chorizo, bean and butternut squash salad

like most people, i’m caught up in the january drives to “be healthy” and “save money” which inevitably equals packed lunches.

i don’t have access to a microwave or fridge so whatever i bring in has to be happy sitting on my desk during the morning and taste good at room temperature.

this salad managed both of those criteria and tasted fantastic to boot. i probably need to work on the healthiness factor though!

chorizo, bean and butternut squash salad (serves 4, aka packed lunch for 4 days)

300g cherry tomatoes

1 heaped teaspoon chilli paste (or harissa)

1 tablespoon honey

3 cooking chorizo sausages

juice of 1 lemon

1/2 butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and roasted

400g chickpeas (1 large tin, rinsed)

400g butter beans (1 large tin, rinsed)

large handful of chopped coriander

heat the oven to 200c. prick the tomatoes with a fork, mix the honey and chilli paste together and mix with the tomatoes (you might want to add some oil but i didn’t bother as the chilli paste i used contained oil already). roast until the tomatoes collapse and are soft (35-45 minutes).

meanwhile, cut the chorizo into 1cm slices and fry in a non-stick pan until they are cooked through and starting to brown on the edges. remove from the heat and add the juice of the lemon to deglaze the pan. put the sausages and juices in a mixing bowl. add the butternut squash, chickpeas and butterbeans. add the tomatoes when they are ready and finally the coriander.

variation: a vegetarian version which misses out the chorizo would work really well.