Author Notes: This salad takes a cue from this Carrot Avocado Salad to roast citrus with salad ingredients to build a sweet-tart dressing and finds inspiration for its ingredients and flavors in another Genius salad. Call it a Genius double whammy—or a lettuce-less salad that’s hearty and bright. —Ali Slagle
Serves: 4
Ingredients
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2
oranges
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1
teaspoon cumin
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1
teaspoon cinnamon
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1/2
teaspoon allspice
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1/4
teaspoon red pepper flakes
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1
clove garlic, crushed
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1/2
cup olive oil
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5
teaspoons apple cider vinegar
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Salt and freshly ground pepper
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1
small kabocha squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 4 cups)
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1 1/2
cups drained canned or home-cooked chickpeas, rubbed with towels to dry and remove rogue skins
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3
tablespoons tahini
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1/2
red onion, finely sliced (soaked in cold water for 15 minutes if you want to soften the bite)
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1/2
cup roughly chopped cilantro
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400° F. Juice and zest one orange and halve the other.
- To a blender, add 2 teaspoons of the orange juice, the cumin, cinnamon, allspice, red pepper flakes, clove of garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and apple cider vinegar. Blend until combined, season with salt and pepper, and adjust to taste.
- In a medium bowl, combine the squash, chickpeas, marinade, and unjuiced orange halves. Spread the mixture onto a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, until the squash is caramelized and soft enough to eat and the chickpeas are crunchy.
- Let cool to room temp. Meanwhile, make the dressing: Whisk together the remaining fresh orange juice, the zest, 2 teaspoons apple cider, 6 tablespoons olive oil, the tahini, and the juice from the roasted oranges. Season with salt and pepper, taste, and adjust as you like.
- Transfer the vegetables to a big plate or bowl, drizzle shyly with dressing (you can always add more later), add the red onion and cilantro, toss to combine, and serve immediately.
Photo by James Ransom