Roasted Winter Squash With Lentils

Roasted Winter Squash With Lentils

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A beautiful and warming winter meal. Packed with nutrients and protein from the lentils, this looks amazing on the table and is just the thing after a cold weather workout. If you’re post-cleanse, we recommend adding a tablespoon of tomato paste to the broth for a different and equally delicious flavor.

Cleanse, Gut, Refresh
Serves 4

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients

1 ½ cups lentils (we used green, but any color works)

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 3-4 pound squash (Kabocha, Hubbard, Acorn, Butternut)

¼ cup olive oil

A sprinkle of sea salt

freshly cracked black pepper

1 large onion, chopped small

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

3 cups chicken or vegetable stock

5 large kale leaves, de-stemmed

Directions

Soak the lentils overnight (8-10 hours) in 4 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. Store in a warm place in your kitchen while soaking. In the morning drain and rinse the lentils well. Keep in a colander until ready to cook.

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Preheat the oven to 375F.

Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. Cut each half again into long and wide wedges.

Place the wedges on a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.

Bake in the oven until fork tender and turning golden brown, about 30-40 minutes.

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Chop onions and garlic.

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While the squash is cooking, prepare the rest.

Heat a 2 quart sauce pan over medium heat. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil then lightly saute the onions until translucent, about 5-8 minutes.

Stir in the garlic. Cook until fragrant, then add the lentils. Stir to combine and add the dried thyme, and bay leaf.

Pour in the stock and allow the liquid to simmer until the lentils are cooked through. Once the lentils are tender, stir in the kale and allow the greens to wilt, about 5 minutes.

Taste and season with sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

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When the squash is done, cut the wedges into large triangular halves, or whatever size works for the portion you want.

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Spoon the warm lentil and kale mixture over the squash and serve warm.

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Recipe/Frank Giglio
Photography/Jenny Nelson