Pumpkins and squash are two of my favourite vegetables to grow. There are so many incredible varieties, shapes and sizes, and I love the way they grow with vigour through the summer months, from floppy golden flowers into tough orbs ready for the autumn. Roasting them brings out their sweetness and makes them a meaty main ingredient that's ideal for a salad of sorts like this one, laced with a vibrant and sharp aromatic coriander salsa.
Ingredients
- 2 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into wedges
- 2 small red onions, quartered with the root left intact
- 1 tblsp rapeseed oil
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp red chilli flakes
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 fennel bulbs, thinly sliced
- 1 x 400g tin puy lentils, drained? and rinsed
- 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained? and rinsed
- For the Coriander Salsa:
- 2 tblsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Large handful of coriander, plus extra to garnish
- 1 green chilli, finely chopped
- Zest and juice of 1 lime
- Sea salt
- For the Sriracha Yoghurt:
- 6 tblsp natural yoghurt
- 1 tsp sriracha hot sauce
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200 ?C (180°C fan).
- Place the squash and red onion quarters into a large roasting tin and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle over the cumin, chilli flakes and smoked paprika and mix until completely coated. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes, or until the squash is tender and slightly caramelised.
- For the salsa, whizz the oil, coriander, chilli and lime zest and juice together in a food processor until completely combined. Set aside. Prepare the sriracha yoghurt by stirring together the yoghurt and hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Mix together the fennel, lentils and chickpeas in a large bowl and then stir in half the coriander salsa.
- Divide the fennel, lentil and chickpea mixture between 4 plates and top with the roasted squash and onions. Add a dollop of sriracha yoghurt and the remaining coriander salsa. Finally sprinkle with toasted seeds and scatter with coriander leaves.
