Lentil Salad with Seasonal Squash

Seema Vaidyanathan of @addictedtospice and Co-op Member

 ½-1 cup black lentils (aka beluga lentils), green Le Puy lentils, brown lentils or a mixture, rinsed

3-4 slices of fresh ginger

1 teaspoon turmeric

4 cups of water

1 tsp – cumin seeds

2 honey nut squash – cubed

Red pepper flakes to taste

2 tbsp Olive oil

Juice of 2 lemons

Parsley few sprigs

Cilantro few sprigs

Mint, just a few leaves

Salt to taste

 

 

 

Directions:

  1. Cook the lentils to salad consistency. Follow package instructions as per lentil of choice. Add ginger, onion and turmeric when simmering lentils. Do not salt when cooking, hold for after cooking.
  2. In the meantime, sauté cubed squash with some olive oil, 1 tsp cumin seeds, red pepper flakes and turmeric – keep the squash just cooked, or even a bit al dente. Squash cooks very fast, so watch closely and don't forget to season with salt.
  3. Drain cooked lentils.

Prepare dressing:

Mix olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, garam masala, fresh grated ginger, and honey

Assemble:

  1. Dress the lentils with dressing, add chopped herbs to this and mix gently until well combined.
  2. Plate this on a platter and top it with pieces of sautéed squash.
  3. You may garnish with pomegranate seeds for a festive look!