I like a hearty salad that really gives you something to chew on and fills you up. This is one such salad – with crisp and crunch from the cucumber and jicama, creamy avocado, and roasted squash that adds an almost meatiness. You can of course add in other veg that you like and change things up depending on the season. I finish it off with a tangy and sweet kumquat marmalade dressing because I’m lucky to have a friend with a kumquat tree hookup, but orange marmalade works great too.
Guessipe
- 1 small kabocha squash, olive oil, salt, pepper
- 1 small jicama, cut into matchsticks
- 4 Persian cucumbers, sliced into rounds
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 bunch green onions, sliced
- 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
- 2 avocados, sliced
DRESSING
- Kumquat or orange marmalade
- Rice vinegar
- Salt and pepper
Microwave the squash for 5 minutes, to soften it up for easy cutting. Cut the squash into pieces 1/2-inch wide and 2 inches long. Save the seeds for roasting separately (check out my Guessipe for Spicy Sweet Roasted Squash Seeds)! Toss the squash in a couple TBSP olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Roast at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes, turn the pieces over, and roast another 15 minutes.
Combine the jicama, cucumber, tomato, red onion, green onion, and cilantro in a big bowl.
Make the dressing by whisking together equal parts marmalade to rice wine vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste.
Add the roasted squash pieces to the veg, and toss with the dressing.
Top each serving with some avocado.
