Protein packed black beans, earthy roasted buttercup pumpkin and vibrant Argentinian style chimichurri sauce are an amazing combination in a soft pita wrap.
This meal has so many things to love about it. I adore meals that are colourful and this one is certainly a rainbow on your plate. Contrasting textures and tastes are given a massive kick up the behind with the addition of Argentinian style chimichurri sauce.
Chimichurri is typically eaten slathered over barbecued meats - which obviously isn't my style (there's a good chance I'll never set foot inside an Argentinian asado restaurant in my life, because gross) - but this meal is proof that it's just as outstanding with vegetables and plant based proteins.
Isn't it pretty? Super simple to make, what you're looking at here is a bunch of hand chopped parsley and oregano (important, you're not making pesto), loads of crushed garlic, some chilli, red wine vinegar and a slightly impolite amount of extra virgin olive oil. Remember it's a good fat though, and there's scarcely any in the whole rest of this meal.
Got a bottle of infused extra virgin olive oil hiding in the back of your pantry? This is your chance to bust it out. I used orange infused oil and frankly it was the shiz. I mean it took all my willpower not to drink the sauce before dinner was ready. Any citrus infused oil (lemon, lime, orange) would be great, and plain is just fine too. You can make the chimichurri ahead of time, and in fact you should - the flavours will only improve. It might not be traditional, but I reckon you couldn't go wrong adding a strip of orange zest to the mix to impart a little extra flavour too.
The only cooking to do here is the roasting of some buttercup pumpkin (buttercup squash). The quantities I've given in the recipe are approximate because it really depends how hungry you are and how many people you're feeding. If you're not sure, do more, you can always keep any leftovers for lunch the next day.
Canned black beans are a staple in our house for a tasty and instant protein boost - perfect in situations like this one. I have to say they work SO WELL with chimichurri that I might find myself making just that part of the recipe in future too. I had a little black bean and chimichurri mix left over which I spooned on top of a creamy pumpkin soup the next day and wow, just wow.
I served this all with salad greens and cherry tomatoes, wrapped in some beautiful fresh Lebanese pita breads from my local greengrocer. If you're cutting down on carbs you could easily go breadless here, and if you're gluten free then use your favourite brand of gluten free flat breads.
Get the recipe

INGREDIENTS
For the chimichurri sauce:
- ½ cup finely chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoon finely chopped oregano or substitute 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 cloves garlic crushed or grated
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (90ml)
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
- Salt and pepper
For the wraps:
- 5 cups peeled and cubed buttercup pumpkin (squash) approx. 700g
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 can black beans drained
- 4 cups salad greens
- 1 punnet cherry tomatoes halved, 250g
- 4 pita breads or your favourite gluten free wraps
INSTRUCTIONS
For the chimichurri sauce:
- Mix all sauce ingredients together and season well with salt and pepper. Set aside until you're ready to serve - or cover and refrigerate if you're making this ahead of time.
For the wraps:
- Preheat oven to 200C (390F).
- Toss the cubed pumpkin with olive oil and spread out on a baking sheet. Sprinkle liberally with ground cumin, salt and pepper.
- Roast pumpkin for 15-20 minutes, or until soft and golden brown.
- Mix black beans with 2 tablespoon of the chimichurri sauce and set aside.
- When you're ready to serve, heat pita breads and stack with salad greens, cherry tomatoes, black beans and roasted pumpkin. Top with additional chimichurri sauce.
Tamara
This looks amazing, and so do some of your other recipes! I see so many vegan/vegetarian recipes that are lacking a decent amount of protein, and as a fitness fanatic, I just can't go there... Awesome!
Amber
Thanks Tamara, I know what you mean!