A really lovely, quite different salad popular in North Africa; this version is specifically at home in Morocco
A tasty salad with a difference. The roast squash and chickpeas add a depth of flavour that nicely contracts with the salty feta and the bite and heat of the garlic
INGREDIENTS
butternut squash
olive oil
salt
harissa paste
feta or other salty cheese - like goat's cheese
garlic
tomatoes
lime
a tin of chick peas - or dried
paprika
pumpkin seeds
white wine vinegar
Watch the video
METHOD
If using dried chickpeas: soak them overnight and wash them thoroughly. Simmer them in water for about 2 hours. Let them cool
Peel your butternut squash and dice into bite-sized chunks
Mix olive oil, salt and harissa in a bowl and toss your butternut squash in it
Roast at 180ºC for 30 minutes
Slice the tomatoes
Dice the feta
Finely chop the garlic
Put the tomatoes, feta and garlic in a salad bowl with the juice of the lime
Drain your [tinned] chickpeas, take the gourd from the oven and pour the chickpeas over it
Sprinkle with paprika and roast for a further 15 minutes
Let the roasted stuff go cold!
Once it's cold, add it to the bowl and gently mix it all through - you don't want to break up the squash or feta cubes
Add a plug of vinegar and a handful of pumpkin seeds
Toss it about
Nice one, Eric! Patience is a virtue, but in this case, who wouldn't want a warm salt with feta?
I tried this recipe with great success. I’ve always had issues peeling butternut squash, so I put it in the microwave for 3 mins which made the job easier. The feta kind of melted into the warm salad because I couldn’t wait for it to cool sufficiently, but it still worked. Incredibly tasty and healthy in equal measure. Thank you David.