Recipes: The viral sensation behind ‘Plantbaes’ shares recipe for her delicious Festive Maple Pecan salad

Sarah Cobacho is a nutritionist specialising in plant-based nutrition. Her Festive Maple Salad combines roasted squash, chickpeas, candied pecans, and a zesty maple vinaigrette for the perfect side dish bursting with colour and flavour.

Festive Maple Salad

Ingredients

• 2.5 cups (300g) butternut squash, diced
• ½ head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1.5 tbsp (22ml) olive oil, divided
• 2 cups (330g) chickpeas, cooked
• 4 cups (150g) mixed leaf salad
• ½ large avocado, diced
• ¼ cup (45g) pomegranate seeds
• ½ cup (45g) fresh mint, finely chopped

Spices

• 1 tsp (2g) sweet paprika
• ½ tsp (1g) ground cumin
• ¼ tsp (0.6g) ground cinnamon
• sea salt flakes, to taste

For the Candied Maple Pecans

1. ½ cup (50g) pecan halves
2. 2.5 tbsp (22 ml) maple syrup
3. 1 pinch cayenne pepper

For the Vinaigrette

• ½ (10g) shallot, finely diced, more to taste if needed
• 1.5 tsp (9g) whole grain mustard
• 1 tbsp (15ml) olive oil
• 1 tbsp (15ml) lemon juice
• 1 tbsp (15ml) maple syrup
• 1 tsp (5 ml) apple cider vinegar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200C
2. Prepare the vegetables: In a large baking tray, lined with baking paper, add the butternut squash, cauliflower florets, sweet paprika, cumin, cinnamon, a pinch of salt, and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Mix well to coat all the pieces of vegetables. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 25 minutes.
3. Prepare the chickpeas: Add the chickpeas to a baking tray, along with half tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt flakes. Mix to combine and bake on the top rack of the oven for 25 minutes, until crispy.
4. Prepare the Candied Pecans: In a bowl, mix the pecans, maple syrup, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Prepare a small oven-safe tray or dish and line it with baking paper (see notes). Spread the pecans evenly and bake on the lower rack of the oven for 8 minutes. Allow to cool completely, it will harden as it cools, then break apart.
5. Prepare the vinaigrette: whisk the shallot, whole-grain mustard, olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar.
6. Assemble: In a large serving bowl, add the mixed leaf salad, roasted vegetables, chickpeas, avocado, pomegranate, mint, and candied pecans, and drizzle with the dressing. Mix well and serve right away for the best texture.

Sarah’s Tips

Candied maple pecans: make sure your tray or dish is fully covered with baking paper. Once the mixture hardens, it can stick and become difficult to remove, and cleaning will be much harder otherwise.

Fan forced vs conventional oven: Fan ovens cook food more evenly and often more quickly because the fan circulates hot air around the oven.

If a recipe lists a fan setting but your oven doesn’t have one, increase the temperature by 10–20C . For example: 160C fan = 170–180C conventional.

Check near the end of the baking time, add a few extra minutes if needed, and rotate your tray halfway through to ensure more even baking.

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