Butternut squash is one of my favourite ingredients. It’s high in fibre helping to keep your digestive system healthy, which is essential for healthy skin. It also contains a decent amount of vitamin C and other essential vitamins and minerals.
This recipe combines the butternut squash with skin-loving avocado, beetroot, seeds and a good helping of greens.
It’s so versatile. You can use it to make delicious soups, a tasty risotto or as a great alternative to mashed potatoes. You can also use a spiralizer to make a super healthy spaghetti replacement.
I love including it in salad recipes. It provides bulk whilst still keeping the salad mostly plant based. It also absorbs flavours really well.
Most supermarkets now stock ready diced butternut squash to make it even easier to include it in your recipes.
Ingredients
1 butternut squash, diced
2 tsp harissa paste
120g salad leaves
100g cooked beetroot
1 avocado
1 ball mozzarella (275g)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
Serves 2
Directions
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Mix the harissa paste into the diced butternut squash and roast in the oven until soft. About 25 – 30 minutes.
Chop the beetroot, avocado and mozzarella. Combine with the salad leaves and the cooked butternut squash.
Coat the salad with the extra virgin olive oil and vinegar. Sprinkle over the sunflower seeds and serve.
Tip: this salad is best served fresh. But since the oven is on anyway, you can roast another butternut squash or a tray of chopped peppers and courgettes, store them in the fridge and add to other dishes throughout the week.
Eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables is one of the best things you can do for your skin.