If you are looking for a delicious alternative to a salad with a bit of an autumn twist, this pumpkin puree crispy kale dish is something for you! The great thing about the purée is that you can make it in advance, so it makes the salad a super quick fix. The rich yellow pumpkin adds a lovely sweetness to the crunchy warm kale leaves. The figs give simple delicacy creating an easy fall salad. If you are craving for more substance, you could add pine nuts, pear, gorgonzola or parma ham to keep in theme to the salad. The deep colours on this plate reflect the tones of fall, from the deep reds, maroons and greens to vibrant yellow.
Pumpkin puree ingredients (makes enough puree to refrigerate for later)
- 1 1/2 cups roughly chopped pumpkin
- 1/2 cup chick peas (optional)
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 large shallot
- 1 tablespoon runny honey
- salt/pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1- 1/2 cups cream
In a medium heated sauce pan, add butter and the roughly chopped pumpkin and chick peas. Stir gently until the pumpkin gets a bit more golden in colour. Then add in roughly chopped shallots, garlic and rosemary and honey. Place the lid on and let it gently cook for about 7 minutes stirring every now and then. Add the cream, salt, pepper and let it simmer at low heat with the lid on for another 7 minutes. Remove from heat and blend into a puree. If the consistency seems too thick for your liking, add a small amount of water or cream. Check the flavour and leave to rest on the side. You can either serve the purée hot or cold. I served it cold for this salad. You can refrigerate the puree and use it the next few following days. It makes an easy sauce for chicken or the base for a soup.
Salad ingredients
- red kale leaves (3 large ones, roughly chopped)
- 2 garlic cloves grated
- dollop of butter
- salt/black pepper
garnish: fresh figs
In a medium heated pan, add the butter and grated garlic. Stir in the kale leaves and sauté for a few minutes until lovely and crispy. Season with ground black pepper and a pinch of maldon salt.
Read to plate: Add the warm kale leaves in a bowl and toss around with some of the cold pumpkin puree. Set the leaves on a plate and add some sliced figs on top. Add more ground black pepper on top.
