Crunchy, creamy, sweet, salty, and highly satisfying, this is the kind of salad you can make a meal out of—and have leftovers you're actually excited to eat for lunch the next day. Using cabbage as the base (we like red, but green or savory cabbage would work great, too) not only makes it more substantial than it would be with delicate, leafy greens, but also increases its staying power, and massaging it with a bit of lemon juice after it's chopped ensures that it's plenty tender.
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What you’ll need
Measuring Spoons
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Measuring Cups
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Chef's Knife
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Cutting Board
$10 At IKEA
Spoon
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Rimmed Baking Sheet
$32 At Amazon
Colander
$11 At Amazon
Paper Towels
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Rubber Spatula
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Large Bowl
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Small Bowl
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Microplane
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Whisk
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Platter
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Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
1
1
4
3
1
2
1
⅓
1
1
½
4
Preparation
Step 1
Place a rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 475°. First things first: Prepare your squash for roasting. Delicata is our favorite winter squash—it's sweet, sturdy, and the peel is not only edible but delicious—but you can use an equal quantity of (peeled!) butternut or acorn squash here if you want. Slice 1 large delicata squash in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, remove seeds. Cut each half again lengthwise, then crosswise into 1" pieces. Transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet.
Step 2
Pour 1 15-oz. can chickpeas into a colander, rinse, and shake off excess water. Pat chickpeas dry with paper towels. (The drier they are, the crispier they will become, so don't skip this step!) Add to pan with squash.
Step 3
Add 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tsp. kosher salt to pan with squash mixture and toss to combine.
Step 4
Roast squash and chickpeas, tossing once halfway through with a spatula, until well browned and chickpeas are crispy, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly on pan about 5 minutes.
Step 5
Meanwhile, cut 1 small head of red cabbage into quarters and remove core. Slice quarters crosswise into ¾"-thick strips. Transfer to a large bowl.
Step 6
Juice 2 lemons into a small bowl. Pour 3 Tbsp. juice over cabbage; reserve remaining juice in bowl.
Step 7
Add 1 tsp. kosher salt and remaining 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil to bowl with cabbage and massage with your hands until cabbage is beginning to wilt. This takes some of the edge off of the cabbage, softening it slightly—taste as you go, and stop when it's as crisp-tender as you like it. Let sit until ready to use.
Step 8
Finely grate 1 small garlic clove into bowl with reserved lemon juice. Whisk in ⅓ cup tahini, 1 Tbsp. honey, 1 Tbsp. water, and remaining 1 tsp. kosher salt. The dressing should be thick but pourable, so if it needs to be thinned out, add more water by the teaspoonful.
Step 9
Quarter and core 1 Asian pear or sweet-tart apple. Slice each quarter crosswise into ½"-thick pieces. Transfer to bowl with cabbage.
Step 10
Add roasted veggies to bowl with cabbage and pear. Spread ½ cup pecan halves onto empty pan and toast just until fragrant, 3–4 minutes. Let cool slightly while you assemble the salad.
Step 11
Pour dressing over cabbage mixture and toss to combine. Transfer to a large platter.
Step 12
Thinly slice 4 oz. feta into planks and coarsely crumble over salad.
Step 13
Using your hands, crush pecans over salad and serve.
Leave a Review
Reviews (37)
Back to TopThis is a fantastic recipe. Followed directions exactly. Tahini dressing fabulous The best part for me was the cabbage. I now use the cabbage part of recipe into my everyday salad. Does not disappoint The only one change I made was I added ground chicken to salad as my husband needs some meat The other note I’d make is to use really good extra Virgin olive oil
Anonymous
Clearwater p, Fl
1/11/2023
Ridiculous format dividing recipe into so many steps interrupted by videos demonstrating what is obvious to any halfway serious cook.
Anonymous
12/2/2022
Is there a way to view nutritional values? Thanks!
A.W.
South Acworth, NH
1/13/2022
This was fantastic. The only squash I could find was acorn so I went ahead and used that. I also used sweet potato in addition to the squash. I’m not a big fan of pears (it’s the grainy mushiness for me) so I chopped up Cosmic apples as well as the pear. I had to double the recipe as I have four teenagers that are always hungry. This meal was a hit and satisfied everyone! Even the pickiest of the four sat down and turned off TikTok to enjoy her meal. The kids say that the feta and fruit is the *chefs kiss*. I’m just glad they’re happy and full - they didn’t even realize it was technically a salad. The recipe was easy and came together nicely. We had leftovers that were just as delicious the next day - maybe even better in my opinion. This is going to stay in our meal rotation.
Nicole
Yonkers, NY
3/16/2021
WOW so good, i used sweet potato instead of the squash and it tasted fantastic, trying to put more vegetarian dishes into my daily life, will make this again and when having a get together when that happens i will bring this for sure!!
Charlotte
Pittsburgh Pa
3/15/2021
1/2 cup tahini - is that tahini sauce?
Me
Niles, Mi
3/12/2021
This is delicious! Easy to make and yummy to eat. It’s in our meatless Monday lineup for sure!
Anonymous
Louisville, KY
2/7/2021