Winter Mediterranean Salad with warm roasted Squash
This is a delicious winter salad which is best served with the squash still warm from the oven. It has lots of different textures, flavours and colours reminding you of summer.
You can use any flavour of olives, any would work giving a different kind of flavour or just use your favourite West Country Olives. I used South Devon Basil Pesto in this dish, as I had Bell & Loxton Basil Rapeseed Oil and this paired perfectly in the salad dressing. Serve with crusty bread and delicious Brue Valley Butter from Orchardlea Foods.
Ingredients
250g squash or pumpkin, peeled & cubed (I used a Crown Prince)
100g cherry tomatoes, halved
8cm piece of cucumber, cut in half lengthways, seeds removed and sliced
50g chestnuts, chopped
100g feta cheese, cut into small squares
Half red onion, finely sliced
100g West Country Olives – South Devon Basil Pesto – halved
Salad Dressing
3 tablespoons oil – I used Bell & Luxton Basil Rapeseed Oil
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
I small shallot, peeled & finely diced
Salt & Pepper
1 tsp dried oregano or Italian herbs
Method
Peel and cube the squash removing the seeds and put in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt & pepper and a sprinkle of dried Italian herb seasoning or oregano. Mix well so the oil coats the squash.
Roast in an Air fryer at 180C for 20 minutes, shaking half way through cooking time. You can also roast in a conventional oven for similar amount of time until soft and coloured on the outside.
While the squash is roasting, prepare all the other ingredients and place into a bowl.
Once the squash is cooked, tip into the bowl with the rest of the ingredients and give it a good mix.
Put all the ingredients for the dressing into a jam jar. Put the lid on and give it a good shake. Taste for seasoning.
Take your serving bowl and empty the salad into it. Pour over the dressing. Serve while the squash is still warm with crusty bread.
South Devon Basil Pesto is the newest flavour in our range, we launched it in May last year and it has become increasingly more popular especially in the Spring and Summer months
If you are a Basil Pesto fan then you need to try these, they are also vegan and nut free!
A vegan smoked cheddar is used in the blend and pumpkin seeds instead of nuts, so make these also nut free.
They are fresh and vibrant in colour also very moreish, you really can’t have just one.
