Lilly Higgins: My first salad recipe of the year is a special one

This is the first salad I’m sharing here this year, so it has to be special. I’ve served this in a warm flatbread but it’s equally good in a bowl. There may seem like lots of ingredients here but there are plenty of repeats like olive oil, maple syrup and lemon juice. Apart from the kale, squash and pomegranate, the rest of the ingredients are probably in your larder already.

The key to building a good salad bowl lies in texture. I never like every mouthful to be the same. You want the crunch of toasted seeds or bursting juicy pomegranate arils. I usually toast a few bags of sunflower and pumpkin seeds, then store them in a jar for adding to salads, topping porridge or just snacking on during the day.

Kale is a great base for hearty salads and can handle heavier, thicker dressings such as this creamy ranch or a satay-style dressing. Kale really benefits from being chopped finely and then massaged with a little olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt. This breaks down the tough cellulose and softens the leaves, making them easier to eat and taste even better.

I love mixing dairy such as cheese, or this creamy buttermilk dressing, with fruit. It could be blue cheese with slices of pear or dates, apple with a mature nutty cheddar or roasted grapes with feta. The sharp sweet pomegranate arils are ideal here with the warming spices on the squash.

Roast squash and kale salad with tahini ranch dressing

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The addition of tahini to the ranch dressing thickens it beautifully and makes it silky smooth, as well as adding a nutty, toasted sesame flavour. I first came across tahini ranch dressing when chef Jess Murphy from Kai in Galway did a collaboration with the Dough Bros pizza company. Anyone who had their lamb shawarma pizza with Buckfast hot sauce and tahini ranch knows just how magical it was. It was one of those meals that I couldn't stop eating yet I didn't want it to be gone. Like reading a good book.

Recipe: Roast squash and kale salad with tahini ranch dressing