato, chickpeas, cucumber and herbs. Arrange on plate(s) then scatter over the red onions, roasted nuts, vegan feta and any additional herbs for decoration.
- Stir all the ingredients together until thoroughly combined and smooth. - Evenly distribute over the top of the salad(s).
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