Brown Rice, Chicken and Butternut Squash Salad with Roasted Garlic Tahini Dressing
A recipe using rotisserie chicken that you can enjoy as a warm rice bowl, a cold salad, and modify as you wish
Feel free to serve this recipe at room temperature, warmed up, or enjoy it cold, as a salad. There are many varieties of squash that would work here, so if you can’t find butternut squash, try acorn or delicata. Drizzle the tahini dressing on the dish right before serving — the nutty, creamy, tangy flavour binds all the ingredients together beautifully.
Brown Rice, Chicken and Butternut Squash Salad with Roasted Garlic Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 small butternut squash (1-1½ lbs), peeled, seeds and stem discarded, diced ½-inch thick
- 4 small garlic cloves, skin on (discard skins that shed)
- 2 tbsp grapeseed or sunflower seed oil
- 3 cups cooked brown rice, cooled or room temperature
- 1½ cups shredded and chopped roasted or rotisserie chicken
- 1 tsp Kosher salt, or more, to taste
Tahini Dressing:
- ⅓ cup tahini
- 1 tbsp honey
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup cold water
- ½ tsp Kosher salt, or more, to taste
To assemble:
- 2 tbsp cilantro leaves and stems, finely chopped
- ¼ cup pepitas, toasted
Preparation
Preheat oven to 425F degrees. Place the squash and garlic cloves in a medium bowl and drizzle with oil, tossing to coat. Loosely wrap the garlic cloves in aluminum foil. Transfer the squash and wrapped garlic cloves to a baking sheet. The squash should be in an even layer. Place the baking sheet in the middle rack of the oven, and roast for 20 minutes, tossing the squash once about halfway through. Allow to cool. Unwrap the garlic cloves, press them out from their skins, and discard the skins. Set aside.
Place the brown rice in a large bowl; add the butternut squash, chicken, and salt. Taste for salt and add more, if needed. Gently mix with a spatula to combine.
Prepare the Roasted Garlic Tahini Dressing:
Place the reserved roasted garlic cloves and in a blender along with the rest of the dressing ingredients and blitz till smooth. Taste for salt and add more, if needed.
To serve:
Sprinkle the salad with chopped cilantro and gently toss. Adorn with pepitas and drizzle with dressing.
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Shayma Owaise Saadat is a food writer and chef. She lives in Toronto with her husband and son. You can follow her culinary journey at www.shaymasaadat.com or on Instagram at @SpiceSpoon.