I’ve confessed again and again that I’m just not the kind of person who likes to eat things repeatedly. What’s bad for, I don’t know, using up leftovers, however, is good for having the kind of site that updates three times a week with new recipes. So I’d say it all evens out. But every so often, actually — way too rarely, rarely — I hit on something that I cannot stop eating. For weeks, months. And now, we’re over a year and I’m telling you, if I had a butternut squash at home right now, we’d already have dinner made.
I’ve mentioned this salad before but I realize that this is one of those recipes I’m going to refresh as often as I can get away with. The second I had these ingredients together — lemon, tahini, butternut squash, garlic, chickpeas — I couldn’t believe it was the first time. They were made to be together, and in the times that I’ve had them apart in other recipes, I always know what they’re missing.
The recipe comes from Molly Wizenberg of Orangette, who adapted it from a cookbook from the UK’s Moro restaurant, but I always forget that part because it’s somehow a quintessential Orangette recipe to me. Molly’s first book comes out this spring and to say that I’m just looking forward to reading it — and making more where has this recipe been my whole life-level favorites like this — might be the understatement of all understatements. To hold me over until it comes out, though, I know exactly what I’ll be eating.
One year ago: Rigatoni with Eggplant Puree
Two years ago: Icebox Cake
Warm Butternut and Chickpea Salad with Tahini Dressing
Adapted from Orangette, who adapted it from Casa Moro
Yield: 4 servings
For salad:
1 medium butternut squash (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium garlic clove, minced or pressed
1/2 teaspoons ground allspice (I skip this)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (1 1/2 cups)
1/4 of a medium red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
For tahini dressing:
1 medium garlic clove, finely minced with a pinch of salt
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons well-stirred tahini
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to taste
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
In a large bowl, combine the butternut squash, garlic, allspice, olive oil, and a few pinches of salt. Toss the squash pieces until evenly coated. Roast them on a baking sheet for 25 minutes, or until soft. Remove from the oven and cool.
Meanwhile, make the tahini dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic and lemon juice. Add the tahini, and whisk to blend. Add the water and olive oil, whisk well, and taste for seasoning. The sauce should have plenty of nutty tahini flavor, but also a little kick of lemon. You will probably need to add more water to thin it out.
To assemble the salad, combine the squash, chickpeas, onion, and cilantro or parsley in a mixing bowl. Either add the tahini dressing to taste, and toss carefully, or you could serve the salad with the dressing on the side. Serve immediately.
Do ahead: Molly says this salad, lightly dressed, keeps beautifully in the fridge, that you should hold a little of the dressing on the side and that it can be reheated in the microwave. I, for one, have never had any leftovers.
This dish is so colourful and beautiful, I’m not sure it should be eaten. It should be admired.
You read my mind! Or my tastebuds. What an awesome combo.
OH this looks absolutely divine!!
Thanks so much for sharing it! Can’t wait to give it a try!
Do you think the dressing can be made a day or two ahead of time? And day of, roast the squash, cool, and dress? Also – would the recipe double well?
I have been making this nonstop since Molly first posted it. Sooooooooo good!
this is sublime with almond butter subbed in for the tahin. yum!
I could not believe that these ingredients would be perfect together. I’ll have to try it. Congratulations for the three awards!
Wow. That is a pretty strong recommendation. And I do just happen to have a butternut squash in my veg bowl begging for a novel use. No tahini in sight however. Might just call for a run to the grocer. Sounds mouthwatering!
Wow, that’s a combination of ingredients I wouldn’t have thought of. Tahini and butternut squash… it’s like eating humus with butternut squash. It’s a new one for me.
Looks amazing too. Of course.
I did make a lovely salad last week with butternut squash, a more conservative one?! With apples, nuts, cranberries, butter lettuce, arugula, and Dijon dressing. It was excellent.
You are great- I can hear the excitement in your writing. I would have never tried this recipe- but based solely on your enthusiasm I may just have to figure out what tahini is and give this a try (I do like butternut squash a great deal).
butternut squash is my favorite kind of squash!!
Ooh, like hummus with squash. And chunks. I like.
Ok, I am done, I’ve read ALL of your recipes, all of your blogs, took me a while (huh, really?) I am ready for a new entry now, hehehe ;-)
Thanks ever so much for the fun and giggles and all the wonderful photo’s!
I am thoroughly happy I bumped into your website (in search of an arborio rice pudding recipe)
I will surely stick around!
Ohmygosh, this looks fantastic. And is right up my current alley, with trying to eat healthier. And is is so very apt for this season!
I am having palpitations just reading and looking. I am so there.
I have been meaning to try this forever, well since Molly wrote about it, so thanks for reminding me.
I do a simlar one to this with couscous, baby spinach leaves and slivered, toasted almonds. So yummy!
This recipe looks so yummy!
We don’t have butternut squash in Italy, though. Do you think I could replace it with pumpkin?
I will eat anything that has tahini in it! This salad looks so delicious.
ooooooooooooo anything that has any of these ingredients is the thing for me, am so making this for dinner tomorrow night!! Can’t wait!!!
I have an acorn squash which I will try this with – it won’t look as lovely without the color of the butternut, but I think will taste almost as delicious.
Thanks for the tahini dressing recipe… I think I will be using that for many other things as well!
Now that is my kind of salad!
Love your website and all your recipes ! Just voted for you!
The presentation in those dishes is beautiful. The orange vegetables reminds me of summer picnics.
I made this awhile back and thought it was great!
This recipe sounds so tasty, and easy enough for me to put together in my dorm kitchen. Thanks for sharing!
I’m awe struck. Butternut squash + chickpeas + tahini would never have crossed my mind, so thanks for opening my eyes. My garden always yields tons of squash so this is perfect to add to the repertoire. I just voted for you and wish you the best. Your blog and cooking style are inspirational. Congratulations!
This looks great. You’ve given me an idea for a different type of salad that’s beautiful and is delicious.
Does this work cold or at room temp? I would love to bring it to a pot-luck after a tennis match, but no way to heat it up–the only options are leave it in the park fridge or let it sit.
Wow – I opened up the site and was stunned by the beautiful pictures – so colorful and pretty!
oh – and the recipe looks good too. :)
This looks absolutely incredible.
I did exactly what you said (to get the Claudia Fleming cookbook) — I went to the North Fork Inn website (http://northforktableandinn.com/) and got a hold of someone on their contact list via email, and voila! It was SO much easier than I thought it would be – and they were so nice!! :)
I am in love with this salad. All the components. And all of them together. It’s so colorful and I’m sure just as flavorful!
This salad is absolutely delicious. I, too, first heard of it over at Orangette.
And to Jenn: I’ve eaten it straight out of the refrig. Its door may or may not still have been open.
This looks so beautiful. I wish I had all of the ingredients in my pantry, and an ice storm is kind of preventing my going anywhere to stock up, but this is for sure on the “to make” list. I can’t wait for her cookbook to come out either!
Deb,
I hope to try this recipe soon. It looks wonderful, but my husband is not a big fan of chickpeas (unless made into hummus), or squash. So, maybe I can tempt him to try it, or maybe I can just eat it all myself. I hope that you win one of the Bloggie Awards and get to come to Austin! Your blog is so good, yet are so modest — you really do deserve to win. Joyce
Glad you’re all as excited about this as I am!
Answers:
I am sure it would double nicely, but you’ll definitely need two trays to cook the squash. There’s no reason it wouldn’t be good cold; honestly, we’ve never had enough leftovers to consider whether it would be good straight from the fridge. I am sure it would also be good at room temperature. If you can’t get butternut squash, another dense squash would work, or perhaps even yams/sweet potatoes.
And tahini, for those of you unfamiliar with it, is a ground sesame seed paste, but it’s closer to a sandy peanut butter in texture. I usually find it in the peanut butter aisle, but it might also be with Middle Eastern groceries. It is also an ingredient in hummus, and I used the extra dressing from this on the smashed chickpea sandwich (yes, I know, we’re completely out of order here).
I’ve only had butternut squash in stuffing. These flavors look like they would be really good with it though.
i too must admit that had i been just flipping through the pages of an old cookbook, might not have stopped at this recipe. but after reading your enthusiasm i feel like i have just sat down to coffee with a good friend over which she recommended me this new fabulous and healthy treat. i love your page too. i found it this summer and havent stopped anticipating the next recipe since. thanks for alll the wonderful recipes, and for often putting a smile on my face with your quirky and fun blogs. best of luck in the blog awards! you rock ;)
Yay, cross continental love between my two favorite blogs!!!!!!!!
This does seem like a classic Orangette recipe. And looks delicious and fresh and filling.
Perfect! I have had a butternut squash sitting around for a couple days..now i can finally decide what to do with it!
I’ve loved this recipe since Molly posted it, too, and I love it even more ever since I started roasting the chickpeas along with the squash.
I’ve been making this since Molly first posted it as well. You’re right, these ingredients are made for each other. I also boil some barley or farro and top with the salad for a great one dish meal. You’re photo’s are lovely as usual.
I have made this several times, and I can attest that it’s one of the best things on earth. I have also eaten it cold from the fridge. Very good. Also good microwaved a bit to take the chill off. If you like hummus, this will take you to a whole new level of deliciousness. Make it tonight.
What might be a good substitute for tahini in this recipe (allergic to sesame and peanut butter)? It sounds lovely but I’m not sure what to substitute in the dressing.
Isn’t Molly great? I can’t wait for her cookbook either. This looks marvelous. I’m with you in not making many things repeatedly, but parmesean butternut squash soup is one of my weaknesses. This looks like a wonderful way to incorporate it in a salad. Love it!
I am the SAME way about eating the same thing twice! I am so glad to find someone like me.. My BF always teases me that I can’t do repeats. But this definitely looks like a repeatable salad. My weird repeatable dish that I make is this quinoa salad w/ black beans, avocado, and tomato. For some reason, I crave it in summer like once a week. Here’s my recipe for it: http://dishthisboston.blogspot.com/2008/09/recipe-quinoa-with-black-beans-avocado.html Love your website!!
i have made this at least a dozen times in the last year since molly posted it! it’s the perfect fall/winter meal.
Love squash! And that is probably one of my favorite dressings. Great idea to mix with chickpeas…I would imagine it tempers the sweetness of the squash a bit. I’ll have to give it a try with my beloved acorn squash.
Oh, perfect. I have had an at least 4 lb butternut squash sitting on my counter staring at me for two weeks now. I can’t wait to try this.
This looks awesome! I can’t wait to try it. I’m also a big fan of Orangette, and I’m really looking forward to her stop in D.C. on her book tour.
I have to tell you, I am making a wedding cake for a friend’s legal ceremony tomorrow (her big wedding is later), and your posts about making a wedding cake really helped to give me some confidence and peace of mind. I’ve been reading your blog for months, but I hadn’t seen those posts before I googled “making a wedding cake.”
Gorgeous photos and it sounds delicious!
just because i trust you and so far you have never led me wrong, I will believe that this is as delicious as you say. because it does not look appealing to me, but then again, i think you are genius so it must be good right. maybe because at first glance i thought it was a warm CITRUS chickpea salad before i realized that was squash.
I have made this more times than I care to admit ever since I first saw it on Orangette. And you’re right, we NEVER ever have leftovers…ever. ;)
The fabulous color of this alone is enough to entice me to give it a try.
WOW – This looks amazing! The colors… YUM
Deb, I’m always in awe of how many new recipes you manage to make each week, so it’s a relief to hear that you do eat *some* things repeatedly! So glad you love this salad as much as I do. And thanks for the sweet words about the book! You sure to know how to make a person blush… xo
You are really having an affair with chickpeas these days! I like them well enough but they aren’t my favorites. Do you think this recipe would be work with canellini or dark kidney beans or would the skins keep the dressing from soaking in enough?
This salad is a family favorite and I have made several variations of it, our favorite of which uses sweet potatoes, cilantro, and toasted pumpkin seeds. Oh, and no allspice. We usually eat it on top of greens, so I always make extra dressing. And I can vouch for the fact that it keeps beautifully and it still tasty straight from the fridge, though I do prefer it at room temp or warmer. Thanks for reminding me about this recipe — we have the ingredients on hand and it will make a great light supper!
Love the fact that you make a lot of mediterranean sytle salads! Interesting concept with the squash! I use alot of chick peas as well, love to cook pilav with chick peas!
Thank you!
Yum, I have all these things on hand in the kitchen right now! You just made my dinner. :)
I have all of these ingredients–lucky me!! Thanks as usual for always posting wonderful tasty recipes.
I’m just about to place another order from Rancho Gordo (man! seriously good) and was considering adding garbanzos this time due to the plethora of must-makes from SK.
Are they that much better than your ordinary store ones? I feel kind of dumb asking, but not wanting to mis-allocate any of my precious food dollars these days…
Oooh, all those colors. Looks like a Crayola love session. Need a plate and fork asap!
Thank you!! I am really trying to eat in season and that means there has not been that many salads lately. I’ve just discovered slaws and that has been sustaining me, but this looks fantastic!
Hi Mixette — I haven’t tried them from Rancho Gordo (actually, didn’t even realize they had garbanzos, but am thrilled) but if their other beans are any indication, they will be better than any you’ve had before.
That looks gorgeous! I never thought to do butternut squash with tahini and lemon but now that you’ve posted this, I’m drooling.
If foods were people, then chickpeas and tahini would be the most perfect couple that ever existed. They’d get married, in fact. It’d be a bigger event than Princess Di’s wedding. And Garlic would walk Chickpea down the aisle…ok, now I’m just getting carried away.
Yes, the Rancho Gordo garbanzo’s are like no others!
and their Christmas Lima’s? The Yellow Indian beans? Oh so good; I’ve been living on brown basmati rice and various bean stews this winter.
I love this recipe! Thank you for reminding me to make it next week. It is wonderful!
did you see? crack-n-cheese is on nytimes and they used your gorgeous photo!
http://bitten.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/29/addictive-mac-and-cheese/#comment-36245
I just placed my Rancho Gordo order (and added the Yellow Indian & Xmas Limas – thanks Selkie)
Their website says they’re running low on the garbanzos, so hurry on over if you’re tempted!
This is so beautiful and looks yummy too! Love the ingredients – anything with chickpeas is okay in my book (and tummy)! Hey – I rhymed!
Oh my gosh, I am so glad to have another use for tahini besides hummus. This really looks delicious. Thanks Deb and Molly.
Mm, I’ve been trying to make more squash recipes lately. I always neglect them in the winter. This sounds awesome and I’ll definitely try it. I wonder why I didn’t notice it on Orangette! Silly me.
Yay! Now I know what to bring to a potluck tomorrow night! I love smittenkitchen, the photos, the writing, the recipes, you’ve got the perfect combination. I did the braised beef short ribs which were a real hit (tried making it again with chuck as the short ribs are really expensive here, but it just wasn’t the same. though the gravy was still amazing) and I know that anytime I invite people over and say I’m cooking from your site, there’s always delicious anticipation. Good luck with the awards, you deserve them!
Oh my! Your blog was mentioned in an NY Times blog!
http://bitten.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/29/addictive-mac-and-cheese/?hp
Your first photo has been dancing in my head since I first saw it. Somehow the recipe infiltrated my brain and plopped a bnut squash into my basket today in town… I can’t wait to give it a go. I’m wondering about roasting the garlic that goes into the salad – I hope it won’t take away too much of the edge. Thanks for the brainwash!
Wow, this looks like something I’d do, simply because I love squash and chickpeas. Sadly, my husband and 6 year old don’t feel the same way. :-( Somehow, I also see a dash of curry powder doing wonders for this dish.
I just made this for dinner and I am IN LOVE WITH IT! Absolutely delicious. These are leftovers I will definitely look forward to!
The squash is cooling, onions, chick peas and cilantro sit, dressing is made, I’m so excited! I’ve made your Veselka cabbage soup many times, you are getting me through this cold NY winter, thanks! My tahini was sitting on a shelf so long that I got exercise stirring it until it was smooth — is that okay? Nothing on the Joyva can says to refrigerate, but how long do you think the shelf life is? It smells fine… thanks for all the great recipes, photos and inspiration!
This is one of my most favorite recipes on your blog. I made it right after you posted it the first time and told all of my friends that they had to try it. So glad to see the re-post to inspire me to make it again this weekend!
Argh! I made this for dinner this evening and ….. meh. Where could I have gone wrong – after all, the recipe’s only gotten rave reviews. I’ll give it another go, but can’t imagine where I erred. Perhaps the olive oil?
This looks amazing! I still have some leftover squash in the fridge. Just have to get some tahini!
Why do you skip the allspice?
Deb, I have loved your site from the second I met it quite a while back. Immediately, I told my mom and sisters about it since food/cooking is our bond. Since then, we all check in either from time to time, or in my case, all the time–and enjoy preparing your delicious and gorgeaous recipes. And your writing! Your personality walks off the page, my friend. Anyway, I love this recipe from Molly. When I lived in Israel, I tasted something similar to this, a mediterranean dish of roasted eggplant, tahini (t’china), olive oil, garlic and parsley. But the butternut squash in place of the eggplant–delicious! Not to mention the color palatte of this recipe . . . a true feast for the eyes. . . . So, thank you for all the food and fun you share, and congratulations on the nomination!
Made this last night to go along with roasted chicken and steamed spinach. Ended up eating the salad at room temperature, and we loved it! Thanks for the great recipe. Can’t wait to have a little more for lunch today.
Looks taaaaaasty…. Is it substantial enough to count as dinner? What else do you serve it with?
We just eat it for dinner. Sometimes with a green salad.
I made this last night and holy cow was it good – I ate the whole bowl myself, my husband got none. It was soo good that I am making it again tonight :)
I substituted some quinoa for part of the roasted squash and wasn’t disappointed. It made for a tasty brownbag lunch the next day too!
yummy! my taste buds are craving this, my mouth watering. must get butternut squash. now.
I don’t have butternut squash; I used acorn.
I don’t have garbanzo beans; I used pinto.
I probably created a whole new animal, but it was delicious!
Thanks Deb.
amazing! I made it with sweet potatoes instead of squash (what I had) and shallots vs. red onion (I am just beginning to learn to like onions raw), and I don’t know if there will be any left for dinner. thank you!
Next week (uhh…after Super Bowl Sunday) I’m doing a one-week detox (kind of like the one Oprah did) and I think this whole recipe would work in my meal plan! I’m glad to see I don’t have to eat boring food if I can eat things like that.
This looks so delicious! We absolutely love butternut squash and will have to give this recipe a try!
I love this salad too, and, happily, it lends itself well to variations. I’ve found that I like it better with white beans, instead of garbanzos; the texture seems to work better with the butternut squash. I simply sautee the white beans a bit in a pan, and I throw in some red chili flakes. Shredded sauteed brussel sprouts are also great with the salad, and roasted blue potato slices have definitely made an appearance on occasion too. Okay, hungry…
This was excellent! I served it with couscous and homemade pita chips. Thanks!
I made this tonight and it was fantastic! I substituted peanut butter and a little toasted sesame oil for the tahini because I didn’t have any at home. So yummy! Thank you!!
I made this tonight – it was delicious! All of my roommates were wondering what I was cooking and said more than once that it smelled amazing. It smelled awesome indeed, but tasted even better! Thanks for posting this recipe! And all of the other recipes you post…they all look unbelievable and you can bet I’ll be trying more in the near future.
I made this last night and it was so good! I have leftovers today for lunch and I am so excited.
I have been looking for a way to use up a butternut squash I got in my CSA box a month ago, so this was perfect.
I had never cooked with tahini before, so it gave me an excuse to buy some. Thanks so much for the great recipe!
wahh…i suppose it was bound to happen. i did not love this recipe. i think i tried it more out of curiousity than anything, but it just underwhelmed me. oh well…
i am, however, still dreaming of your double chocolate cake i made last week…raspberry filling… ganache….oh my….
made this last night and served it over couscous. it’s so so good.my coworkers are all jealous.
Deb, this was absolutely delicious. I made it for lunch and am completely full but my mouth wants more. The good news is that I know nobody else in my family will eat it so I have lunch for tomorrow. Thanks so much for another great recipe (the last one I tried was Claudia Fleming’s stout ginger cake – OMG, it was SO good).
I loved the salad too…made it the very day it was posted. I don’t think I will use red onion again, though. Maybe chopped shallots. The onion was a little too strong for my taste. I served it on a bed of spinach. I had lots of dressing left and have been using it on various things. Yum!
Wow! This is another winner. I made it on Sunday and have been eating it for lunch at work all week. It warms up nicely sitting on my desk after I arrive, and I get to feel smug that I’m getting a lot of my veggies for the day.
Delicious.
I made this salad yesterday. It turned out good. I roasted the squash with the allspice into with the olive oil. That was actually very tasty. But later, after adding the dressing, your salad looked much better than mine. The tahini in the dressing obscured all the colors of the ingredients. Next time I’m going to try it with less tahini and more lemon juice.
Holy cow!
Just made this tonight and it is DELICIOUS. My husband and I were a little skeptical at the mix of flavors, but I am officially won over. I especially love the textures.
I am definitely making this this week.
I made this on Saturday- yumm! Thanks for another great vegetarian recipe (that my meat-eating husband also devoured!)
I really wanted to like this dish. I love all of the ingredients…what went wrong? I found it too starchy and heavy. Maybe I overcooked the squash. Anyway, I ended up pureeing the entire salad with more of the dressing and olive oil. Butternut squash hummus! It was fabulous and nothing went to waste.
absolutely amazing. #1BF! sliced his hand open on the can of chickpeas while we made it… I threw everything together in a bowl and was ready to bolt out the door to the hospital. He wanted to try it, ate one bite, and insisted that we stay and eat before we went to the ER. 3 hours and six stitches later, we came home and he wanted another bowl right away.
I made it with some chicken cutlets brined and then marinated for half an hour in some of the dressing. very tasty!
Thank you so much for posting this! I made it last night, and I’m really looking forward to the leftovers for lunch today (I probably could have eaten it all, but I didn’t think that was wise). It’s a perfect combination of flavors and textures.
I saw someone in the comments left out the red onion because they don’t like raw onion, but the little bits of crunch are essential! I don’t like raw onion either, so after I chopped the onion I gave it a quick pickle while the squash was roasting and cooling – just add a tablespoon or so of apple cider vinegar and a bit of salt.
I left out the allspice, too, and I think that was a smart move. The roasted squash has enough of a sweet/savory thing going on without highlighting the sweetness with allspice.
I’m really looking forward to trying more of your recipes. You have a fantastic site here.
i’ve been a long time reader, but never posted…but i felt compelled. this is one of the most INCREDIBLE recipes i’ve tried in a while. everything about it is so great–great components, healthy ingredients, easy to make. i am in love…no word of a lie!
This is delicious! To use the leftovers I caramelized some onion, grated a little fontina, made dough and baked a hybrid version of your Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette. Still delicious!
Hiya Deb! We just made this and it is super good! I love all the contrasting flavors! I am crazy for anything with tahini… and this fits the bill. Thanks for another keeper. This one will become a regular for us I think.
Just made this and am eating it…just as you said, no allspice, with parsley because that’s what was in the fridge. Um, Yum!
..I had this recipe bookmarked for what seemed like ages & finally tried it last night — now, I’ve made many of your recipes before, but I’m wondering where I went wrong! The flavor profile of this salad seemed absolutely foul to me.. maybe it was the dressing, and perhaps I’m not used to tasting tahini sans-hummus..? I am addicted to chickpeas, but the texture of everything together really threw me. I was quite glad that I didn’t dress the salad in its entirety, because I ended up separating the butternut squash and eating it solo today! I’m almost afraid to try it again and may just turn the rest into hummus and tackling the recipe again at some point. It’s been a long time since I’ve had any hiccups trying your recipes!
I have to say I had the same problem as Chelsea…So excited about the recipe and then when I went to taste the dressing, something was off. I however, am blaming it on the tahini. I looked at the expiration date afterwards and it was expired! Even though I found several posts that claimed that tahini lasted forever, I think that must be the reason mine didn’t work out. It had a very sour taste and I am pretty sure that’s not the norm…
ERIN, you asked about substitutes for techina (tahini) or peanut butter. Are you also allergic to almonds? I bet this would work well with homemade almond butter or hazelnut butter. I say homemade because I like toasting my almonds or hazelnuts really darkly, then grinding them very finely, then pouring off some of the oil (for use in homemade soap making or for massage oil) to reduce the fat content a bit. It makes a much nuttier flavor this way, and a creamier texture.
If that won’t work for you, try just a spoonful of mayonnaise, perhaps, for the fat content. It won’t taste nutty, but… Ooh. Try dry-toasting a couple tablespoons of flour or matzah meal in a dry pan (not a cast iron skillet, which has to be oiled), until it turns medium brown. Keep it moving by whisking/stirring, and remove it from the heat and into a little bit of mayonnaise or canola/olive oil to stop it from cooking itself darker and burning. That’ll give you a nutty flavor, especially when added to your mayonnaise.
(Deb, hi, I’m new here, but I’m already in love.)
A follow-up: I finally got around to dismantling the ingredients from my first go-round with this recipe, and I ended up using the garbanzos in a salad I normally love/am addicted to — and you know what..? Even that tasted funny! I realized that perhaps this recipe tasted off to me because I used dried chickpeas that had soaked overnight. I’ve only ever used canned because they’re so convenient, but had a random bag in the pantry that I thought should be utilized. I’m going to try this again using canned, because I think that will make a difference to my taste buds! Will also pay very close attention to the dressing, as I think that was a bit off as well.. I’m intrigued with this flavor combination and am determined to master it!
Thanks so much for this recipe! After seeing those pics how could I resist? I love butternut squash and had a can of chickpeas I didn’t know what to do with. I finally got my hands on some tahini today, and I made this for dinner. It was delicious!
Thank you for this recipe. I’m eating it right now and it’s sooo good! I’m usually not a tahini fan but it really pulls together in this. Yum.
Loved this receipe. In the words of my chef boyfriend: “usually the dinners you make are hit and miss, but man, this is awesome!” I did add a few things: bacon (it was alright, didn’t add enough to make a huge difference) and sage (the boyfriends idea. it bring the taste to a whole new level).
Loved it. And super easy!
woh. took this to a vegan dinner party, it was a huge hit. keeper.
Finally made this recipe after buying ingredients a ways back, caught the butternut before it passed away. Used extra parsley AND cilantro AND a pile of mint. Worried the tahini was too old but it seemed to taste ok. First time cooking with it. It was divine, hubby loved it. I am another person who made it because of the way you talked about it : ) I have great faith in your recommendations, thanks a lot!
I have been wanting to make this recipe for ages and ages but wanted to make it on a night we were tired and didn’t feel like pulling together a big meal and where we wanted a light enough dinner that this would suffice. Made it this last weekend and it was wonderful. We didn’t have lemons, so I made it with lime juice and it worked well, though I missed the sweet zing that lemon juice would have given it. Because limes are a bit more tart and sour, I mixed in a small amount (less than a teaspoon) of agave nectar to sweeten it up a bit. Yum!
I tasted this after I made it mid afternoon (sleeping baby allowed for some cooking) even though I wasn’t planning on eating it until dinner. I had to forcibly remove the fork from my hand, it was sooooo good. Excellent recipe!
That looks deeeelicious.
But what is it with all you craaaazy people peeling the skin off of your butternut squash? The skin is the best bit!
I love this salad and have made it a few times. I’d make it a lot more, but I HATE peeling the squash!
Yesterday, I didn’t let the squash cool much before I mixed everything in. I came back a while later, and the dressing had turned to a lake in the bottom of the bowl. It was completely watery, and I had no idea how it happened. I figured I had just done something wrong, when my five-year old came up to me and said “Mom, do you think Michael (our 2-year old) dumped some water in there?” I said, “No, I don’t think he did, but I have a pretty good idea about who did!” It was then that I noticed the empty water bottle next to the bowl :-)
I ended up dumping the salad into a colander and redressing it with a new batch of dressing. It still tastes great :-)
I don’t have any tahini nearby so I am going to try to just add black sesame seeds, which I do have and I’ll let you know how it goes.
Last night I picked my first beautiful butternut squash from my garden and made this delicious salad. I did include the allspice, but omitted the cilantro/parsley (as I strongly dislike both). It was delicious. I ended up adding another 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of water to the dressing to thin it out a bit. I roasted the butternut squash only for 20 minutes, and it came out perfectly. I think next time I will try substituting basil or oregano for the cilantro/parsley. And there will definitely be a next time. Besides the pain of peeling butternut squash (Does anyone have any tricks for this?), it was quite simple to make. And it was definitely delicious! In fact, even just the butternut squash roasted with olive oil, garlic, and allspice was yummy. I think I might just roast butternut squash that was by itself. I highly recommend this recipe! I absolutely love squash (especially butternut) so keep the recipes coming. Thank you Deb!
No Tahini? No Problem! I wanted to let everyone know that if you do not have or can not find tahini you can substitute peanut butter (go with the all natural kind) and the recipe still turns out equally delicious! I am sorry if this is posted somewhere in the comments, I browsed through them but didn’t not see it! There are just so many comments since this recipe is so good!
I have made this recipe many times and it is always a huge hit with everyone!
Thanks Deb!!
There isn’t a single ingredient in here I don’t like, and I’m not a picky eater, AND I’ve loved every single one of SK’s recipes I’ve tried (which is a LOT by now!) but this was just…ick. Must just be me because so many others adored it, except a couple of people who it turned out had bad chickpeas and old tahini…all my ingredients were fresh & good, there was even an occasional bite where I could almost see how it might taste good to some people, but the dressing just did not work for me, at least not with that salad. Still, I can’t let it go because usually my assessment of SK’s recipes follow the majority, that is if a lot of people are saying “yum!” I tend to reach the same conclusion. I am stumped.
Deb, I’m searching for a replacement for your summer panzanella ( I made it pretty much every other night – without the bread, most of the time ), so I made this on Saturday as written and liked it a lot.
Today, I made it again… but roasted the butternut squash with ginger instead of allspice, lessened the ratio of tahini to lemon juice in the dressing, added a splash of red wine vinegar and ginger to the dressing… and oh man, even better!
For those who didn’t like the salad, I’d suggest just tasting the dressing and adding ingredients until you like the flavor! It’s a great, healthy salad and a wonderful recipe that’s very giving to tweaks.
Jennifer — You’ve got to make the Winter Panzanella!
We’ve made and loved this before. Tonight we had it with butterCup squash and black beans. It was good, but not as good.
Okay, weird but awesome addition – grapes! It’s the perfect contrasting flavor and texture. I now make this at least twice a week.
And Deb, thanks for the Winter Panzanella tip. I’m just trying to work up the nerve to eat all those sprouts!
Thanks Deb for a great recipe! I made this last weekend and it was a big hit at our Halloween dinner. I added a teaspoon of cinnamon to the roasted squash and also added the allspice. I made the salad in the afternoon and then tossed the squash with the dressing right before serving. Great flavors and easy to put together!
Was not at all sure about this recipe, but couldn`t resist. Worth it! I loved the salad and so did my guests!
I just made this last night (after seeing it here and on Orangette), and it was soooo good! I wasn’t sure what to expect with this mix of ingredients, but I’m glad I tried it out. Each ingredient really stood out and complimented the others. Thanks for the recipe!
So I was soaking my garbanzo beans over night for hummus, but this looks much more interesting. I think I have a new recipe to try.
I thought it was incredibly yummy even without the dressing! Simpler and fresher… but it is still tasty with the tahini dressing as well. In the future i’ll skip it though.
i think i just had a religious experience with this. thank you.
OHMYGOSH! So so good!!! I used cilantro which, I think, gave it a freshness and lightness. I thought the red onion I used was a bit harsh and somewhat overpowering (and only used half of a small to medium sized one).
ALSO, went to my favorite wine shop and got a nice pinot noir to pair. Amazing!!
As far as peeling the squash… I put it whole into some boiling water for about three minutes or so, let it cool, then peeled with relative (and I do mean relative) ease. Boiling the squash won’t cook it but will soften the skin.
Now a question… I cooked the squash for about 25-30 minutes and while it rid it of that rawness, it ended up getting a bit mushad once I mixed it with the rest of the salad. Perhaps I cut the pieces too small? Cooked too long? Anyone else have this problem?
I made this twice this week. I whipped up a full batch of the dressing, used a tiny butternut and half a can of garbanzos for the first round, and just had to roast another squash for the second. The first time I ate it fresh, hot, and it was awesome.
I just finished eating it as a cold lunch, and it was…disappointing. Something about cold makes the squash lose some flavor. I also didn’t put parsley in, because I was afraid it would wilt too much and I was running late. The whole meal was lackluster. So, if you have leftovers, you probably want to heat them up. And fresh is definitely better. And don’t skip ingredients.
This meal is wunderbar! Not sure why you were hating on the allspice – it was a nice addition to the squash + garlic.
Made this with a Lamb Tagine w/ Dried Fruit (L.A. Times recipe that is just frightfully delicious — and DEB! It’s made in the crock pot!) for a Moroccan-themed dinner party. It was a perfect match; totally delicious with some added toasted walnuts for a bit of crunch.
Just made this for the second time and put in tons of parsley just to use it up – and it’s really good that way. Thanks again for the recipe!
My friend made this salad for a potluck last night and it was fantastic. She omitted the allspice and the squash cooked for a bit longer than intended but this homogenized the ingredients in a way that was binding and thick, real smooth and delightful.
We ate what was left of it today cold on some toast and I have to say it was the closest thing to what I imagine a ‘vegan lobster roll’ (that’s worth eating) might taste like. Parsley, no cilantro, and very lemon-y. Very good.
I made this once as written, and it was to die for. Made it a second time as a pasta dish, omitting the chickpeas, using homemade linguine instead. Three of us finished off the entire pot. It was extraordinarily good.
Wonderful!!
Try putting a little pasta in it, or roasting the squash seeds in a little oil and salt and sprinkling them into the mix.
Carissa – Can you post a link to that Lamb Tangine recipe? I can’t seem to find it, but I would love to have it.
Thanks!
I’ve been thinking about this recipe since you first posted it. Due to travel and other plans, had to wait until this weekend to make it. My boyfriend and I loved it. No leftovers. I’ve already shared the link with a friend. This will definitely be a dish I’ll repeat in the future. So simple and so good.
I’m not sure why it took me so long to make this! I made a few modifications– most notably, I replaced the tahini with yogurt. So good! You can see it here.
This was fabulous! Served with some warm pitas and your tzatziki it made a very delicious meal! I can’t wait to have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
Hi Deb,
I made this with Acorn squash by accident, as a little Manhattan girl new to cooking who didn’t recognize her vegetables (even though they were clearly labeled). But it turned out fantastic! For anyone looking to save time in making the recipe, cut the squash into quarters, scoop out the insides, and microwave for 5 minutes. The skin peels right off, and then it’s really easy to cut into small pieces. For an acorn squash, you only need 3/4 of it… the rest has yet to be experimented with. 15 minutes total is about it gets for a kid clueless about cooking living in the dorms.
Thank you so much!
I made this for dinner last night and brought the leftovers for lunch today – I can hardly wait to eat my lunch! Absolutely delicious. I am already making this for a potluck soon. Thanks for a great recipe!
I made this last night (with the allspice)- it is delicious! I’m putting this in with my favorite recipes! Thank you!
This recipe is amazing! On my second go, I roasted a mix of sweet potato and carrot in place of the butternut—to equally delicious effect. Because raw onion gives me migraines, I pickled the red onion in a bit of salt and lemon juice, then tossed it with the hot veggies after I pulled them out of the oven, which infused the veggies with an extra flavor layer. Seriously yummy.
This is one of my favorite recipes. I make it fairly often and I always love the results. I have two suggestions. 1) I have been [rightfully] accused of saying this about everything, but: ADD AVOCADO. I like to add it after the salad is dressed, so the flavor of the avo stand alone. 2) I often find that raw red onion can be too abrasive in flavor, so I dice it up and soak in it ice water for 5-10 minutes. It removes some of the bite.
This recipe is ridiculously delicious!!! I put some smoked chili powder (about 1 tsp), cumin, and paprika on the butternut squash and served with sauteed chard. Wow. Sooooo good!
This was fantastic — my husband rated it 11 — so so good. Thanks!
Loved it! Was a perfect dinner tonight. And since I bought extra chickpeas, I reserved some dressing so I can make the smashed chickpea sandwich tomorrow.
This is an inspired combination. My husband can’t eat raw onion so I substituted crisp browned shallots. My teenaged son loved it and said it reminded him of BBQ potato chips (?), so I added smoked paprika the second time I made it, to take it more in that direction. I added leftover lemon rice to the leftovers, warmed it up, and added extra dressing. It was really good and made it a complementary protein dish for my vegetarian friend.
I want this, now!! Looks soooo good, but will have to wait for another day as dinner is almost ready!
Last night I took this recipe and updated it for Spring. I substituted 1-inch pieces of blanched asparagus for the roasted squash cubes, threw some fresh mint in with the cilantro, and added a squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil on top. It has a clean, Mediterranean-inspired flavor that is perfect for this time of year.
Your spinach/chickpeas post led me here… and consequently indoors on a 70-degree March day in NYC roasting squash! Totally worth it. Especially with the windows wide open. The salad was delicious. Thanks for the post! Inspired, I just ordered the Moro cookbook.
I just made this with sweet potatoes after whining that you didn’t have enough sweet potato recipes here. AMAZING. Although, next time I think I will swap the onion/garlic for a shallot for the milder flavor.
I just made this with cumin instead of allspice. Very good!
This recipe was the way I learned I’m allergic to butternut squash. It was good until then though!
We didn’t have any red onion, and my housemate doesn’t like it anyway. So we pan fried the garlic with a brown onion, and cooked the chickpeas a bit too. then grilled them with the softened potato.
ANYWAY it was absolutely delicious! very, very more-ish! thanks!
I’ve made this lots of times and it is always popular. One thing I like to add are potatoes – tiny new ones cut in halves or quarters and tossed in olive oil and salt and pepper. I roast them at 425F until they are medium to dark brown and add to the warm squash just before serving. Very, very good.
Sorry for being SO long in posting the link to the Lamb Tagine for Crockpot! http://www.latimes.com/features/la-fo-slowrec25a-2009feb25,0,5587760.story
This was an excellent recipe! I added a handful of raisins, 2 Tbsp chopped pecans, and a dash of cinnamon, and my hubby and I loved it.
My daughter introduced me to your blog a week ago. I’ve been reading a few recipes and posts (and giggling) every evening since, and today I made balthazar’s mushroom soup (delicious – even before the cream and butter – which will be a treat for my lactose-sensitive housemate).Then I realized I have a pot luck vegetarian lunch tomorrow. Well, this looked like the perfect thing -kept the allspice, substituted chives for the parsley, and added a scant tsp of maple syrup to the dressing. It is sooooooo good. – and now I’ll have to make it again so we can have it here at home as well. Looks like your site has just become a family tradition.
I made this last night for a potluck — it was perfect!
Just made this and it is fabulous! My oldest son added some cooked orzo to his. It tasted great and was very filling. Adding the orzo makes it a main dish. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
Made this with hummus instead of tahini (based on “kind of has the same color, right?” logic) and it turned out very well, to the approval of a vegetarian friend. I found some tahini later and made it a second time, but I actually prefer it with hummus instead. Hmmm, hummus…
Tahini is a primary ingredient in hummus, actually.
Like another commenter, I reduced the amount of squash and added 1.5 cups cooked red quinoa instead. Loved the result and the added protein boost.
to the poster who used dry garbonzos…if you soak them overnight, you still would need to boil them for a bit to make them edible, right? did you do this? just checking…
I’m making this tonight…and can’t wait. I’m going to just have it w/ a salad and call it a dinner…I’m in the mood for a vegetarian dinner after not eating enough vegetables for the last couple of days…ever get that way? ha ha. :) thanks for this…another great use for tahini…as I’ve been wanting to make a batch of hummus anyway. :)
Made this recipe as written (and kept the allspice). Eating it right now and am in total heaven. I absolutely love it! It’ll be a new standby for sure.
Ohmygoodness. We’ve got locally grown squash invading the grocery stores here in Michigan. Since I can’t resist a good deal on local produce, I picked up a butternut squash, brought it home triumphantly and THEN realized that I didn’t know what to do with it. Of course I knew you would — problem solved :) So I served this last night for dinner with couscous and my husband declared it a huge WIN. Thanks so much, Deb, for all the work you put into this blog! I love reading your commentaries and trying the recipes, and my husband loves testing the results :o) ps. Shaved asparagus pizza, grapefruit yogurt cake and pumpkin bread pudding have become standard in this household, thanks to you! Keep up the great work!
Wow. Wow. Made this for dinner tonight and it was as good as I expected it to be. Such a beautiful and colorful salad to look at too. Yum!
Awesome, awesome, awesome. A few notes: I found I liked a higher chickpeas-to-squash ratio, so I added an extra can of chickpeas. Sesame makes my throat swell up, but I have found that smooth, unsalted, roasted almond butter is a great stand-in for tahini. It brings nuttiness to the table without the anaphylaxis, and in such small quantities it is indistinguishable.
I didn’t have red onion and didn’t want to go back out the store, and I think the salad would have benefited from some extra zip. So don’t skip the onion!
Just made this for dinner tonight and it was excellent. Left out the allspice and served it over a bed of baby spinach to boost my veggie intake. Next time I make it I will add avocado based on the recommendation above.
I also feel like I need something crunchy stirred into it…toasted almond slivers maybe?
Excellent recipe! My co-worker recommended this recipe on your site as we both receive CSA boxes and didn’t know what to do with the squash. I doubled the recipe and used half butternut squash and half winter squash. Trader Joe’s sells ‘Tahini Sauce’ so that was one less thing to prep, it’s in the refrigerator section and is premixed with the lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and Tahini. I added a little more lemon juice for some extra tartness and to thin it out a bit. Finally, I also included TJ’s Peri Peri Peppadrops, diced, since I add them to just about everything but my breakfast cereal. The sweet/hot flavor and red color of these complimented the dish well. Thanks so much for a great recipe!
I ADORE the dressing. I use it on everything now. My go-to lunch is steamed broccoli and carrots topped with tahini yummness.
Deb – this is excellent! I made it for dinner two nights ago (with the allspice) and finished off the leftovers myself last night. Sadly, there is none left now. Loved it but will leave out the parsley next time. Turns out I like parsley only slightly better than cilantro.
Ok — I have never had a smitten fail until now. The flavors were so, so bland. What did I do wrong? Followed it to the letter. I’m wondering if some tahini is better than others? This just totally lacked flavor — sort of grainy and mushy and … meh. Seriously bummed out, especially since the tahini cost me almost $10! I’m sure it’s some failure of ingredient quality or technique, but I can’t figure it out.
Meanwhile, I made a banana cake and topped it with Deb’s “Ridiculously Easy Butterscotch Sauce” and OH MY GOD it transported me!
Made this for book club last night with the parsley and allspice. The ladies gobbled it up. The flavours were better today, there was only 1/2 cup or so left! I added an extra TBSP of tahini to my dressing as when I made it, the nutty flavour was lacking and it seemed too runny. It thickened up later though. I will probably make this again. Healthy and fresh.
Just made this recipe for a small dinner party, and it was a huge hit! As others have reported, there are (sadly) no leftovers. Guests were practically licking their plates. Trader Joe’s was out of tahini, so I used hummus instead and thinned it out with the juice of one lemon plus a little extra olive oil–it worked wonderfully! I also added fresh arugula to the salad and served the whole concoction atop a bed of quinoa. Delicious! This is my first time trying a recipe from this blog, and I’m now hooked!
Deb, this recipe was fantastic! I just made it this evening for dinner for my roommate and I. The nutty zip of the dressing complemented the sweetness of the squash so well. The perfect recipe for a chilly Canadian November evening.
We may have eaten it as a main course instead of a side, so no left overs for us. Guess we’ll have to wait until next time to see what it tastes like the next day.
Mmmm, I just (finally) made this and it is indeed fantastic. It was great with the zucchini carpaccio that this site also introduced me to! Thanks :)
Yum! Never one to leave a good thing be, I jazzed this up with pomegranate seeds, toasted walnuts, and feta cheese. Oh, my! Thanks for this recipe!
Tried this salad the 1st time cause it sounded intriguigin. Have since made it over and over again. I like the pomegranate suggestion. Great salad!
This was SO GOOD. I doubled the recipe and upped the garlic a little but otherwise made as written. This is going to be a regular part of my repertoire now, for sure.
I made this and it was AMAZING. Delicious, healthy, and gorgeous to look at. And completely satisfying, too… definitely a vegan dish that would make any carnivore flip. Thanks for this beautiful recipe!
I’m going to back up Marla on this one. The resident carnivore in my house thought it was delicious! Beautiful AND awesome. Also, I used to be afraid of any recipe that called for peeling butternut squash, but I got a spiffy new Kitchenaid veggie peeler, and it worked like a champ.
O.M.G.!!! I know that is such a valley-girl/overdone comment, but this salad is just INCREDIBLE!!!! Oh, how I WISH I had doubled it!!! There just isn’t enough!!!! Thank you for posting a dish that is faaaaaaaar more than the sum of its parts. This will be a frequent guest’ at our dinner table :-)
This one is so good that despite my mistakes, it is still delicious! My red onion went bad so I skipped it, and I didn’t have nearly enough butternuet squash. Even so, the flavors are so yummy together that I want more! I plan to hit up the store again and make this properly very soon. I love it!
Just made this last night and it is so delicious! My husband and I love to make humus and use chickpeas quite often. These ingredients truly blend and enhance each other!
All I can say is that I did add the allspice plus some cumin and then proceeded to inhale it!!!
I just made this and I licked the bowl clean! Such a fabulous mix of ingredients. I had lime so I used that instead of lemon. And instead of parsley/cilantro, I chopped some arugula (again, what I had) and used that. I think the key is that citrus/tahini flavor against the sweet squash…Love!
To those asking about having it cold: I have to say it’s much better warm. It’s alright cold, just not as dimensional or flavorful. It’s just fine reheated though.
This is SO yummy! Quick, easy, healthy, and so, SO YUMMY! :D
Agree – yummy. I added grilled prosciutto for a salty kick. Keep ’em coming!
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This recipe was absolutely delicious and was very easy to make! I am not a very good cook and the prep work took me a little longer than I’d like to admit but the end result was well worth it. Thanks for sharing!
Wow, I wasted so much time…almost three years since this was posted and I’m just trying it tonight. I did not use the allspice, but really felt a need to add a dash of cumin. I used sweet potatoes instead of squash which I seasoned well with salt. I also felt that the dressing needed a good pinch of salt. Very tasty dinner served with green beans. Thanks for another winner!
I made this last night for the first time – LOVED it! I’ve never had butternut squash before and was looking for a tasty recipe to provide my taste buds with a good introduction to it — and this was it! I made it with the allspice added, too. Delicious!!
Loved this recipe, and I posted about it on my blog! Your recipes are fabulous, and your blog is always one of the first places I look when I’m looking for a new recipe.
Pretty much the only thing I have in the house is a butternut squash and a can of chickpeas… and I was worrying what to cook until I randomly arrived here! looks lovely… xx
I just tried this – OMG AMAZING! I probably could have eaten the entire recipe in one sitting…
I made this a couple of nights ago – yummy!! Just posted it to Pinterest. I hope it helps people find your site.
This site with its recipes just gets better and better. Now I jsut need to stop reading and start making some of them. The Tahini dressing was a totally new idea for me. I have always used Tahini only when I made hummus, but I can totally see a salad with chickpeas and a tahini dressing. Almost like hummus before the mixing and much more beautiful:)
I made this for dinner last night, and it was so tasty and pretty easy to make! I will definitely be making it again soon.
Just made this AGAIN for the millionth time. Love it.
hi deb!
i’m planning to make this for dinner, but i’m having a lot of trouble finding tahini paste here in the south of france. what do you think would be the best substitute in the dressing: peanut butter, hummus or toasted sesame seeds?
thanks!
Would any other squash work? I love butternut, but we only grew acorns this year. I can’t wait to try this recipe.
Do you think I could make this and freeze it this weekend and then serve it for Thanksgiving? Or would it keep that long in the fridge?
I’ve made this before and its a major hit– one of my favorite dishes!
I’ve made this several times now, as posted, and it is fantastic every time. Thanks for the great recipe!
My pantry always has at least three different whole grains (amaranth, quinoa, barley), two to three types of lentils, and dried black beans. I also always have canned tomatoes, so no matter what, I have dinner fixings should I need them.
Don’t know if you’ve already thought of this, but I’ve had an AWESOME time testing recipes that involve adding sriracha sauce to butternut squash. It totally balances the sweetness of the squash and with cilantro, or any of the flavors that belong with sriracha and cilantro traditionally, it can really knock your socks off. When I saw that you had omitted the allspice I thought maybe you, too, had issues with recipes that drew out or highlighted the sometimes overpowering sweetness of veg. like butternut squash, sweet potatoes, yams, etc. Anyway, I love your site – thanks for all of your LOVELY recipes and photos!
I just made this last night and about fought my fiance over the leftovers! SOOOOOOO amazingly delicious! A new favorite!
Made this last night and it was great. It didn’t look as pretty as the picture as I let me squash cook a little too long and so it while tender it was a bit mushy but the taste was fantastic. Thank you!
This is my favorite recipe in the entire world!My husband and I gave up meat for lent, probably just so we have an excuse to eat this every other day. It’s a perfect balance of soft and crunchy. The first time I made it I said to him “I will never make this again”. This was after cutting the butternut squash. But after we tasted the results, I took back what I said. It’s worth the bruised and tired fingers/hands. I could eat it forever, the BEST.
My husband detests raw onion, so I think I’ll roast the onion before tossing. This looks super yummy!
This was sooooo good! I’m a vegan and got this receipe from O magazine and enjoyed it very much. The favor and smell is divine!
This is absolutely delicious! I made it as written, even with the allspice, and wouldn’t change a thing. Wish I would have found it back when you posted it! Thanks for sharing it.
I was baking some rockfish this evening and thought a warm tahini dressing would be lovely over it. I googled and found this recipe, added a bit of dried crushed Greek oregano from my garden, warmed it and served it on the fish. Delectable!
Made this last night and absolutely loved it!!! Used basil instead of cilantro/parsley and omitted the all spice but it truly was delicious!
I made this the other night but instead of chopping onions and having them raw in the salad, i quartered 2 onions, drizzled in oil pepper and salt and roasted with the squash. it flavoured the squash and added some extra moisture to the dish. I also teamed it with lemon fragranced rice to add bulk. It was lovely – i am also addicted to the squash!
For Cream Tea/Pudding/Food Fiends, check out my blog / and twitter https://twitter.com/#!/CreamTeaDiaries
Delicious! I just had it for lunch atop a spinach/arugula mix. Sweet, savory, satisfying. I love your recipes.
I make this all of the time, and it is crazy delicious. I usually make w/ cilantro & white beans, but love that you can use anything you have on hand.
Most recently (I’m having the leftovers right now), I didn’t have as much squash, so also added some roasted beets from the CSA because they needed to be used. The sweetness of the beets went great with all the other ingredients( and so pretty!).
I’m going to make this today, but the lazy way! I have all the ingredients for the salad, plus some homemade hummus I’m trying to use up (which obviously has the exact same ingredients as the dressing, plus the chickpeas for the salad), so I’m just gonna mix it all together! Might be a little weird texture-wise, but probably still great flavor-wise. :-)
I am exclaiming various yums out loud with every bite. This is SO delicious!
Every now and then I come back to check this recipe, just to make sure I’m doing it right, and this time around I realised how true your first paragraph is – I cannot stop eating this salad. Nearly 4 years down the track and I’m still making it constantly. I can’t believe I still have friends who haven’t eaten it.
This is the only recipe that comes out good over and over again. I just can’t believe how delicious it is!
I am not sure why you’d leave the allspice out, it adds just a subtle oomph to the all over flavor. Also, I must disagree with earlier comments that called allspice “sweet.” I suppose if you are the sort who only crack open the allspice when making pumpkin pie or can’t fathom using cinnamon in anything but sweets and baked goods, then I see where you are coming from but you are not only wrong but missing out on many of the world’s cuisines that use these “sweet” spices in savory applications. Think Jamaican jerk (allspice). Greek moussaka (cinnamon), Indian vindaloo (cinnamon) and on and on… Back to the recipe- it is delicious. I have eaten it for work lunches all week and is best when room temp as a leftover. It loses its pretty vibrant color as leftovers, so maybe only serve to company when fresh. I will keep this in rotation, thanks for the lovely recipe that is perfect for fall.
A perfect recipe! All the ingredients combine magically into a magnificent taste explosion.
My addition to the recipe, to be able to serve it as a main, is simply serving it with quinoa. For the rest, I woudn’t change a thing :)
PS: this recipe definately makes it into my personal recipebook, after just making it once….
I just tried out this recipe at work and I am seriously IN LOVE with it!And I was not the only one…I have been making some of your recipes recently and you have become my favorite, thank you for existing!
Ghazel
Your website is amazing and I love your recipes. This is an especially great one! I have posted a link to it under my own recipe for roasted butternut squash salad with tahini-yogurt-herb dressing. Do take a look when you have a chance.
https://cook2jhoom.wordpress.com/2012/04/15/spicy-roasted-butternut-squash-salad-with-a-yogurt-tahini-herb-dressing/
I look forward to your cookbook. I have also recently published a cookbook on healthy Indian food,
Best wishes, Cheeku Bhasin
I put this in a wrap and it was DELICIOUS. I took skipped the allspice. Keep the recipes coming!
I made this as written (and did include the allspice – yum!) and my only regret is not having made it SOONER. It is fantastic, fantastic, fantastic. I think tonight we’ll polish it off as a couple others have suggested– by drizzling on a little Sriracha (my fave!!) and eating it as a wrap-style sammich perhaps to include a smidge of goat cheese. I think the only change I’d make for next time is to use cilantro instead of parsley (I could eat cilnatro from the palm of my hand like potato chips but I happened not to have any at the time.) Deb, I am full-on in love with your blog and am ecstatic to have received your cookbook for Christmas!! XOXO
I bought a jar of tahini some weeks ago to “treat” myself, having never had it before, and immediately decided it was the most disgusting foodstuff on the planet. This recipe has saved tahini for me. What a fantastic taste.
I made this recipe and it was good. My squash was bit too tender – was more mushy and did not stay in cubes. I added a bit of honey, as I found the dressing to be on the verge of too tart. I will make this again and cut back on the lemon juice just a bit. Also, part of directions said 2 T of olive oil plus more to taste. Without adding a bit more, the dressing is very thick. I think it need about 4 T of olive oil in dressing to get a dressing which was to the consistency I like. Overall, I liked the flavors and colors of this salad. If you’re looking for a vegan/paleo salad, this one works (err, if you don’t add the honey).
Hi Rondi — You can also use water to thin the tahini, rather than just adding more oil.
I didn’t really care for this recipe. It sounded good, but in the end I think all of the flavors were too mild or something, it didn’t pack much of a punch. Thanks though!
I made the recipe and added a bit of wildflower raw honey to the dressing mix. i think it went really well with all the flavors.
Made this a few nights ago for dinner with poached eggs on top, using your easy method…yum…
Love love this recipe and eat it once a week! Trying to lose some weight and I’m wondering if anyone knows the nutrition and calorie information of the recipe? Thanks
I made this last night – added well chopped kale for colour and it tasted great. I didn’t have Tahini so used natural peanut butter and sesame oil 50:50 and was just fine. Will have to stock up on tahini for next time though.
I have my husband on a salad diet right now (poor guy) and this was his favourite by far. He even took the leftovers for lunch – first time ever :)
Just made this today again, with some adjustments that really amped up the flavor! I roasted the squash with cayenne and garam masala, which gave it a great kick and made it wonderfully fragrant. I also put like six cloves of garlic in there, but then I love garlic! Served over couscous, with pepitas for crunch, this was incredibly satisfying!
This has become a weekly staple in our house and is amazing with a sprinkle of dukkah. Thanks so much for another amazing recipe!
Definitely going to keep this one in mind when butternut squash comes back into season! Anything with chickpeas is a winner in our house!
I made this for dinner with a few changes. I used sweet potatoes instead of squash, and a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves instead of allspice. It was delicious. I thought the spices added a lot to dish and would recommend not omitting them! I took an idea from another commenter and served it with some warm pita and tzatziki sauce. Yum!
I made this last night and it was incredible! Perfect for fall. I didn’t have any tahini so I just threw in a few huge scoops of store bought hummus. It did the trick.
Thank you so much for sharing Deb.
Made this for supper tonight – after years of reading this site without commenting, had to say how delicious this salad is! Beautiful colors, great flavor, and super easy to throw together. Thanks, Deb!
Deb, I just want to tell you how wonderful this recipe is. It’s been my staple dish for a few years and is ALWAYS a favorite. I feel lucky to have stumbled upon this recipe and to be able to share it with others.
Deb,
This salad was outstanding! I made it for a dinner party on Sat. night, and sadly, there were no leftovers. In my mind, the fresh cilantro really does the trick.
This is delicious!
It was flavorful and easy to put together.Thanks for sharing!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was DELICIOUS! I didn’t use the allspice either (and I agree with you in not using it) and I didn’t have lemon juice on hand so in a pinch I used grapefruit juice and it was extremely successful! It was so good, I’m already thinking of the next time I can make it!
I made this last night with the allspice, which I think paired very well with the cilantro and red onion. Plus allspice roasted butternut squash makes your house smell incredible! I loved all of the flavors together and we’re eating leftovers with rice today. I didn’t put all of the dressing in the salad, so we are using leftovers for falafel tonight!
This is vegan too! One of my favorites.
Made this tonight and it was AMAZING. Added feta and toasted sesame seeds, and kept in the allspice. Perfect! Definitely going in my rotation.
I took Anna’s suggestion and added the feta and toasted sesame seeds. (In our family, we say that feta makes it betta.) I also tried a mix of other spices (we don’t have allspice here in Kenya), mainly garam masala with a little cinnamon, clove, and cardamom. I am not sure all the spices came through in the finished product, but the house sure smells nice and the salad is delicious. Looking forward to the leftovers!
This recipe sounds fantastic! Just read it, haven’t tried it, so this is probably a recipe sin but I have a suggestion – try roasting the chickpeas with cumin. Then you will have a nice crunch in the salad and an added flavor kick. I’m currently volunteering in Tajikistan (pyramids of watermelon everywhere here!) but the moment I get back this is being made!
THIS WAS SO DELICIOUS. I used allspice and added some feta, which gave some extra taste and texture to the recipe.
I cooked the buttenut this way, and never ended the recipe as I just ate the butternut like this on its own !!!
This recipe has become a go-to for my boyfriend and I. He requests it constantly, actually….we are making it tonight! These are ingredients we often have around the house, it’s delicious and in my mind, very healthy. Thank you!
When I ask my husband what he wants for dinner, he inevitably says, “Whatever you want to make; it’s always good.” I made this for the first time a few days ago. He wanted the leftovers (which were few) for breakfast the next morning. When I asked him what he wanted for dinner tonight, he asked for this instead of the usual “whatever…” Huge hit with both of us. This is definitely going in the regular rotation. I have yet to find a recipe on this blog that we don’t love, but this one is just extra special. Thank you!
My husband made this last week with bhopla or red pumpkin. We live in India and could actually get most of the ingredients! (Made our own tahini in the food processor– I’m sure is available, but who knows where). We loved it so much he made it again yesterday. Nothing like roasting squash and cooking beans to make our flat smell like fall! We ate it with roti– delicious! Thanks for the novel, yet homey dish!
Loved this recipe. I added some farro and sautéed kale to bulk it up for lunch.
Made this for dinner this weekend for the first time. Fantastic!
For the record, if you’re making this at one a.m. and mysteriously out of tahini *and* peanut butter, red miso makes a pretty good substitute in the dressing. I added a little black sesame oil for authenticity, and it smells *great.* Love this. :D
Should this be tagged under “Vegan”?
Thanks, now it is.
This is a great recipe! Even though it is perfectly perfect exactly as written, I have to suggest trying it with Delicata squash sometime. Delicata’s are SO delicious and completely underrated. Their sweetness is an excellent pair for this recipe.
I love this recipe – in fact I think I’ll make it tonight as I have a lovely butternut squash in my organic veg box.
Being in the UK I always associate this with Moro.
As Molly herself notes it’s from their second cookbook Casa Moro.
http://orangette.blogspot.co.uk/2007/10/sneaky-sneaky.html
You can find it in the section on vegetable dishes.
Having eaten it for a while I would recommend room temperature over chilled to bring out the aromatics, but each to their own taste!
Also this is a great party dish as it’s easy to share and can be prepared ahead. No matter how big a bowl of this we make it all goes!
I made something along these lines, but with some elements of a similar Cook’s Illustrated recipe (added Aleppo pepper to the squash, a bit less tahini and lemon juice, no water, added pistachios and ricotta salata because the store didn’t have the feta I wanted, and didn’t have an herb to add).
Maybe it’s the changes, but… I don’t get it. It tastes fine, but the comments were all So Enthusiastic I was expecting it to knock my socks off. (Like the CI squash pasta with bacon, scallions, sage, lemon juice and almonds — admittedly, I was pretty hungry, but dang was that good.)
BTW, I think reserving some dressing for later is a good idea — otherwise the salad absorbs it.
This salad is marvelous. I have made it twice in two weeks and I can’t stop thinking about it. Just two modifications: I used half the allspice – 1/4 tsp, which for my taste was the perfect subtle hint of warm spice without being overwhelming, and I roasted the chick peas following the instructions for Deb’s chick pea-carrot-tahini salad. I am recommending it to everyone I know.
This looks delicious but I am wondering where the “Warm” bit comes into the service of the dish as you state to cool the squash after roasting. Did I miss something?
I don’t have allspice, but do have many other single-ingredient spices. What would be the best substitute?
Brittany — You’ll probably be just fine without it.
Love this recipe. I roast the butternut squash with cumin and smoked paprika instead of allspice, and I think the flavors work really well with the tahini dressing.
Gorgeous recipe! I pre-roasted a mix of sesame seeds, cumin, coriander & fennel and added this to my butternut. Totally delish!
Just made this … I think the next time I make this, I’ll add lots more onion.
I <3 red onion! Yum.
Just made this for dinner and it was just to-die-for delish!! Thanks for sharing!
I just made this, and threw in a beet for good measure. WOWWWWW!! The experience of eating this is on par with eating a good steak. So much depth of flavor, so satisfying. I made it to eat all week for lunch but… maybe I’ll just eat it all now?
I’ve ended up doing the same! It’s such a surprisingly robust dish of flavor.
Thank you…this was so delicious!! And we had a little bit of leftovers, which I fork smashed and mixed with a little water and our 6 month old loved it. Thanks for another great recipe for the whole family!
Do you have any thoughts on what to do with leftover tahini dressing?
Brittany — I adore it on roasted eggplant and/or roasted cauliflower. Great to dip cucumbers or carrots into. Hope that helps.
I made this last night. Delicious!! I roasted the chickpeas with the squash to give them a little color and added cumin. I tossed in half of a chopped cucumber for a nice bit of crunch. Thank you for a great potluck salad!
can you microwave the squash when it’s hot outside? to keep from heating up the oven?
Hi! I have made this before and absolutely loved it but now I want to make it a few days ahead since I know I won’t have time to make it the day I need it. I’ve seen other people asked this question but I didn’t see an answer so I was wondering how long will this keep and will it keep longer if I do up the squash and the dressing separately but only combine them at the last minute? Thanks!
Tirtza — It should keep for a few days but I do prefer adding the dressing before eating it or it absorbs a lot.
Four servings…. Ha! More like two adult servings and a little held back for the baby.
This was very good! I added a tiny bit of maple syrup to the dressing — maybe my tahini was too bitter? Great recipe.
This has become a staple in our house – perfect for lunch, and for dinner, we just add a big scoop of farro or quinoa underneath. Make extra dressing, because it’s so good, you’ll want to smother everything with it!
Holy moly. I had the ingredients, so on a lark I assembled as directed. Did not disappoint. Every flavor distinct and yet compositely synergistic. I upped the cilantro because I hate seeing the remains of a bunch wilt. I decreased the tahini and increased the water for my nutritional needs, and yet, the sesame still shone through the filter of tart lemon. And a glorious filter it is, somehow softening the onion and cilantro without losing the bright notes. I’ve made many of the meals on your site over the years (notably the dobos torte), but this one was the one that got the comment, because I can guarantee it’ll be a repeat say, next week. Thank you so much. I’ll go forth and spread the enlightenment. Best wishes to you and yours.
I’ve made this several times as written, but I just made this with carrots, because they were all I had. Delicious! So glad you posted it on Facebook today and reminded me of an old favorite.
this looks delicious. can’t wait to try it
Made this and it was yummy. I used cumin instead of allspice and loved that flavor. I can’t stand onion (especially raw) so I left those out and added mushrooms to beef it up – tasted really good but I am sure the crunch is nice as well!
Have you made this with roasted chickpeas? I’m going to try it :)
I’m curious to know if the roasted ones will wallow in and soak up the tahini dressing quite the same way. I pressure cook mine because I always seem to cross the fine line between roasted and charcoal.
this salad is delicious!
I am 61, been cooking 55 years (really) & love this. Thanks, Deb.
sooooo good
I added just a teaspoon of raw honey to the dressing and OMG – that hint of sweet with the nutty and citrus flavors is amazing.
This was delicious.
What can you suggest in place of the lemon- I can’t eat citrus … thanks
A mild wine vinegar, perhaps white.
Oh my gosh, this is everything and more than I had hoped! Creamy, luscious, tangy, satisfying! I will make this all fall and winter! In our post-Hurricane Irma stores, I didn’t find any parsley, but I will enjoy this masterpiece over arugula! Thanks, and rock on!!
Absolutely delicious! Served over a bed of arugula and farro makes for a perfect dinner! Yum.
I love this recipe and make it often in the fall. Today’s riff was especially good so I wanted to share:
1, I microwaved the chickpeas (without draining) for 5 minutes.
2, I added about 1/3 cup of the chickpeas’ liquid to the tahini dressing–it loosens up the dressing so it coats everything more evenly.
3, I soaked the minced onions in the lemon juice (from the dressing) before combining all the dressings’ ingredients.
4–the best part–I roasted the butternut squash with a dressing made from about 2 T gochujang, 2 T miso, 2 T oil, and 2 t lemon juice. I roasted them at 400°F so they wouldn’t burn and turned them more often than I would without the dressing. They turned out like the most amazing sweet potato fries–caramelized, slightly crisped, and creamy inside.
I love this one! I add a cup of cooked faro and some feta on top. I make more dressing since I add in the faro.
I stretched this to a family sized meal by roasting another half a squash, and serving it on a bed of baby spinach with crumbled feta on top. It was amazing!
So this was delicious – but I went wrong somewhere as the squash+dressing turned into a yummy but mushy paste in my bowl :) I like the combination of flavors so will try again!
Yes if you roast the squash til it’s soft, it definitely can do that — it was headed there for me too. Next time I’ll roast it a little less.
So this was referenced in the recent New Yorker article about you and your new cookbook (Christmas done!), and since I’m trying to save money and calories between holiday parties, it seemed like a good dinner/lunch option. I admit though that I was a little skeptical — I love chickpeas, but they can be flavor killers! And while this is hardly spicy, the butternut squash, garlic and lemon juice really brighten the whole dish.
Also, to stretch the leftovers a bit more, I added leftover brown & wild rice, which added some nice texture too. Yum!
Oh and I forgot to add that I agree the allspice didn’t make sense, but sumac plays well with all the other flavors so I used that instead!
I used cumin and spicy paprika on the butternut squash. And sprinkled pepitas on top. Inspired by another sk butternut squash dish. Made this on Sunday for lunch for the week. Put it on a bed of arugula and added the dressing before I left for work each day. Just the best fall meal prep lunch…
Found this recipe in your email today and randomly had some butternut squash to use. We love it! I can’t wait to have it again for lunch tomorrow. Thank you for your amazing recipes – you never disappoint!
Delicious! The combination is a perfect blend of elements you’d never think to combine. A great salad for the transition between winter and spring.
I just made this for this week’s lunch. By the time I was done it was room temp, I had been making tonight’s dinner and prepping tomorrow’s at the same time, but it’s still amazing. I can’t stop eating it and at this point I may not have lunch this week.
This is delicious, and also tastes great cold. Perfect make-ahead for a summer evening garden party.
Crumbled some feta over the top before serving — YUM! Served with some roasted chicken, asparagus, and Yogurt Panna Cotta for dessert (also from Deb), and it’s the perfect “Garden Party” dinner.
This looks fabulous, and I am going to try it as a side with roasting the chickpeas.
I’m still making and eating this, many many years after coming across this recipe (one of the first I found on this website). Classic. Abundant thanks, Deb :-)
Served this with fried Halloumi, perfect dinner. Will make again.
I made this for desk lunches this week – subbed sumac for allspice, added a thinly sliced shallot and a small bunch of chopped cilantro. So good!
Winner recipe! I made a few subs to suit what I had on hand/in the garden and it was delicious. Cumin instead of allspice, roasted the butternut longer- about 40min- ’til it started to crisp on the edges, added some thinly sliced kale and used fresh basil instead of cilantro. To the dressing, I added a bit of honey and some sesame oil. Served on wild rice and I will make this many more times! Thanks, Deb.
This was super easy to prepare and absolutely delicious! The blend of flavors is fun! Thanks Deb!
How does this only have three stars?!?! I’ve made this several times, no adjustments…it’s fabulous! Friends and family also rave about it.
It’s true, this is so easy to make and so hard to stop eating. I made it my own by warming up the chickpeas and onions and placing inside a freshly baked naan, that I folded over. We were out of cilantro and parsley so I sprinkled some Furikake (Sesame Seed and Seaweed mix from Japan) on the top.
I recommend leaving in the allspice and adding the chickpeas to the roasting pan. It will give them a crisper, nuttier flavor which I found rounded out the softened squash cubes nicely.
Great with toasted sunflower seeds.
This recipe is delicious! The flavors meld
Perfectly together and makes for a yummy cold night main course or side dish.
I LOVE smitenkitchen!
Delicious! Instead of just adding the chopped onions as is, I quick pickled them in red vinegar while preparing the other ingredients.
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Wow. My inner thoughts after my first bite: be calm, pace yourself, you can make it again…..how many calories am I eating .
It’s really difficult to cope with liquid ingredients that are expressed in different measurements, particularly when the size of cups varies among different countries.
If a tablespoon holds 15ml and an American cup holds 240ml, then a recipe which requires 2 tbsp (30ml) oil and 1/4 cup (60ml) of lemon juice contains twice as much lemon juice as oil, right? It would be so much easier to see that if you expressed both liquid measures in tablespoonfuls.
Since you posted this, its become one of my favorite dead-of-winter-can’t-eat-any-more-soup work lunches. I roast the squash on Sunday night and eat it through Thursday (I store it undressed). I really love it with some thinly sliced radicchio–gives it an extra crunch and slight spice, plus the colors just work well together.
So yummy! Thanks for saving me from endless lentil soup
I’ve made this so many times for my family and for company. It’s just one of those very reliable recipes. The taste is something a little different than usual. Tonight I’m serving it with roast lamb. Can’t wait to eat it again.
Made this yesterday and added slices of sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts, some stir-fried sirloin slices (marinated for a few minutes in lime juice, olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic salt & pepper) – tossed everything together with arugula and it was a pretty substantial dinner!
I found this so bland that I was sure I’d left something out. I think I re-read the recipe 20 times!….even my spice averse spouse found it bland.
If I make again (spouse loves b’nut squash AND chickpeas), I will add smoked paprika to squash for roasting and aleppo pepper to dressing.
I was deperate for a little crunch – I think pistachios sprinkled per serving or even just some celery.
I love you, Deb. I got to “1/2 teaspoons ground allspice”, felt resistance then read “(I skip this)” :-D
This looks delicious and I have all the ingredients! I will probably roast the chickpeas for extra texture.
This recipe popped up on Instagram just as I was in the market for an interesting dish to take to Friendsgiving this year. I made it last night to try it out, and wow! We loved it! Sure, it has “salad” in it’s name, but it made for a great vegetarian main course. I used half as much allspice, but will probably increase it next time. I’m also very tempted to double the recipe while I’m at it. Thanks for another hit!
I plopped this on top of a bed of arugula to add some greens to the dish and it is still phenomenal. Thank you!!!!
Is there any other dressing that would be good other than tahini? I really disliked the tahini – and I love hummus and Mediterranean flavors. This dish fell short for me because of the overpowering Tahini sauce. If there is another sauce to try with it – I’m all ears!
somewhere in the comments someone made this with almond butter instead of tahini….I think that would be nice
sooo surprisingly good! thanks :)
I made this last night along side roasted chicken. The hubby said that it was the most delicious dinner- I agree!
I wanted to try roasting frozen butternut squash and when I did, they turned out tasty but very mushy. But I still made this recipe and turned it into a dip. OMG, so tasty! Then I used the dip as a spread on a veggie sandwich. so amazing!!
I liked nearly everything about this recipe – thanks for sharing it. It was warm and comfy – easy to put together. Served alongside roast chicken. We found the red onion to be a bit overpowering. I’d eliminate or cut by half next time.
YESSSSSSS! I love this recipe so much and shared it with friends as a quarantine recipe suggestion. I’ve made it twice in the last few weeks. All of the ingredients (except fresh parsley/cilantro) are long-lasting, which is great for spacing out grocery runs.
I like to eat this as a main course, served over brown rice, farro or quinoa :)
Made as written (with cilantro) plus a dusting of smoked paprika over the top at the end. Oh wow! How is it so much more than the sum of its parts? A perfect lunch. Thank you!
I see what you mean about no leftovers—my husband and I just polished it off for lunch, and we’re talking about when we’ll have it again!
Made this today for lunch on the first day of fall. It was good but I found myself craving more texture. Everything was just really soft. I think next time I would definitely roast the chickpeas and maybe add in some kind of nut – pistachio or pepitas or something for extra crunch.
This was a delight! I substituted shaved shallots on the mandolin for the red onion. I also used leftover pinto beans instead of chickpeas, which was a less ideal texture (added a sprinkle of chopped almonds to compensate) but plenty tasty.
This was great! We roasted the squash at 450 degrees and it ended up taking about 40 minutes. We also roasted the chickpeas. We didn’t have red onion, but we caramelized a white onion and used it instead. We found the dressing a little bit too lemony and not garlicky enough, so we would try this again with 2 cloves of garlic and 3 tbsp lemon juice. When we make this again, we’ll try adding some quinoa!
I made this tonight. I was optimistic based on the comments, but wow! It was really delicious. I roasted the chickpeas. I can’t wait to make it again.
Yum! we all really loved this. I noted several comments that said the salad needed a bit more texture, so I crisped the chick peas in the oven and added a stalk of celery, diced, and a little bit of radicchio that needed to be used up. Delicious. I think some cucumber, cut into smallish chunks, would also be great. The dressing was definitely on the lemony side, but it worked with the rest of the salad. Used a combination of kabocha and delicata squashes, since that’s what I had. Served with marble rye toast and a gingery green soup for flavor and texture contrast — a perfect dinner.
This was fantastic! We didn’t have red onion, but we caramelized some white onion, and we replaced the tahini with soy butter. We’ll definitely make this again, and try adding some quinoa, too!
I make this at least a few times every fall/winter. We like to add any of the following: pepitas, chicken, feta cheese, red pepper flakes, fresh spinach or arugula. Always on top of a grain like farro or barley, to make it a meal. Keeps beautifully in the fridge, sauce is also bulked up by adding some Greek yogurt, and the flavor still sings!
Made this tonight with the allspice. Delicious! Will put this recipe on repeat in our house.
I made this last night. 25 minutes wound up being a little too long for my squash and it turned out a little mushy. I smashed it up with all the other ingredients and then toasted some crusty bread with olive oil and did a sort of bruschetta thing and it was amazing. The crunchiness of the red onion and the bite of the chickpeas gave it plenty of texture so it wasn’t like baby food at all, which is always my main concern with overcooked squash. I could not stop eating it. I’m literally eating it now as I type this novel.
I also added in some feta cheese. I somehow only had half of a lemon but I had made a salad dressing with lemon and dill the week before and sort of incorporated it into the tahini dressing and it was delicious.
A big squeeze of lemon would’ve really tied it all together for me but this was so satisfying that I didn’t miss it (much)
I first made this as written but had a few issues:
1) My husband and I both found the tahini dressing to be too much. We have had tahini success in the past with other dishes but it’s possible we’re picky about how we eat tahini (and maybe even picky about excessive lemon juice as well).
2) 1 1/2 inch pieces is too big! It leaves too much of the squash unseasoned, and I’m not a fan of unseasoned squash. Probably not a problem if you are using the super-strong tahini dressing, but see Issue #1 — we weren’t really using the tahini dressing. So, ultimately, the dish ended up being very flavorless and blah.
But I still really liked the idea of a squash and chickpea combination. SO! I made it again with some alterations, ditching the tahini dressing and instead focusing more on the garlic/allspice. I quadrupled those two seasonings and used a lot more than a few pinches of salt (1 3/4 tsp). I also cut the squash into much smaller (half inch) pieces. Then, in place of the dressing, I just used a simple 2 T olive oil + 1 T lemon juice. Husband and I both loved it!!
I’ve made this more times than I can remember and it really is wonderful! Also tastes nice sprinkled with zaatar and/ or pomegranate 🥰
Made this today, over a decade after it was originally posted and loved it — if that’s not testament to its star power, I don’t know what is. A few tweaks, many of which have individually been done by other commenters too. I roasted the squash with smoked paprika and toasted cumin, served on a bed of mixed greens, and added toasted pistachios, a few arils of pomegranate and a sprinkle of sumac on top. Can see this work with with a yogurt-tahini dressing for those who like the tahini milder, with honey or maple in the dressing and feta to amp up the saltiness, with toasted pepitas or pine nuts, with zaatar, with fresh mint instead of cilantro/parsley. This thing can go places without leaving my kitchen! It is complexity, deliciousness, texture and flavour heaven.
So this is really delicous, despite (or maybe because) I (as usual) didn’t really read the instructions very well, and roasted the chickpeas along with the squash- adding a delicous crunchy, spiced chickpea crouton to the mix.
I made this today for lunch, and it was amazing. Thank you so much.
For those who substituted cumin, instead of allspice, did you use the same amount? Thanks!
This was super nice! Serve it as a warm meal over quinoa or as a salad over greens
I used cumin instead of all spice, and added the chickpeas (drained and dried) to the pan to roast for the last 10 mins. (I made a half batch so it fit on one pan)
Not sure where I found this tahini sauce on Smitten Kitchen, but I have been a huge fan of it for over a year (though add a dessert spoon of maple syrup and half the garlic) – is amazing with any roast veg.
I made this as directed and it is a keeper! I thought the dressing by itself was heavy lemon flavor …but then again I am not eating the dressing like a soup :-). When I spooned the dressing on and stirred and spooned on some more and stirred and had a taste that is when I said “Oh yea”! I scooped some in a bowl with some shredded lettuce on the side with a few tablespoons of TJs Tomato basil hummus. Yep, it’s a keeper!
This is delicious! We’re making it for the third time in two weeks. The first time we made it, as we were in the middle of eating it, my husband said we need to make this again.
We put it on top of a bed of kale and it was a filling autumn meal!
Made this tonight and it was delicious, thinking of roasting the chickpeas as well next time!
Absolutely delicious sweet and savory combination. Used pre-cut squash to save time and omitted the red onion in favor of not venturing to the store. Throwing this together was a spur-of-the-moment effort, but with the complexity of the flavors you would never know. Thanks, Deb!
Very riffable recipe! I cooked black chickpeas that I needed to use up, and an acorn squash following directions. Soaked plenty of red onions in the lemon juice before adding it to the dressing. Served on a delicious bed of arugula as others have suggested. Thank you!