NEW: roasted squash, lentil & feta winter salad

A hearty winter salad is always on the top of my list for favourite things to make midweek and this recipe is now number one. The harissa roasted butternut squash is folded through fresh green lentils flavoured with sun-dried tomato oil and rich balsamic vinegar. Topped with crunchy roasted pine nuts, crumbled feta, juicy pomegranate seeds and a hit of fresh coriander - it's got everything.

This dish is great to enjoy alone for a light dinner or alongside a warming winter stew for a fuller meal. It’s a great, simple salad which never fails to deliver an impressive showstopper at any dinner table.

Serves 4 & takes 45 minutes to cook

Ingredients

• 2 large butternut squashes

• 1 heaped tablespoon of harissa paste (plus 1 teaspoon for the lentils)

• 1 x 400g can of green lentils, drained 

• 8 sun-dried tomatoes, sliced into strips (plus 2 tablespoons of the oil)

• 1 tablespoon of thick balsamic vinegar

• 100g pomegranate seeds 

• 100g toasted pine nuts 

• Handful of coriander, roughly chopped

• 100g feta 

• Salt 

• Olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 190C, fan setting. 

   
   

2. Cut both butternut squashes into circle shapes (widthways), about 1cm wide. Scoping out the seeds when you get to the fatter end. 

   
   

3. Place the butternut squash circles into a large baking tray. Drizzle with a good amount of olive oil and add 1 heaped tablespoon of harissa and a pinch of salt. Mix well until all of the butternut squash circles are coated in the oil and harissa - and roast for 40 minutes until soft. 

   
   

4. While the butternut squash is roasting, place the drained lentils into a large mixing bowl and mix through the sliced sun-dried tomatoes (plus their oil), balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon of harissa paste, a good pinch of salt and half of the pine nuts, pomegranate seeds and coriander. Mix well until everything comes together. 

   
   

5. Once the butternut squash has finished cooking, remove from the oven and mix through the lentils - don’t mix too much as they are soft and might break up. 

   
   

6. Spoon everything onto a large serving dish and top with the rest of the pine nuts, pomegranate seeds and coriander. 

   
   

7. Finally, crumble over the feta before serving.