Chickpea & Roasted Butternut Salad with a Lemon Tahini Dressing

Prep Time: 15 Mins

Cook Time: 35 Mins

Total Time: 50 Mins

Serves: 4-6

This creamy warm salad is made with a lemon tahini dressing so it’s 100% vegan. Chickpeas, chewy barley, sweet roasted peppers, and butternut all come together in this bright salad. Better yet, and this is rare for salads, even with the dressing mixed in, this salad keeps fresh and makes for great leftovers eaten room temperature or warmed up!

Ingredients

1 650g butternut, peeled and diced into 2cm cubes

2 sweet peppers (yellow or red), cut into 2cm squares

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon sea salt

¾ cup pearled barley

2 400g cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

¼ cup (10g) lightly packed parsley, roughly chopped

¼ cup (10g) lightly packed cilantro, roughly chopped

Lemon Tahini Dressing

5 tablespoons olive oil

4-5 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste

3 tablespoons tahini

2 small garlic cloves, minced

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

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1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (170°C Fan). Toss with butternut and sweet peppers with olive oil, cinnamon, cumin, and sea salt on a lined baking tray. Bake for 30-35 minutes, tossing halfway.

2. Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan, add a pinch of salt and barley, and reduce heat to simmer for 25-30 minutes. It should be cooked when soft but with a little bite. Drain excess water and return the barley to the pot.

3. Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, sea salt and ground pepper together. Taste and adjust seasonings.

4. Add about a third of the dressing to the pot of barley and mix. Add another third to a bowl with the chickpeas. Plate by layering the barley, chickpeas, and roasted veggies. Drizzle the remaining dressing on top with a sprinkle of the roughly chopped cilantro and parsley.

• Storing Tips

  Store any leftovers in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Serve leftovers at room temperature or serve warm (remove the herbs before microwaving to keep them bright green).

• Nutrition

  Per 1 serving (6 total):

  Calories: 665

  Carbohydrates: 100g

  Protein: 23g

  Fat: 25g

  Saturated Fat: 4g

  Fiber: 33g

  Sugar: 4g