I came up with this dish because I wanted something light and filling, but was tired of my standard recipes. When working with black beans I often gravitate towards the obvious, Mexican inspired flavors. So, this time I decided to be a bit more adventurous. There was a butternut squash I had bought on a whim that had not found its place in the weekly menu yet. I don’t usually think of black beans and butternut squash as going together, but they both pair well with spices like cumin, coriander, and turmeric. After making the decision to use the squash the trick was how to bring in the raw salad element I wanted. A big bed of spinach sounded good, but my regular salad add-ins like pepper and tomato did not. That let to the idea of doing a creamy avocado dressing on the spinach and it ended up being the key to pulling the whole dish together.
This dish is pretty simple to make and most of the cook time is hands off making it ideal for a weeknight.
Roasted Butternut Squash and Spiced Black Bean Salad
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Black beans:
1 c. dry black beans (pre-soak them in salt water overnight)
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp coriander
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
pinch cayenne
Butternut Squash:
1 large butternut squash
2 tbs olive oil
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp coriander
pinch cayenne
Salad:
6 loose cups raw spinach
1 avocado
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbs olive oil
1-2 tbs water
1/4 cumin
salt & pepper to taste
very small pinch cayenne
This dish is pretty simple to make and most of the cook time is hands off making it ideal for a weeknight.
Roasted Butternut Squash and Spiced Black Bean Salad
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Black beans:
1 c. dry black beans (pre-soak them in salt water overnight)
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp coriander
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
pinch cayenne
Butternut Squash:
1 large butternut squash
2 tbs olive oil
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp coriander
pinch cayenne
Salad:
6 loose cups raw spinach
1 avocado
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbs olive oil
1-2 tbs water
1/4 cumin
salt & pepper to taste
very small pinch cayenne
Directions:
Black beans:
1. Place the pre-soaked beans in a medium boiler and just cover with water.
2. Add all the spices and mix in.
3. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer and cover.
4. Cook for 40 minutes to 1 hour or until beans are tender and water is evaporated.
Black beans:
1. Place the pre-soaked beans in a medium boiler and just cover with water.
2. Add all the spices and mix in.
3. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer and cover.
4. Cook for 40 minutes to 1 hour or until beans are tender and water is evaporated.
Butternut Squash:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Peel the squash and cut it into ½ and inch cubes.
3. Place in a large glass baking pan.
4. Add the olive oil and toss until all the pieces are evenly coated.
5. Sprinkle in all the spices and toss to coat.
6. Place in the oven for 40 minutes or until a fork pierces the pieces easily. Do not over cook the squash or it with fall apart.
7. Lay the squash aside to cool. It is best added to the salad slightly warm.
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Peel the squash and cut it into ½ and inch cubes.
3. Place in a large glass baking pan.
4. Add the olive oil and toss until all the pieces are evenly coated.
5. Sprinkle in all the spices and toss to coat.
6. Place in the oven for 40 minutes or until a fork pierces the pieces easily. Do not over cook the squash or it with fall apart.
7. Lay the squash aside to cool. It is best added to the salad slightly warm.
Salad:
1. Remove the skin and seed from the avocado and mash it completely.
2. Add the olive oil and lemon juice and stir with a fork.
3. Add the spices and mix.
4. Add half the water and mix it. If it is too thick add more water.
5. Place the spinach in a large salad bowl and add the dressing to it. Mix until the spinach is evenly coated.
6. Divide the spinach among 4 bowls.
7. Add the desiered amount of beans and squash to each bowl and serve.
1. Remove the skin and seed from the avocado and mash it completely.
2. Add the olive oil and lemon juice and stir with a fork.
3. Add the spices and mix.
4. Add half the water and mix it. If it is too thick add more water.
5. Place the spinach in a large salad bowl and add the dressing to it. Mix until the spinach is evenly coated.
6. Divide the spinach among 4 bowls.
7. Add the desiered amount of beans and squash to each bowl and serve.
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