Shaved Butternut Chickpea Salad

When peeled ever-so-thinly, butternut squash is a surprising addition to salads. Briefly placing it in hot water serves to make the shavings slightly more tender. You can also add shaved kohlrabi, parsnip, or celery root to this dish.

1 small butternut squash, peeled 
1 large carrot, peeled
1/4 cup (60 mL) squash or pumpkin seeds
6 cups (1.5 L) mixed salad greens such as baby spinach and arugula 
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1/4 cup (60 mL) roughly chopped fresh mint
1 pear, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups (350 mL) cooked or canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 oz (85 g) crumbled soft goat cheese 
Juice of 1/2 orange
1 1/2 Tbsp (22 mL) balsamic or champagne vinegar
1 Tbsp (15 mL) maple syrup
1 tsp (5 mL) poppy seeds
1/4 tsp (1 mL) black pepper
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt 
3 Tbsp (45 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

Bring kettle full of water to boil. Using flat vegetable peeler or mandoline, thinly shave squash and carrot. Place shaved squash in heatproof bowl, cover with boiled water, and let soak for 10 minutes. Drain squash and let cool.

Toast seeds in dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant and lightly browned, shaking the pan often to prevent burning. Let cool.

In large bowl, toss together squash, carrot, salad greens, celery, mint, and pear. Divide salad among serving plates and top each with an equal amount of chickpeas, toasted seeds, and goat cheese.

In small bowl, whisk together orange juice, vinegar, maple syrup, poppy seeds, black pepper, and salt. Whisk in olive oil. Drizzle dressing over salads.

Serves 5.

Each serving contains: 320 calories; 11 g protein; 17 g total fat (4 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 35 g total carbohydrates (13 g sugars, 8 g fibre); 233 mg sodium

source: "Good Gourd", alive #373, November 2013