This is quite a bold claim, but this may just be the best salad recipe I have ever come across. The beauty of this salad is that whilst it is great by itself, it also lends itself well to other creations that take your fancy. It can be eaten on a toasted ciabatta with melted mozzarella, or in a wrap with lots of hummus – I don’t think I’m doing this salad justice, you have to try it. Please don’t substitute any of the vegetables for something else when you first make it, there is something about the combination of the butternut, parsnips, peppers and onions that make this dish sing with flavour!
Warm butternut squash & pesto salad
Yield 4-6 portions
Ingredients
- 1 Butternut squash
- 2 parsnips
- 2 red peppers
- 2 red onions
- homemade or shop bought Pesto
- Large bag of spinach
- Handful of pine nuts (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220°C
- Peel and chop the butternut and parsnips into similar sized chunks and place onto a large baking tray
- Chop the red peppers and red onion into similar size chunks (try to keep the onion in wedges) and place on a smaller baking tray
- Place the trays in the oven with the butternut and parsnips on the higher shelf and cook until crispy for 40 mins or so
- Don’t add any oil to your vegetables otherwise it can turn to mush
- Meanwhile in a large bowl mix together a handful of spinach leaves and pine nuts with a dollop of
- pesto (add as much or as little as you like) Once the vegetables have cooked mix everything together
- This mix is beautiful as a salad or I often have spoon it on top of toasted ciabattas with melted mozzarella, or have it in a wrap with hummus.
- The salad keeps for a few days and is also beautiful cold
Notes
- I put the peppers and onion on a different try and on a lower shelf as I find these can cook quicker than the butternut and the parsnips so it is good to keep an eye on them both.