Black Bean & Roasted Pumpkin Salad

Pumpkin season is upon us! After a long hiatus from my kitchen, I am ready and in full swing to embrace this wonderful season and squash. This recipe proposed an interesting challenge as I have never cut up a pumpkin before (other than to turn it into a jack-o-lantern).  I chose a large garden variety, rather than a small sweet pumpkin, which I suspect would have turned out better in flavor and color. This recipe only calls for 2 cups of pumpkin, so you are left with an abundance of left over squash.  Moral of this story: Sometimes smaller IS actually better!

Prep time: 25 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Serves: 4-6

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups cubed pumpkin
¼ cup olive oil, divided
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained rinsed, drained
½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup sliced red onion
¼ cup sliced cucumber
¼ cup sliced celery
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Roast the pumpkin: Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss pumpkin in 2 tablespoons olive oil with garlic and place in a glass baking dish. Drizzle 3 tablespoons water in dish and bake until softened, 20 minutes. Removed and cool.

Prepare the salad: Combine black beans, tomatoes, onion, cucumber, celery, and parsley in a large bowl. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil, lime juice, salt, and pepper; toss to coat. Add cooled pumpkin, toss gently, and serve.