Sweet Pumpkin Chickpea Salad

Quick answer

Total time: 40 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 10

About this dish

Sweet pumpkin chickpea salad seeds and cubes kabocha squash, roasts it at 200 degrees Celsius for 20 to 22 minutes until the natural sugars concentrate and the flesh softens, then tosses it with cooked chickpeas, shredded red cabbage, lettuce, grape tomatoes, and sunflower seeds in a doenjang yogurt dressing.

The dressing combines plain yogurt with doenjang, lemon juice, and olive oil, stacking the yogurt's creamy lactic tang over doenjang's earthy fermented depth to build a layered base that holds up against the pumpkin's sweetness without overwhelming it. Chickpeas add a starchy, crumbly texture that contrasts with the soft roasted squash and keeps the salad filling, while sunflower seeds provide a final nutty crunch.

Ingredients (4 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Unit
kabocha squash	400	g
cooked chickpeas	240	g
red cabbage	120	g
lettuce	140	g
grape tomatoes	120	g
plain yogurt	120	g
doenjang	1	tbsp
olive oil	1.5	tbsp
lemon juice	1	tbsp
sunflower seeds	20	g

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Prep

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Remove the seeds from 400 g kabocha, cut it into 2 cm cubes, and coat the pieces evenly with 1 tbsp olive oil so the edges roast instead of drying out.
2

Prep

Spread the kabocha in a single layer so the pieces do not overlap.

Roast for 20 to 22 minutes, until the edges darken slightly and a chopstick or fork slides in without hard resistance.
3

Finish

Move the roasted kabocha to a wide plate and cool it completely.

Do not toss it while warm, because the residual heat will soften the lettuce and red cabbage and make the salad watery.
4

Prep

Shred 120 g red cabbage very thinly.

Drain 140 g lettuce well and tear it into bite-size pieces, then cut 120 g grape tomatoes into easy-to-eat pieces so the dressing clings evenly.
5

Season

Whisk 120 g plain yogurt with 1 tbsp doenjang, 1 tbsp lemon juice, and the remaining 1/2 tbsp olive oil until smooth.

If it tastes too salty, loosen it with a little more yogurt.
6

Heat

Place the vegetables, 240 g cooked chickpeas, and cooled kabocha in a large bowl.

Toss gently with the dressing just until coated, then sprinkle 20 g sunflower seeds on top right before serving for crunch.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Sweet Pumpkin Chickpea Salad features roasted kabocha squash and protein-rich cooked legumes.
Finish cue: Remove the seeds from 400 g kabocha, cut it into 2 cm cubes, and coat the pieces evenly with 1 tbsp olive oil so the edges roast instead of drying out.
Avoid this: Spread the kabocha in a single layer so the pieces do not overlap.