While trying to plan out meals for this week, which probably makes me sound like such an organized person, when in fact I so rarely do find the time to actually sit down and plan meals, I found myself in a rut. It’s Spring, so naturally I play a lot on the salad game. There’s a lot of green and bright coloured stuff to be relished and devoured this time of year and a salad is so easy to put together, that of course it’s the first thing that comes to mind. But easy as it did come to mind, I realized I had grown tired of all the salads I’m making on heavy rotation. Nevertheless, good salads, but I was feeling like making something different.

And so I sat, pencil in hand, wondering what really makes a salad good. I’m not going to say great, because a really great salad in my opinion, is either one that is on the more sophisticated side, like say lobster and avocado or one that mixes the simplest and best of flavours together, such as you know, gorgeously ripe tomatoes with sheep’s cheese and spring onion.

But a good one, I was looking for a good one. And I thought that even though I don’t have really great tomatoes, I do have some okay ones and they’d pair up nicely with the last mound of sheep’s cheese in my fridge and its’ acidity and saltiness would go well with some vegetable that’s sweet and soft and that’s how green squash joined in. Plus, I had a beautiful green salad too; and that bag of thawed chickpeas. And this is how a really good salad was born. If you’re looking to make a quick and delicious salad, then this one is just the right thing. Scroll down for the recipe and enjoy!

Roasted Veg & Chickpea Salad

Serves 2

1 large green squash, cut into 1,5cm/.5in. slices

10-12 cherry tomatoes, halved

1 yellow onion, cut into wedges

4 Tblsp olive oil mixed

Juice from half a lemon

Salt and pepper, to taste

Small head of lettuce, chopped

400g/14oz. boiled chickpeas (use canned if you like)

100g/4oz. sheep’s cheese

2 Tblsp chopped parsley

Preheat your oven to 200C/400F. In a medium roasting pan, place the squash, tomatoes and onion. Season with salt and pepper and add 2 Tblsp olive oil, giving everything a nice toss. Pop in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove and allow to cool completely. Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette by mixing remaining 2 Tblsp olive oil with lemon juice, salt and pepper. In a large bowl, place your chopped lettuce, the cooled vegetables, add the chickpeas, the vinaigrette and toss everything well. Add the cheese and the parsley, lightly toss, divide between two plates and bon apétit!