Kale, Chicken and Pumpkin Salad with Tahina Dressing

Hi kale-haters! I’m back with another yummy recipe to try to change your mind. If Mr Smith asked me “what’s for dinner?” and I answered “salad”, he would look at me like I was a crazy person. But this isn’t just any old rabbit food salad. I wouldn’t do you like that. This salad is a full meal, chock full of protein, tasty veg, and nutty deliciousness. The tahina adds a creaminess to the dressing that goes so well with the chicken. It definitely passed as dinner in our house!

 

Method

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

Dice the pumpkin, toss in the coconut oil, and roast on a lined tray for 30 minutes. you want the pumpkin to be tender but not mushy.

While that’s cooking, poach the chicken. Put your chicken in a saucepan so it fits snugly in a single layer. Cover with water, so water level is about 1-2 cm above the chicken. Half cover pot with a lid and bring it to a simmer.

As soon as it reaches a simmer, turn the heat right down, so only the occasional bubble comes to surface and poach for 8 minutes.

After 8 minutes, turn the heat off and cover pot fully with lid. Stand for a further 12 minutes. Drain the chicken and leave on a plate to cool.

Chop or shred for the salad.

Add the chicken and pumpkin to the prepped kale, tomatoes and onion and toss through. Toss through the seeds.
Whisk together all the dressing ingredients and mix it through the salad to serve.

Serves 4

TIP: Just in case you were confused, pumpkin seeds and pepitas are the same thing.  Look for cold-pressed sesame oil, its better for you.

Ingredients

  • 500 grams chicken breast, poached
  • 3-4 large handfuls of kale, chopped
  • half a butternut pumkin, peeled and diced (around 600-800 grams)
  • punnet of cherry tomatoes, halved
  • small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • 1-2 tablespoons of coconut oil (for roasting pumpkin)
  • for the dressing…
  • 1/3 cup tahina
  • juice of half lemon
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1/4 cup water
  • sea salt and black pepper to taste