Autumnal Spiced Squash and Kale Salad with Citrus Tahini Dressing

This recipe is adapted from Melissa Hemsley's wonderful cook book, Eat Green. You can make use of the butternut in this week's boxes or the onion squash from last week if you still have it and you can use either green kale or cavolo nero. It is designed to make 6 portions so adjust accordingly if you are cooking for more or less than that!

The Ingredients

Butternut or onion squash, roughly chopped (keep some of the seeds).

Sweet pointed peppers, deseeded and roughly chopped.

3 tsp of butter 

1tsp of ground cumin or 2tsp of cumin seeds

1tsp of smoked paprika

1tsp of ground cinnamon

2 large brown onions, thinly sliced.

200g of dried green or brown lentils.

800ml of stock (veggie or bone broth work well)

200g of uncooked quinoa, rinsed well and drained.

a handful of dried fruit, either raisins, cranberries or sultanas.

200g of kale or cavolo nero, leaves roughly chopped with the stems removed.

The Dressing

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or R-Oil rapeseed Oil.

2 tbsp of cider vinegar or white wine vinegar

3 tbsp of tahini

1tbsp of sea salt

The juice of one lemon plus a little zest

The leaves of a few sprigs of thyme

1tsp of honey

The Greens

A nice big handful of fresh coriander and parsley

A bag of washed baby spinach

A punnet of watercress

2 celery sticks, finely diced.

The Method

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees celsius and roast the squash and peppers on two large trays with half the butter, salt and spices for 45 minutes.

In a large, deep-sided pan, fry the onion in the rest of the butter on a low heat until they turn golden brown. Season with some salt.

Add the lentils, stock and pop the lid on to simmer for around 10 minute, then add the quinoa, leaving it for a further 15 minutes until the lentils and quinoa are both cooked (this should be around the same time). Turn off the heat then leave to stand with the lid on for another 2 minutes then fluff with a fork and leave on a large cold plate to cool down.

While this is cooling, wash the squash seeds and toss them along with the kale onto the roasting tray with the veg in the oven for the last 10 minutes of cooking.

To make the dressing, whisk all of the ingredients together. Add a little water as you go if it is too thick.

To serve, toss it all together with the dressing, along with the greens!