This super yummy warm salad is couresy of Mr Yotam Ottolenghi, who is by far my favourite chef. I found it on pinterest on the PureWowow blog and since I had an epiphany and hard ordered butternut squash from Ocado, I decided to give it a try. Mr Ottolenghi is an English Israeli chef and restaurateur who cooks super tasty plant based recipes, frequently with legumes, and has made his middle eastern cuisine famous. Middle eastern cuisine is very familiar to us Greeks- and even more to Cypriots- as they also use many spices and herbs (such as cumin and parsley) and other beloved ingredients such as tahini and pomegranate. This recipe can double both as a side dish but also as a main as lentils are packed with protein, which offers satiety. Lentils are also a good plant based source of iron. The combination of tarragon, mint and parsley in this salad is divine, whereas lemon offers a fresh tangy flavour. The crunchy butternut squash and onions, which are oven baked to release flavours, are a great companion to the lentils. Finally the raw garlic which is rich in allicin, is good for the immune system since it has antibacterial and antifungal properties, so feel free to add plenty!
Ingredients (for 3-4 portions)
- 1 large butternut squash, sliced
- ½ cup of lentils, soaked overnight
- 2 garlic gloves, minced
- 2 red onions, sliced
- 1 large unwaxed lemon, juice & zest
- 1 handful of parsley leaves
- 1 handful of mint leaves
- ½ cup of tarragon (didn’t have fresh so I used dried)
- 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- Salt & pepper
- Optional: a handful of gorgonzola cheese
-preheat the oven to 180C and bake in a parchment paper lined tray the squash and onions, drizzled with 1tbs of olive oil and salt/ pepper. Bake for 25-30 mins until golden and let cool for 10 mins.
– While the squash is baking, boil the lentils in a pot and throw away the first water where they have been boiling. This step will make the lentils easier to digest. Refill the pot with water and boil for another 20 mins until the lentils are well cooked. Drain and place in a salad bowl, letting them to cool in the fridge.
– Stir in the salad bowl the herbs, lemon juice and lemon zest and minced garlic with the remaining 2tbs of olive oil and salt& pepper. The lentil salad can be done from the night before and stored in the fridge.
-Add the squash and the onions, drizzle with olive oil, the gorgonzola cheee (If used)and serve.