Roasting the pumpkin in cinnamon gives a sweet lift to this earthy and nourishing dish, which can be enjoyed warm (great for colder weather) or served cold. Lentils make this dish more satiating, are packed with fibre and they act like a sponge to soak up and carry the flavours of the incredible dressing.Finished with salty feta and crunchy walnuts, pumpkin seeds and lots of fresh herbs, this is a simple dish but a real crowdpleaser with so many flavours and textures to notice in each bite.
Time to prepare: 15 minutes
Time to cook: 40 minutes
Total time to make : 55 minutes
Servings : 4 large - 6 small
Ingredients
1kg pumpkin, peeled and diced (or use butternut squash)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
120g rocket
120g spinach
1 red onion, thinly sliced
120g feta cheese
Handful of mixed herbs (I like parsley, mint and basil leaves)
500g tinned or pouched cooked lentils, like Puy or Beluga
40g walnuts, roughly chopped
30g pumpkin seeds
Dressing
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
3 tsp thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan. Arrange the pumpkin cubes in a single layer in a baking tray (you may need 2 trays) and drizzle over the olive oil. Sprinkle over the cinnamon and salt and roast for 30 - 40 minutes, giving the tray a good shake half way through.
In a small bowl or mug, whisk the dressing ingredients together with a fork and set aside.
Toss the salad leaves together with the red onion and most of the herbs in a large bowl.
Warm the lentils in a saucepan with a dash of water so they don’t stick together, then season with salt and pepper and mix through the salad leaves with half of the dressing.
To assemble the salad, tip the salad leaves and lentils into a serving bowl and top with the roasted pumpkin. Crumble over the feta and then scatter over the chopped walnuts and pumpkin seeds and the remaining herbs. Finally, drizzle over the remaining dressing.
Nutritional Information
(per large serving)
448 calories
24g protein, 46g carbs, 20g fat
Good to know:
Gluten Free.
Vegetarian. To make it Vegan, remove the feta.
Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Swap the pumpkin for butternut squash or sweet potato.