Spinach, pumpkin and green bean salad
This spinach salad recipe is inspired by a favourite salad at one of our local cafes. This salad comprises of spinach, blanched green beans, roasted pumpkin (of course, you can use left over roasted pumpkin), toasted black and white sesame seeds and macadamia nuts. Finished with a honey soy dressing, it has a slight Japanese vibe. In fact, I have served it before with teriyaki chicken, it would similarly compliment baked salmon well. To further send it down the Japanese route, you could replace green beans with cooked podded edamame, and the macadamias with sliced avocado.
Serves 6 as a side.
This salad is dairy free and vegetarian. Please note, if you require this salad to be gluten free, ensure that you use gluten free soy sauce/tamari. If you require the salad to be vegan (or honey-free), replace the honey with maple syrup.
Enjoy!
Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
Peel pumpkin and remove seeds. Cut into medium sized chunks (think chat potato size). Rinse, toss dry, then toss to coat in oil. Arrange on one of the baking trays. Bake for 90 minutes, turning pieces halfway through.
Place macadamias and seeds on the other baking sheet. Baking in the cooler part of the oven for approximately10 minutes, or until lightly roasted.
Top and tail the green beans. Blanch in freshly boiled water for a couple of minutes until bright green. Refresh immediately under cold running water
Allow all your hot ingredients to cool before serving.
Combine all the dressing ingredients in a small jar and screw on the lid tightly. Shake to combine. Do so again before serving.
Rather than toss the salad (spinach can be delicate, after all), I carefully assemble it in a salad bowl, layering in a third of all the ingredients - spinach, green bean, pumpkin, seeds and nuts, and repeat.
Dress the salad just before serving, or serve on the side.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
Peel pumpkin and remove seeds. Cut into medium sized chunks (think chat potato size). Rinse, toss dry, then toss to coat in oil. Arrange on one of the baking trays. Bake for 90 minutes, turning pieces halfway through.
Place macadamias and seeds on the other baking sheet. Baking in the cooler part of the oven for approximately10 minutes, or until lightly roasted.
Top and tail the green beans. Blanch in freshly boiled water for a couple of minutes until bright green. Refresh immediately under cold running water
Allow all your hot ingredients to cool before serving.
Combine all the dressing ingredients in a small jar and screw on the lid tightly. Shake to combine. Do so again before serving.
Rather than toss the salad (spinach can be delicate, after all), I carefully assemble it in a salad bowl, layering in a third of all the ingredients - spinach, green bean, pumpkin, seeds and nuts, and repeat.
Dress the salad just before serving, or serve on the side.
