We haven’t exactly reinvented the wheel with this salad, however the oven roasted caramelised onion will take your salad game to the next level. Hearty enough to serve with whatever you choose to throw on the bbq, it makes for an easy but impressive midweek dinner for your tribe !
Ingredients:
- 1 small organic butternut pumpkin, peeled, deseeded & cut into crescent moon slices approx 3cms thick
- 2 medium organic brown onions, peeled & sliced
- 1 organic cos lettuce (or similar, can be subbed with baby salad greens or spicy rocket!) washed & dried
- Large handful of Australian spray~free pecans, roughly chopped
- Approx ½ cup soft goats cheese, feta or cashew cheese if vegan
- Finely diced organic herbs (we used parsley, but dill or coriander would also be delicious!)
- Organic butter, olive oil & a couple of pinches of coconut sugar
Simple dressing
1 part acid (vinegar of any vibe or lemon juice) to 3 parts organic oil (olive, macadamia or hemp oils all work fantastically!) plus a little dash of local honey, additive free mustard, salt & pepper (measure these with your heart!) shaken in a jar.
Method:
Preheat your oven to approx 190c. Line a baking sheet with baking paper & prepare an oven safe fry pan (highly recommend cast iron !)
Scatter the pumpkin in a single layer on the tray, drizzle with oil & a generous pinch or two of salt.
Place pumpkin on the bottom rack of the oven to roast.
Meanwhile, add a knob of butter (omit if vegan), a dash of oil & the onions & a sprinkle of salt to your oven safe pan, placing on the top shelf of the oven.
Cook for around 15 minutes before removing onions from the oven, giving a stir & sprinkling with coconut sugar before returning to the top shelf. Leave the pumpkin be, its happiest if you don’t touch it too much whilst cooking.
After another 10 ~ 15 minutes, check on the onions, they should be nicely caramelised by this stage. If so, remove from the oven. If not, continue to cook, checking frequently (they burn quickly due to the sugar content !)
Once the onions are deeply caramelised & the pumpkin is golden roasted, remove from oven & allow to cool slightly before assembling salad.
In your fave salad bowl or platter, layer the crispy greens, followed by the pumpkin, caramelised onion, pecans, goats cheese & then top with herbs. Drizzle with dressing just prior to serving ! 🤍
Image and Recipe by Jessica Bull
