Fall

Moro's Warm Squash & Chickpea Salad with Tahini

January 21, 2014
4.5
12 Ratings
Photo by James Ransom
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

This is a salad that eats more like a gratin, without the cheese hangover. As Food52er Ameliorator put it, "It's vegan, but warm and filling and never leaves you thinking it would have been improved with bacon." Adapted slightly from Casa Moro by Sam and Sam Clark (Edbury Press, 2005). —Genius Recipes

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 2 pounds pumpkin or other winter squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Sea salt and black pepper
  • 14 ounces canned or home-cooked chickpeas, drained
  • 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped (soaked in cold water for 15 minutes if you want to soften the bite)
  • 4 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed to a paste with a pinch of salt
  • 3 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons tahini paste
  • 2 tablespoons water, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Directions
  1. Heat the oven to 425°F.
  2. Toss the squash with the garlic, allspice, olive oil, and some salt and pepper.
  3. Place on a tray, optionally lined with parchment, in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until soft. Remove and allow to cool slightly.
  4. While the squash is cooking, make the tahini sauce. Mix the crushed garlic with lemon juice and add the tahini. Now thin with the water and olive oil, and check for seasoning. You should taste a balance between the nutty tahini and lemon.
  5. To assemble the salad, place the squash, chickpeas, red onion, and cilantro in a mixing bowl. Pour on the tahini sauce and remaining oil and toss carefully. Season with salt and pepper.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Mae
    Mae
  • Cheryl
    Cheryl
  • ItsBrooksie
    ItsBrooksie
  • LittleMissMuffin
    LittleMissMuffin
  • Monica Maloney Heidler
    Monica Maloney Heidler
Genius Recipes

Recipe by: Genius Recipes

54 Reviews

Jmolaei December 3, 2023
Very good! Used Sohla el-Wayll’ys green tahini sauce from her Start Here recipe for Chilled Green Tahinin Soba. Also used minimal oil for the squash, less than 1 T, and no additional oil when adding the tahini sauce. Red onion added nice crunch in contrast to the soft squash & garbanzos.
Will definitely make this again.
 
BBB November 22, 2023
Sounds so good that I'm making to bring to a Thanksgiving dinner. Trying this for the first time so I hope everyone likes it. I will have to double or triple the recipe. Wish me luck!
 
Bqgagliano March 12, 2023
I made this with Yams (a purple Japanese and a sweet potato), added some lemon zest and a few teaspoons of toasted sesame seed oil. This was amazing… I’m going to be trying it with pumpkin, butternut squash, acorn squash and delecatess squash. Home run recipe!
 
ButiButi December 3, 2020
Very good! We used quick pickled red onion instead of fresh, because my kids LOVE pickled red onion but can't handle fresh yet. Served over rice and lettuce and it was a complete meal. We also topped with feta.
 
ButiButi December 3, 2020
Very good! We used quick pickled red onion instead of fresh, because my kids LOVE pickled red onion but can't handle fresh yet. Served over rice and lettuce and it was a complete meal. We also topped with feta.
 
Sallyann T. January 26, 2019
I also crisped half the chick peas and roasted the red onion and added some Aleppo pepper. . Other than that left the recipe intact. Very good served over greens, the next time will be over quinoa. I used butternut squash, not sure how much but the recipe is forgiving.
 
Blue O. November 28, 2017
The squash instructions are ambiguous. Is it two pounds before peeling and cleaning, or two pounds of chopped squash?
 
Anita November 28, 2017
Hey Blue Okra, when I've made this in the past I've bought a squash that was two pounds before peeling and cleaning. That being said, I've bought squash that was much smaller and much larger and it's always ended up being very tasty. :)
 
cookinalong September 16, 2017
I've made this several times and it's wonderful as written. But here are a few variations that were also great for anyone who can't resist tinkering with a recipe! I've added roasted fennel to the mix with good results. We're not fans of red onion (or any raw onions, to be accurate) so I left it out, but doubled (at least) the garlic in the dressing and added some lemon zest along with the lemon juice and subbed Aleppo pepper for the black pepper. Topping it with toasted pepitas gives it crunch and extra nuttiness!
 
Mae June 29, 2017
This was really easy and yummy! I used carrots instead of squash and lime instead of lemon because that's what I had. Definitely adding this to my "Easy weeknight meals" list!
 
Melissa K. January 10, 2017
It was good but mushy. I'd try it again though maybe mix it up w more crunch. Thinking toasted walnuts might be good. It's a good way to use up our abundance of winter squash!
 
Cheryl November 11, 2016
Fabulous! I made my own allspice with cinnamon, cloves & nutmeg; love the flavor it gives. I cooked butternut squash on parchment paper on convection at 425 and it got a bit browned, which was good. Chopped almost the whole onion fine and put it on the tray in the oven for the last 5 mins or so. I didn't add the chickpeas since I used leftovers from Olive Braised Chickpeas (with GF pita) on this site as another dish on my plate. It was an indulgent, delicious meal.
 
ItsBrooksie September 20, 2016
Learned the hard way that this can't be made with frozen butternut squash. It turned to complete mush when I tried to toss the roasted squash with the other ingredients.
 
Ali W. September 18, 2016
Great flavors, but I agree that it came out a bit mushy. Next time I'll roast the chickpeas to get some crunchiness in there
 
JORJ November 11, 2015
Made this tonight to a rave review. Not sure why but my squash got very soft by 20 min and almost seemed like it steamed rather than roasted. Next time I may use two roasting pans. I added celery and grated ginger to the dressing. Yummy! I think next time I may also roast the seeds and add them as a topping.
 
LittleMissMuffin October 30, 2015
I love this dish especially with the chickpeas and red onion both roasted (separately). I'm trying to figure out a way to make finger food out of it for a wine tasting party. I thought I could use toothpicks and thread one piece of yam/squash in between two chickpeas, then top with red onion, cilantro and a drizzle of dressing but the chickpeas split down the middle. Any ideas. Lettuce cups would be too big and messy
 
kaleandsalt November 13, 2015
I would coarsely mash the squash and chickpeas together with minced red onion and maybe an egg to bind it, shape into croquettes, and fry. Serve drizzled with dressing on a toothpick!
 
Monica M. October 26, 2015
Love this one. I fix it all the time for lunch. I’ve swapped out the other veggies with the dressing and just love it. It’s awesome with purple cabbage, the butternut and chickpeas….
 
bluemoon March 9, 2015
I made this last week and it was my first time preparing spaghetti squash and I was surprised that I had a hard time peeling the squash. I am sure there's a technique somewhere that I should have googled. Also, I needed to add more water to liquify the dressing. It was delicious and l look forward making it again (with another winter squash!).
 
CWA22 February 23, 2015
Disappointed - this had such rave reviews I perhaps had too high expectations. The consistency is a little mushy. If I made it again I would roast the squash more briefly at a higher heat. The flavor is pretty good but very mild; I would increase the spices next time as well.
 
RaquelG January 7, 2015
For those who mentioned they would like some crunch, you can roast some of the chickpeas - just toss with the same marinade as the squash, and roast at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes or so. Remove from oven to cool and carry on with the rest of the recipe - add at the end. This way you get the crunchy texture without altering the recipe.
 
ortolan December 20, 2014
Moro was the most delicious restaurant I went to in Europe my last trip. So excited to know they have a cookbook, and thank you for the recipe!
 
Elizabeth December 18, 2014
Made this for a pot luck, and received so many compliments on it. A great vegan, vegetarian dish that all can enjoy!
 
Vinaya December 3, 2014
Made this last night. I love hearty salads during the winter! My boyfriend and I enjoyed eating this very much! Thank you!
 
Anita October 27, 2014
My husband and I eat this every week! It is fantastic. It's also great to have such a hearty, vegan, and gluten-free dish in the rota!
 
claire C. October 7, 2014
This was great! And fairly versatile. I've made it several times. My favorite was using roasted butternut squash along with eggplant. Very filling and tasty served warm or cold the next day.
 
Myrica V. October 2, 2014
This was delicious, easy and highly recommended! I can envision tons of delicious variations, and it's nice looking, too. Make it! Make it!
 
Whitney April 10, 2014
Do y'all delete comments?
 
Lauren R. April 4, 2014
Love this. It's the perfect side dish - warm, rich, creamy, great mix of flavors and textures. It has been on repeat in my kitchen!
 
magpiekate March 15, 2014
This recipe? Le BOMB. Seriously. I modified it a bit (because that's how I do things): when you boil the chickpeas that you have dutifully soaked overnight, put a tea ball filled with fenugreek in the water with them. Failing that, add a stock cube. So nice. Then, I roasted them in our lidded enamel/cast iron pot in the oven with some olive oil, garlic, cinnamon and cumin seeds.

Second, I wound up making this with brown rice and serving it as dinner to my hungry housemates. It was very, very well received. And don't forget to clean and roast the seeds from the squash, too! Very nice as a midnight snack.

This is a fabulous recipe! We've already bought another squash to have it again. ;)
 
Sarah J. March 14, 2014
I made this for dinner tonight and it was wonderful. I soaked the chickpeas overnight and simmered them with half an onion, 2 garlic cloves, and a dried pepper. Then, I tossed them with paprika and roasted them in the oven as the squash was baking so they were nice and crispy! I used a mix of basil and parsley instead of cilantro. It turned out to be a delicious meal!
 
Shalini December 29, 2015
Great idea to offset the potential mushiness by roasting the chickpeas!
 
Megan March 11, 2014
Made this tonight and it was fantastic! Really flavorful. Like another poster I added some broccoli to the squash during the last few minutes of roasting. That added a nice textural contrast. So good!
 
Swiss M. February 21, 2014
I made this nearly exactly to recipe and it was delicious! I cut back on the olive oil and tahini in the dressing because I like my dressings lighter (juice of 2 lemons, 1 Tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp tahini) and I probably doubled the cilantro.
 
Christine February 17, 2014
I made this recipe tonight with butternut squash. So delicious I cannot wait until tomorrow to finish the leftovers! Really flavorful - I will definitely make again
 
Dina February 11, 2014
Added broccoli to the last 10 minutes of roasting squash and devoured! So simple, and so, so good!
 
Ady-foodlover February 8, 2014
Anyone knows how long does this recipe last in the refrigerator?
 
Korena V. February 9, 2014
I kept in in the fridge for 3-4 days to eat for lunch - it kept pretty well but the dressing thickened up in the frige.
 
ellenu February 5, 2014
I agreed with the other comment that it needed a little crunch, so I added a handful of Marcona almonds, and I was out of cilantro, so I omitted that, but otherwise followed the recipe pretty closely. This is an excellent recipe--I love it. Highly recommend. I think this dressing would also be good on steamed broccoli.
 
brigidc January 30, 2014
LOVE this dish. I went a little heavier on the lemon juice, and added some red chile to the squash when roasting. Toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds would also be awesome on top.
 
Korena V. January 29, 2014
I really liked this! I made it for dinner last night, with a few changes based on what was on hand: I roasted some yams along with the squash, and subbed in 2 tbsp of peanut butter in the sauce when I discovered I only had 1 tbsp of tahini. I'm a bit of a raw onion wuss so next time I will definitely soak it in water first. I found I needed to thin out the sauce more than suggested, but this recipe came out really well! I'm enjoying the leftovers for lunch as I type this :)
 
Laura A. January 28, 2014
We thought this had great potential. This recipe has so many favorite ingredients and a great blend of flavors, however we thought it came out a little bland and that the texture was a little too mushy. It really needs some crunch. If I were to make it again, I would increase the allspice and I love the suggestion of pumpkin seeds. When I made this, it was less of a salad and more of a stewish texture, maybe I didn't let the squash cool long enough? Perhaps I would even add a little brown sugar to add a little sweet kick.
 
Mia January 27, 2014
This is a great fall/winter salad! I thought that 3 1/2 tbsp of tahini was a lot (and I like tahini) so I started with 1 tbsp. which was just right for me. Also added pumpkin seeds for extra texture! Yum.
 
mijo January 27, 2014
Just finished yumming it up with this recipe. So good!
 
Monica January 26, 2014
Amazing flavor, filling and healthy!
 
Barb January 25, 2014
This is really good. I added a little extra lemon to the finished salad and a little cayenne to kick it up a bit. Great vegan dish.
 
rbnyc January 24, 2014
I made this dish the other night. Really good. The tahini sauce was a bit thick so I thinned it down a bit to get the right consistency. As a result there was plenty remaining to dress a green salad last night. My wife asked if there was cheese on the squash salad as it tasted "cheesy" to her. I told her it was entirely vegan, no animal products! Great dish. We will make it again for sure.
 
Lisa P. January 23, 2014
Just made this. It was amazing, but I did change one thing. In a separate roasting pan, I roasted the chickpeas, also tossed ion the olive oil allspice mixture.
 
Erin.Quinn January 25, 2014
That sounds like a great idea...to roast the chickpeas!
 
Pegeen January 23, 2014
What is a "cheese hangover" (mentioned in the headnote) ?
 
sarah P. January 23, 2014
Mine came out very sticky and dry. Flavor is great but I think I needed to make the tahini sauce much, much thinner.
 
iwilk January 22, 2014
I always have some cooked chick peas in my fridge, so this appealed to me immediately. The dressing alone is worth the effort. I could use this on so many things. I made this and added some roast chicken breast I had leftover, along with some Italian parsley in place of the cilantro (it's what I had) So good!
 
Nastassia D. January 22, 2014
I made this today, but instead of the tahini sauce I added flaked tuna and fat free mayo
 
denise&food January 22, 2014
Just made the dressing for a salad with mixed greens,white beans, feta and tomato.
Excellent!