Butter bean, squash and tomato salad

I’m a big fan of packed lunches you only have to make once. I’ll make a salad like this one on a Sunday night and not have to think about making a packed lunch for the next 5 days – dreamy! There’s a nice combination of summer and autumn in this recipe too – fresh tomato and garlic with orange-hued roasted squash. You could also serve this salad with a dollop of hummus, green leaves and some toasted bread for a more substantial lunch.

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Ingredients

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1 medium sized butternut squash

3 tomatoes

2 cloves of garlic

400g tin of butter beans

a handful of fresh basil

the juice half a lemon

extra virgin olive oil

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Method

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Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Peel and chop the squash into 1-2cm chunks, then place on a baking tray with a little salt and olive oil. Roast for about half an hour or until soft with crisp edges.

Once the squash is done, leave to cool while you assemble the rest of the salad. Finely chop the tomatoes and crush the garlic into a large bowl. Drain and rinse the butter beans before adding to the bowl. Sprinkle in torn basil and then add the squash.

Squeeze over the juice of half a lemon and a drizzle of the olive oil before seasoning to taste.

For me, this recipe usually lasts for around 4-5 lunches on a normal week. If you’re serving as a side salad then it could probably stretch to 6 moderately hungry people!