Roasted squash salad with pomegranate

Name: Roasted squash salad with pomegranate
Cook time: 57 min
Total time: 57 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mediterránea
Ingredients: 50 g Walnuts; Salt; Black pepper; 0.5 u Red Onions; 5 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil; 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin; 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice; 4 u Figs; 150 g Goats Cheese; 100 g Rocket; 1.5 tablespoons Pomegranate Molasses; 1 kg Butternut Squash; 1 u Pomegranate

Ensalada de calabaza asada con granada

Easy

Contains allergens

Frutos de cáscara

Incomplete allergen information: some ingredients have not been reviewed yet. Always check the labels before cooking.

Author: Equipo Cocinoa
Preparation time: 57 min
Servings: 4

Summary

Squash wedges roasted with cumin until caramelised, on rocket with pomegranate seeds, figs, goat's cheese and toasted walnuts. A colourful autumn plate dressed with pomegranate molasses.

Ingredients

4 servings

Add to Bring!

50 g Walnuts (or pumpkin seeds)
Salt (to taste)
Black pepper (freshly ground)
0.5 u Red Onions (very thinly sliced) (optional)
5 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (3 for roasting and 2 for the dressing)
1 teaspoon Ground Cumin (or za'atar)
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
4 u Figs (fresh, if in season)
150 g Goats Cheese (a log, or feta)
100 g Rocket (or lamb's lettuce, or a mix of both)
1.5 tablespoons Pomegranate Molasses
1 kg Butternut Squash (or any firm-fleshed squash)
1 u Pomegranate

Instructions

Heat the oven to 220 °C. Halve the squash lengthways, scoop out the seeds with a spoon and cut it into wedges about 2 cm thick. If the skin is thin, leave it on; if it is thick and tough, peel it.
10 min
Toss the wedges on a tray with 3 tablespoons of the oil, the cumin, salt and pepper and spread them out, cut side down, without crowding. Roast until tender with caramelised edges, turning them halfway through.
30 min
Meanwhile, seed the pomegranate: score a shallow line around its widest part, twist the two halves apart and, holding each one cut side down over a bowl of water, tap the skin with a wooden spoon so the seeds fall out. Skim off the bits of white pith that float and drain the seeds.
5 min
Toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan over a medium heat, stirring, until fragrant, then chop them roughly.
4 min
Make the dressing by whisking the pomegranate molasses with the lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of oil, salt and pepper. If using onion, leave it in the dressing for a few minutes to mellow.
3 min
Spread the leaves on a platter and dress them lightly. Top with the squash, warm or at room temperature, the quartered figs, crumbled cheese, pomegranate seeds and walnuts. Drizzle over the rest of the dressing and serve straight away.
5 min

Notes

This salad makes the most of autumn, when squash, pomegranates and the last figs are all in season together. Choose a squash that feels heavy for its size, with a hard, matt skin, no bruises and a dry stalk; butternut is sweet and its skin softens as it roasts, so there is no need to peel it. Pomegranates are at their best from October to December, and in Spain the Mollar de Elche is the most prized: pick one that is heavy, with taut skin, no soft patches and a slightly angular shape, which shows the seeds are plump; colour is no guide, since the Mollar is pale even when very sweet. Figs should give a little when pressed and have slightly wrinkled skin near the stalk; if they are over, use a pear or a tart apple, thinly sliced. The trick to seeding a pomegranate without splattering juice everywhere is to do it in a bowl of water: the seeds sink and the white pith floats. Instead of cumin you can use za'atar, the Levantine blend of thyme, sumac and sesame; add it halfway through roasting so the sesame doesn't burn. If you have no pomegranate molasses, make a dressing with a tablespoon of honey, a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, the lemon juice and the oil. The squash can be roasted up to 3 days ahead and kept in the fridge, but assemble the salad just before serving so the leaves don't wilt. If you follow a strict vegetarian diet, look for a cheese made with vegetarian rennet.