This salad has quickly become a new family favourite! It features chickpeas roasted until crispy with ground coriander, cumin, and paprika, baked alongside sweet pumpkin and tender beetroot. Tossed with pearl barley, salad greens, crunchy walnuts, pomegranate seeds, and creamy goat cheese, it’s a bright and flavourful side. Chickpeas and barley are fantastic sources of plant-based protein and fibre, and you can easily boost the protein further by pairing this salad with grilled halloumi, chicken, or fish.
Dietitian's Gut Health Note: Beyond its amazing flavour, this dish is a true powerhouse for your digestive system. Combining prebiotic-rich barley, fibre-packed legumes, and polyphenol-dense pomegranate seeds that feed your beneficial gut microbes, encouraging a healthy microbiome and supporting optimal digestion. Read more about why gut health matters here.
Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
400g can chickpeas
500g peeled and diced pumpkin/squash
1 peeled and diced whole beetroot
1 teaspoon each of ground cumin, coriander and smoked paprika
Big handful of fresh mint leaves
Handful chopped walnuts
160g rocket (arugula) or spinach
Seeds from 1/2 a pomegranate
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons honey
1 cup (200g) raw pearl barley
½ lemon (juice)
Goats cheese (to serve)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 200C. Line an oven tray with baking paper. Cut the peeled pumpkin and beetroot into bite-size pieces.
Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
Cook the barley according to packet instructions.
Place the pumpkin and beetroot on tray, drizzle over 1 tbs olive oil and honey (on the pumpkin), roast until cooked through and soft.
Add the chickpeas to a seperate lined tray, sprinkle over the spice mix and a good drizzle of olive oil and roast for 10-15 mins until golden.
Meanwhile pick the mint leaves (discard stems) and coarsely chop. De-seed the pomegranate. Chop the walnuts.
Place salad leaves in bowl, mix in the cooked and cooled barley, pomegranate and mint leaves.
Mix in the remaining olive oil and lemon juice.
Top with roasted pumpkin, beetroot and chickpeas. Sprinkle over the walnuts, goats cheese, finish with salt and pepper.
Amelia is a university qualified Dietitian registered in both Australia and the UK. If you’re ready to get personalised dietetic support, you can book a consultation. Take a look at our other pages, to find more delicious recipes and you can read our blogs here.
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