I love butternut, but my blood-sugar control isn't good so I have to be thoughtful about how I eat it. That's why I LOVE this salad. It's great warm or cold, and satisfyingly dense the way potato salad is. So think of this as a great alternative to potato salad that won't spike your glucose. 

Before we get into the recipe, here are some fun facts about butternut and sweet potato and why butternut is better. Screenshots are from the ZOE personalized nutrition app - learn more about ZOE here.
Both butternut and sweet potato by themselves spike my blood sugar. But look at the difference in glycemic index, sugar, and fiber. Butternut is the way to go for me, which is reflected in the higher Zoe score.
Another fun fact: there's ONE ingredient in this salad that magically flattens the blood glucose spike I'd otherwise get from butternut: 
TAHINI! The goal with ZOE is to eat meals that score 75+ and at least five different plants every day. Here's how this salad scores in ZOE: 

Let's get into the making of it. You're going to start by roasting butternut. I don't know why, but I find that when butternut is served in restaurants in the US, it's always undercooked. Roasted butternut pieces should have the same consistency as roasted sweet potato pieces: firm enough to keep their shape, but soft inside. 

Cover a large baking sheet with silicone cookie sheets or aluminum foil and pour a generous amount of olive oil onto the sheet. Scatter the butternut pieces across the sheet and get them evenly spaced.
Spray with olive oil and then sprinkle with the seasoning of your choice and dab small amounts of garlic on some of the pieces. 
Once the butternut is done, let it cool. Or, if you plan to serve the salad as a warm dish instead, make sure everything else is ready so that you can mix it all together as soon as the butternut comes out of the oven,
While the butternut cooks, prep the tahini sauce. If you haven't worked with tahini before, be prepared for a chemical event! When the tahini hits the lemon juice, it looks like an oil and water situation. 
You have a spoonful a thick beige paste sitting in lemon juice and it's not super appealing. But as they combine, they become a smooth, white liquid easily diluted further by adding water (and olive oil to taste). 


Here's the tahini and lemon chemistry in motion! 
And the lovely final product.
Next, prep the red onion and cilantro. I love these flavors and tend to go heavy on the cilantro. If you aren't a fan, try using parsley instead or just leave this out. 
To assemble the salad, combine the squash, chickpeas, onion, and cilantro in a mixing bowl. Add the tahini sauce and toss carefully. Alternatively, you can serve the salad undressed with the sauce on the side so that each person can use as much or as little as they like.  
This salad, lightly dressed, keeps beautifully in the fridge. Before serving, give it a little jolt in the microwave to take the chill off and make sure you have extra tahini sauce.  
It's a meal on its own but I generally don't eat it that way. Like I've said, it's dense and satisfying the way potato salad is, so I generally eat it as a side along with a green salad and/or fish, with lots of extra tahini sauce on it!

HOW TO MAKE BUTTERNUT AND CHICKPEA SALAD

SERVINGS: 4

INGREDIENTS

For the salad:

  • 1 medium butternut squash (about 2 to 2 1/2 lbs), peeled, seeded and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 medium garlic clove, pressed  
  • 1/2 tsp of ground allspice (or whatever spices you like on roasted butternut)
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • Salt
  • 1 15-ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1/4 of a medium red onion, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup of coarsely chopped cilantro leaves

For the tahini sauce:

  • 1 medium garlic clove, finely minced with a pinch of salt
  • 3 1/2  Tbsp of lemon juice
  • 3 Tbsp of well-stirred tahini
  • 2 Tbsp of water
  • 2 Tbsp of olive oil (or more, to taste)

INSTRUCTIONS


- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (about 220 C)
- Cover a large baking sheet with silicone cookie sheets or aluminum foil and pour a generous amount of olive oil onto the sheet. Scatter the butternut pieces across the sheet and get them evenly spaced. Spray with olive oil and then sprinkle with the seasoning of your choice and dab small amounts of garlic on some of the pieces. 
- You can also toss everything in a bowl together before you scatter it all onto the baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 mins or until soft. Butternut should be treated just like sweet potato - it should be firm-ish but still soft in the middle, otherwise it's undercooked. Remove from the oven and cool.
- To make tahini sauce: in a small jug or bowl, whisk together the garlic and lemon juice. Add the tahini and whisk to blend (it'll go from gloppy beige to smooth white). Add the water and olive oil and keep whisking. Add seasoning to taste. The sauce should have plenty of tahini flavor but also a kick of lemon. If it's too bitter or the lemon is too strong, add olive oil. 
- To assemble the salad, combine the squash, chickpeas, onion, and cilantro in a mixing bowl. Add the tahini sauce and toss carefully. Alternatively, you can serve the salad undressed with the sauce on the side so that each person can use as much or as little as they like. 
- NOTE: This salad, lightly dressed, keeps beautifully in the fridge. Before serving, give it a little jolt in the microwave to take the chill off and make sure you have extra tahini sauce.