Roasted Pumpkin & Avocado Salad with Honey Soy Dressing

The sight, taste and smell of food can be rather evocative, bringing back memories not just of eating food itself but also of place and occasion.  This salad reminds me of a happy lunch gathering of friends many years ago up in Perth hills in a large property among tall trees and wild flowers.  There were plenty of wine, platters of beautiful food and among them this salad of mixed raw and cooked vegetables.  I came home with the hostess' recipe and here it is, with slight adaptations.  Featuring roasted pumpkin, avocado, green beans, baby spinach and Australian macadamia nuts, the salad is textural and quite substantial.  The honey and soy sauce combination is used commonly for marinating meat and seafood.  Whisked together with some olive oil it makes a lovely dressing for the salad, pleasantly sweet and savoury at the same time.  

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

• 1 kg / 2 lb 3oz butternut pumpkin, peeled and cut into 2.5cm / 1" cubes
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 200g / 7oz  green beans, trimmed and sliced crosswise in half 
• 2 avocados, peeled, seeded and sliced into cubes
• 100g / 3½oz baby spinach leaves
• 80g / 2¾oz  macadamia nuts, toasted and roughly chopped
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste  

Dressing:

• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• ¼ cup olive oil

METHOD

1. Place pumpkin, ground cumin and olive oil in a large bowl.  Toss to combine with a pair of tongs, then spread out evenly in a large baking tray lined with baking paper.  Cook in a preheated 200°C/400°F oven for about 20 minutes until softened and golden around the edges.  Transfer the pumpkin back to the bowl and give them a quick toss.
2. While the pumpkin is in the oven, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and blanch beans for 1-2 minutes.  Drain in a colander and refresh under cold tap water to retain their colour.
3. Prepare the dressing by combining honey, soy sauce and olive oil.
4. Place the pumpkin, beans, avocado, spinach and nuts in a large serving bowl.  Drizzle over the dressing and toss to combine.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve the salad in room temperature.