Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
Roasted Butternut Squash Salad : Butternut squash, roasted until tender and seasoned with Dukkah (a warm aromatic nut and spice blend), is the main star of the show with this dish.
The sweet nutty flavour of the butternut squash is perfectly complemented by the Dukkah; every mouthful packed with flavour.
The addition of brown lentils and chickpeas to the salad, make this a wholesome, nutritious and substantial dish.
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash
- 1/2 cup of brown lentils
- 1 can chickpeas – drained
- 1 small red onion very finely sliced
- a drizzle of olive oil
- juice of half a large lemon
- 1 garlic clove – finely grated
- a small bunch salad leaves
- a handful of shelled pumpkin seeds
- 1 tsp sumac ( optional)
- 100g feta cheese – crumbled
Ingredients for Dukkah
- a handful of nuts – hazelnuts / walnuts / almonds, any or mixed you choose
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/4 tsp aniseed (optional)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- a pinch of chilli flakes
Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees
Method
First cook the main star of your roasted butternut squash salad
Cut the butternut squash down the centre lengthways. There’s no need to peel it as the skin becomes soft when cooked and it’s really tasty.
Scoop out all the seeds and cut the squash into wedges about 1.5cm thick.
Put the butternut squash wedges into a roasting tray & drizzle a little olive oil over them. Turn the wedges over so they get evenly coated in the oil.
Put them into the pre-heated oven for about 40 minutes until they soften. Their corners may begin to char slightly & this is a good thing.
Now for the lentils
Whilst the squash is roasting put the brown lentils into a small pan and cover them with water. Put them onto the stove and bring them to the boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes until they become tender. Top up the water if necessary.
Once cooked remove from the heat and drain.
Toast the pumpkin seeds
Take the pumpkin seeds and toast them lightly in a small frying pan (with no oil) over a medium flame for a couple of minutes. Then set to one side.
Sprinkle the sumac over the pumpkin seeds (if you have chosen to use it) and turn the seeds over in it.
The pumpkin seeds provide a nutty crunch, whilst sumac seasoning gives real interest, providing a spike of a fruity sharp tang with a slight sweetness.
Ok let’s prep the chickpeas
Put the chickpeas and sliced onions together in a bowl.
Pour the lemon juice over and turn them over in it. This will reduce the pungency of the onions.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Add the garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper and give it all a good mix.
Add the drained lentils once they have finished cooking.
Put it to one side and give it time for the flavours to infuse.
Now to make your Dukkah
Toast your nuts lightly in a small frying pan (with no oil) over a medium flame for a couple of minutes. This gives them beautiful flavour and aromas as they start to release their oils. Once toasted, set to one side.
Follow the same process to toast the sesame, cumin and aniseed seeds.
Now put all your Dukkah ingredients into either a spice grinder or a pestle and mortar. With the spice grinder just give it a couple of blitzes. You don’t want to end up with a fine powder, you need it to still have some texture and a little crunch.
When the butternut squash has finished cooking take it out of the oven and toss it in the Dukkah nut spice mix, to coat it. Return it to the oven for another 5 minutes. Then take it out and allow it to cool.
Now to start putting your Roasted Butternut Squash Salad together
First, lay the salad leaves on the plate.
Lay the seasoned chickpeas, lentils and onions over them.
Then lay your beautiful roasted butternut squash on top.
Crumble the feta cheese over everything.
And scatter the toasted pumpkin seeds over as its finishing touch.
This salad should be served at room temperature to be able to appreciate all its wonderful flavours – even warm is better than cold for that reason.
I’m confident that you’ll enjoy Roasted Butternut Salad. It truly has so many layers of flavours, it’s wonderful.
Give it a go and let me know what you think.
Roasted Butternut Salad isn’t a traditional Egyptian recipe but it uses ingredients which are readily available in Egypt.