Turmeric chicken, roasted pumpkin and lentil salad
A riot of textures and flavours, this vibrant sunset-hued salad is great for family mealtimes – and any leftovers will travel well for lunch al desko.
This is dinner gold. Marrying tender turmeric chicken, roasted pumpkin, and a base of lentils and chickpeas, this sunset-hued salad is a delicious riot of flavours and high-fibre health. It’s fantastic for weeknight meals, and the leftovers are guaranteed to make your lunch al desko shine.
Ingredients
250g (about 2 cups) pumpkin, chopped into 3cm pieces
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp store-bought Moroccan seasoning
700g chicken tenderloins (about 8)
1 tsp ground turmeric
200g (1 cup) black French lentils
2 tsp stock powder (chicken or vegetable)
1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup spinach leaves, roughly chopped
1 Lebanese cucumber, diced
5 spring onions, finely sliced
1 cup mint, finely chopped
150g feta cheese, crumbled
115g (1 cup) slivered almonds, toasted and roughly chopped
85g (⅔ cup) dried cranberries
lemon wedges to serve
LEMON AND MAPLE SYRUP DRESSING
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp pure maple syrup
sea salt and cracked black pepper
Method
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional). Place the pumpkin pieces onto the tray and drizzle with half of the olive oil and the Moroccan seasoning. Mix well and roast for 25-30 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Step 2
Place the chicken pieces in a bowl and drizzle over the remaining olive oil. Add the turmeric, mix to coat, then set aside for at least 10 minutes to marinate.
Step 3
Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil and, once boiling, add the lentils and powdered stock. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 12-14 minutes or until the lentils are tender but not falling apart. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
Step 4
To make the lemon and maple syrup dressing, combine all ingredients in a small jug or glass jar. Season well.
Step 5
Place a large frying pan over medium heat and cook the tenderloins for about 3-4 minutes each side (depending on the size), or until the outside is beginning to brown. You may need to cook them in several batches. Remove from the pan and cut each tenderloin into chunks. Set aside.
Step 6
To make the salad, combine the pumpkin, lentils, chickpeas, spinach, cucumber, spring onion, mint, feta, almonds and cranberries. Drizzle over half of the dressing and toss gently. Check how much more you need; you want the ingredients coated, rather than drenched.
Step 7
Divide the salad among four bowls, topping each with the warm chicken pieces and a lemon wedge to serve.
Tip
Store any leftover dressing in a lidded jar in the fridge, where it will keep for up to a week. It goes well on almost any type of salad.
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Sarah Pound is a nutritionist, author of the cookbook 'Wholesome by Sarah', and a recipe columnist for Good Food.
