recipe by Saskia Gregson-Williams

Salads use to have a bit of a bad rep: think a pile of green leaves, cherry tomatoes,  some cucumber and, of course, a good dollop of mayonnaise so that you can hide all that bland, dry lettuce. But this is no longer the case. I love my salads packed with colourful, vibrant, fresh vegetables and delicious, thick dressings. This salad perfectly combines all of that: sautéed zucchini ribbons, chunky squash cubes, and naturally sweet red pepper and a tasty tahini dressing. It’s wonderfully filling whilst leaving you feeling light and satisfied. As good as all the veggies are, the sweet tahini dressing really steals the show. Tahini is a little like marmite, you either love it or you don’t, on its own I’m not a fan… but, boy, do I love this dressing!

So (real) salad-virgins, you are in for a treat. Get ready to be amazed!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 medium sized butternut squash, cubed

5  zucchinis shredded into ribbons

1 red pepper, chopped

4 cups green salad leaves

For the tahini dressing:

1/3 cup light tahini

juice 1 lemon

juice 1 orange

2 tbsp manuka honey (use agave if vegan)

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Prepare the vegetables and preheat the oven to 200 degrees celcius. Place the butternut squash and red pepper on a tray drizzle with olive oil and roast for 20-30 minutes. For the zucchini ribbons, in batches sauté in a frying pan until browning, flip and do the other side. Transfer to a plate while you repeat with the rest. In a salad bowl, start by putting in your garden greens, zuchinni ribbons and topping with roasted peppers and squash, For the dressing mix all ingredients together well and toss when serving.