cook - butternut squash, lentil & quinoa salad

This hearty, autumnal main dish salad was a success for supper - even the children ate it - (albeit reluctantly). I was inspired by the recipe for Spicy Squash Salad with Lentils and Goat Cheese at SmittenKitchen.com, but I decided to make it a little heartier to stand alone as a main dish. The goat cheese definitely adds a necessary tart-creaminess here, so I wouldn't want to go vegan with this and omit the cheese, but it is otherwise vegetarian and delicious!

butternut squash, lentil & quinoa salad

Take 3/4 cup tiny green or black lentils (sometimes called "french lentils"), rinse well in cold water, then soak in a pot of cool water for ten minutes.

While the lentils are soaking, peel one medium butternut squash and chop it into one-inch chunks, reserving the seeds from the squash. Toss the butternut squash pieces with about a tablespoon of olive oil, a couple of teaspoons of cumin, and one teaspoon of smoked spanish paprika (or you can use sweet paprika, but you might want to also add a dash of cayenne for heat). Put the squash on a rimmed baking sheet and roast in a 400º oven for about 30 minutes, stirring and flipping the pieces of squash once or twice during their roasting time.

While the squash is roasting, put the pot of lentils and water on the stove and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer for about 30 minutes, or until lentils are cooked through.

If you want to include toasted squash seeds in the salad, clean off the reserved seeds, rinse thoroughly, and pat dry with a paper towel. Toss with a teaspoon or so of olive oil and a generous pinch of salt, and place on a rimmed baking sheet and pop in the oven with the roasting squash. The seeds will need to be stirred around every few minutes to prevent them from burning, and should be golden and crispy after ten to fifteen minutes. Remove from oven when done and set aside.

While lentils are simmering and squash is roasting, take about 1/2 cup quinoa, rinse thoroughly, and place in small pot with 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for about fifteen minutes, or until quinoa is cooked.

When the squash is roasted, the lentils cooked and drained, and the quinoa cooked, combine all three in a large salad bowl, and drizzle with a tablespoon or so of olive oil, a tablespoon or two of red wine vinegar, a pinch of black pepper and a teaspoon or two of dried mint (or finely chopped fresh mint, if you have it). Toss the vegetable and quinoa with the dressing.

Place a generous handful of arugula on each plate, top with a portion of the warm salad vegetables, and garnish with crumbled goat cheese and toasted squash seeds.

This served two adults and two small children as a main course, with a generous amount of leftovers, so it would probably serve four adults as a main dish.

This salad would also make a lovely first course for a fall dinner party, especially if you omitted the quinoa, which I added to the original recipe to make the dish a little more substantial.