SALADS

Spicy Broccoli and Pumpkin Salad

Salads are not just for summer. Flavourful and sweet, Spicy Broccoli and Pumpkin Salad is a great winter salad that works well as a side dish for main meals, but is also a satisfying lunch unto itself.

Ingredients

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled, and cut into 1 cm (½ inch) cubes

4 tablespoons sunflower oil

1 teaspoon powdered ginger

1 teaspoon coconut sugar or raw cane sugar

½ chilli pepper, deseeded and finely chopped

sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) broccoli florets

125 g (4 ½ oz) French shallots, finely sliced

Dressing

4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

4 tablespoons sunflower oil

½ chilli pepper, deseeded, and finely chopped

3 tablespoons ginger syrup, or runny honey

Method

Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Place the pumpkin in an oven dish and toss with the sunflower oil, powdered ginger, coconut sugar, chilli, salt and pepper. Place in the oven for 25 minutes, or until the pumpkin is soft but not mushy. Remove from the oven, and let cool.

Lightly boil the broccoli until al dente (about 3 minutes), strain, and transfer to a paper towel to dry. Set aside to cool.

In a salad bowl, thoroughly whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing. Add the roasted pumpkin, broccoli and shallots, and toss well.