Friends, say hello to your new favorite autumn salad.
Grocery stores, farmers markets, and gardens are bursting with the final harvest of the year. This, of course, includes squash in more varieties than most people can imagine.
My love for the particular delicata squash meets my love for fresh fall apples in this simple, flavorful, vegan, and gluten free salad.
Let’s make a Harvest Salad with Maple Tahini Dressing.
Delicata squash is my favorite of the fall squashes. While its skin is hard at first, its inside is creamy and sweet when baked. Paired with crunchy apples and crispy chickpeas, this salad is one of many textures and flavors.
To top it all off, I am sharing one of my favorite dressings—my maple tahini dressing. This recipe is simple, yet such a show-stopper. The bitter and earthy tahini pairs perfectly with the maple syrup to create an autumn mixture like non other.
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do! It is:
Colorful
Full of flavor
Earthy
Multi-Textured
Sweet
Nutrient-dense
& so easy to make!
If you try this recipe, be sure to comment, leave a rating, and don’t forget to tag a photo #thelocalsprout on Instagram! I can’t wait to hear what you think!
For more recipes like this, check out my late summer salad with tahini dressing, summer panzanella, rainbow hummus salad bowl, or my avocado pesto pasta salad
Harvest Salad with Maple Tahini Dressing
Materials
Salad:
- 1 delicata squash cubed
- 2 Tbsp. avocado oil or sub coconut oil
- 1 tsp salt
- pinch black pepper
- 4 cups spinach
- 1 apple diced
- 1 cup crispy chickpeas homemade or store-bought
- 2 Tbsp hemp seeds
Maple Tahini Dressing:
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 3 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 garlic clove minced
- pinch salt
- pinch black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- On a large baking sheet, toss squash with oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until squash is fork-tender and slightly golden.
- While squash bakes, prepare dressing by whisking all ingredients in small bowl or cup. Taste, and adjust flavors as desired (adding extra tahini for earthiness, maple syrup for sweetness, apple cider vinegar for tang, and salt for saltiness).
- Prepare the salad by layering cooked delicata squash, apple, and chickpeas over the spinach. Sprinkle with hemp seeds.
- Serve immediately with dressing on the side, pouring over individual servings as needed.
- Leftovers will keep refrigerated in airtight containers for up to 3 days, though best served fresh.