This is a wonderful hearty salad to serve with a barbecue on a hot summer's day. It appeals to men who often want something more filling than the usual lettuce -and-cucumber combination. If you have vegetarian guests, it also doubles as a main meal salad for them.

Ingredients

500 g pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cubed
2 zucchini, sliced
1 red capsicum, seeded and sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
420g can chickpeas, drained
1 cup (50 g) baby spinach leaves or wild rocket
1/4 cup roughly chopped semi-dried tomatoes

Dressing:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons chopped basil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, crushed

Methods/steps

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF)

2. Put the pumpkin, zucchini and capsicum into a baking dish and toss with the olive oil so they are evenly coated.

3. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and tender.

4. Place the roasted vegetables into a large serving bowl and add the chickpeas, spinach and tomatoes. Toss with the dressing and serve warm or cold with grainy bread or wholemeal rolls.

5. To make the dressing, put all the ingredients into a jug and whisk them together well.

Additional Tips

Preparation time: 20 mins. Cooking time: 30 min.

Recipe from nutritionist Catherine Saxelby, co-author of the Zest Cookbook with Jennene Plummer (Hardie Grant $34.95). To buy the cookbook online, click here.

One serve = 1230 kJ (293 cals), 16g fat (includes 3g saturated fat ), 23g carbohydrate (includes 10g sugars), 8g fibre , 220mg sodium. Read our nutrition rating system.