This is such a simple salad, of just a handful of ingredients, but the texture and flavour contrasts definitely means the whole is greater than the sum of the parts!
The crumbly, tart feta contrasts beautifully with the soft and silky butternut squash. Pine nuts add a lovely change of texture, whilst the dill fronds provide a subtle hint of aniseed.
I like to dress it with a honey and mustard dressing, because it's my favourite and I'm completely addicted to it! Other dressings would work too....
For the salad
½ butternut squash
2 tablespoons of olive oil
200g of feta
Handful of pine nuts
Dill
Red onion (optional)
Salad leaves
For the dressing
1 tablespoon of runny honey
½ tablespoon of Dijon mustard
½ tablespoon of wholegrain mustard
2 tablespoons of cider vinegar
6 tablespoons of olive or rapeseed oil
Seasoning
- Pre-heat the oven to 200°C.
- Place the pine nuts on a roasting tray and cook in the oven until they start to turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool.
- Cut the butternut squash in half.
- Peel the top half of the squash and cut into 2cm cubes.
- Spread the squash cubes over the bottom of a baking tray and drizzle over the olive oil. Mix well so that the squash is coated in the oil.
- Place in the hot oven and roast for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and give the pan a good shake. Return to the oven for another 20 minutes, increasing the heat to 210°C for the last 10 minutes.
- Whilst the squash is roasting, place all the dressing ingredients into a jug and mix well to combine.
- Break up or dice the feta.
- Finely chop the dill.
- Arrange the salad leaves on the plates, and top with the squash, feta and a sprinkling of dill and toasted pine nuts.
- Pour over the dressing.
